Fort McRee
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Fort McRee (1834-1947) - Constructed between 1834-1839 as a Third System brick, three tiered fort with an outlying water battery. Named for Col. William M. McRae Apr 1840. Fort McRee was deactivated in 1947 and transfered to the Navy.
Fort McRee History
After the Mexican War Fort McRee, Fort Barrancas and Fort Pickens were garrisoned only during drils, manuvers and target practice from the barracks at Fort Barrancas and this continued up to the start of the U.S. Civil War.
U.S. Civil War
In January 1861 just before the start of the U.S. Civil War 1st Lt. Adam J. Slemmer and the 50 men under his command were forced to abandon Fort Barrancas and Fort McRee to sessionists Florida and Alabama militia. Lt. Slemmer and his men spiked the guns at Fort Barrancas and Fort McRee and removed to Fort Pickins where they were reinforced by additional Union forces. In May 1862 Confederate forces abandoned all of the Pensacola area fortifications and they remained under Union control for the remainder of the war.
Endicott Period
| Battery | No. | Caliber | Type Mount | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slemmer | 2 | 8" | Disappearing Carriage | 1900-1918 | Part buried |
| Center | 4 | 3" | Masking Pedestal Mount | 1901-1920 | Part buried |
| Source: Coastal Defense Study Group | |||||
World War I
In 1918 Battery Slemmer's guns were removed and sent to Europe to be mounted on railway cars. In 1920 Battery Center's guns were removed.
World War II
A single battery of two 6" guns was begun at Fort McRee but by the end of the war it still did not have the gun tubes installed and was never operational.
| Battery | No. | Caliber | Type Mount | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #233 | 2 | 6" | Long Range Shielded Barbette Carriage | 194?-194? | Gun tubes never received |
| Source: Coastal Defense Study Group | |||||
Current Status
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Location: Foster Bank, Pensacola, Floridia Maps & Images Lat: 30.325939 Long: -87.316879
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Sources:
- Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 183
- Weaver, John R. II, A Legacy in Brick and Stone: America Coastal Defense Forts of the Third System, Redoubt Press, McLean, 2001, First Printing, ISBN 1-57510-069-X, page 163-165
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