Fort Screven

Fort Screven (1898-1944) - An Endicott Period Coastal Fort first established 18 Mar 1898 as Camp Graham by Capt. J.M.K. Davis (Cullum 2172), Battery F, 1st U.S. Artillery. Named Fort Screven after Brigadier General James Screven, who was killed at Midway Church in 1778 during the Revolutionary War. Ceased to be a Coastal Artillery Post 27 Feb 1924 and was declared surplus 21 Oct 1944. Also known as Camp Crawford (3); and not infrequently, in contemporary records, just as Tybee Island, from its location. Fort Screven Officer's Quarters Fort Screven 1911 Bandstand Endicott Period (1890-1910) Part of the Harbor Defense of Savannah. The first Endicott Period battery on Fort Screven was started in 1897 and was completed in Jul 1898, just before hostilities ceased in the Spanish American War. A total of four batteries were accepted for service in 1899, and one each in 1900, 1901, and 1904 for a total of seven Endicott Period batteries. Fort Screven Endicott Period Battery (edit list) Battery Click on Battery links below No. Caliber Type Mount Service Years Notes Battery Habersham 8 12" Mortar 1898-1900-1900-1942 Four mortars removed in 1918 Battery Garland 1 12" Barbette 1898-1899-1899-1942 Battery Fenwick 1 12" Barbette 1898-1899-1899-1942 Battery Brumby 4 8" Disappearing 1897-1898-1899-1917 Guns removed for service abroad 1917 Battery Backus 1 2 6" 4.72" Armstrong Armstrong 1898-1898-1899-1920 1899-1900-1901-1920 Guns approved for scrapping 1919 Battery Gantt 2 3" Masking Parapet 1899-1900-1904-1920 Guns approved for removal 1920 Source: CDSG Fort Screven Plan World War I (1917-1918) The disarming of the Endicott Period batteries began in 1917 with the removal of four 8" guns from Battery Brumby for overseas service during World War I. In 1918 four mortar tubes from Battery Habersham were removed to provide more efficient operation and reduce manpower requirements. The guns from Battery Backus and Battery Gantt were scrapped as a part of the World War I post-war disarmament push. General Order Number 8, 27 Feb 1924, declared Fort Screven no longer a Coast Artillery post. World War II (1941-1945) Fort Screven 1941 Tents The remaining guns from Battery Habersham and the guns from Battery Garland and Battery Fenwick were scrapped in 1942 during the first large-scale scrap drive of World War II. By the end of 1942, there were no armed Endicott Period batteries. Four 155mm guns on Panama mounts were placed in service in 1942 and remained in service until 1944. During World War II Fort Screven became the training center for the U.S. Army Engineer Diving and Salvage personnel, training them to salvage and repair war-damaged ports. Fort Screven World War II Battery (edit list) Battery Click on Battery links below No. Caliber Type Mount Service Years Battery Cost Notes Battery 155 - Fort Screven 4 155mm Panama Mounts 1942-1944 $ ? Source: CDSG Current Status Private property, many structures remain, batteries neglected or built over. No period guns or carriages in place. Location: Tybee Island, Chatham County, Georgia. Maps & Images Lat: 32.0212759 Long: -80.8439791 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: ' GPS Locations: 32.018638, -80.845438 Fort Screven 32.021337, -80.844014 Battery Garland 32.023525, -80.845956 Battery Gantt 32.0239547, -80.8491021 Battery Habersham 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 235-236 Links North American Forts - Fort Screven Visited: 19 Jan 2010 Picture Gallery Fort Screven 1901 Officer's Quarters Fort Screven Enlisted Mess