Fort Monroe in Hampton Virginia

Jefferson Davis was kept imprisoned there in shackles for over a year and denied visitors. It would take nearly 2 years for him to be released and another 2 before given an official pardon and all charges filed nolle prosequi officially ending any criminal prosecution.

Ft. Monroe was never occupied by Confederate forces and was the starting point for McClellan's Peninsula campaign that would end with his inglorious retreat after the 7 days battles which was the start of Gen. Robert E Lee's command of the Army of Northern Virginia. Though terribly costly in terms of casualties Lee's aggressive attacks saved Richmond and disgraced McClellan. Ft. Monroe was a critical piece of real estate, forcing the Confederacy to always consider the chance of another attack by the same route.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

Thank you.
It's still prime real estate today. The fort is now a national park but the houses for officers and apartments for enlisted families are available for lease. These are beautiful federal style mansions and big apartments also in cool federal style buildings.
A former officers club building with soaring ceilings dental moldings grand fireplaces and beautiful hardwood floors has been converted to a YMCA. The classiest YMCA ever I'm sure.
The fort is located on the Chesapeake bay and the army Corp of engineers built jetties and created nice beaches. I go almost daily because there are many species of seabirds to watch and a couple of nesting osprey pairs who are graceful to watch as they dive for food. Plus being southern Virginia the water warms up in early June and we can go swimming about a month earlier than say cape cod or even long island.

a reply to: AutumnWitch657

The other thing about Fort Monroe was they had a front row seat to watch the fight between the Monitor and the Merrimack, the first combat between iron warships that ended in a draw. Must've been something to watch those 2 blast each other at point blank range only to see the canon balls bounce off each other.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

Close to a front row seat. That battle was actually best viewed about 4 miles to the west from what is now Chesapeake Avenue. There are some old houses there where people watched the battle from the rooftops.
Where fort Monroe is on the east side of the peninsula, Chesapeake ave is on the western side and the battle was just off southwest tip of the peninsula in the bay where the James river enters it.
Are you from here?

a reply to: Asktheanimals
The Mariners museum has the turret of the Monitor on display. It was raised from the floor of the ocean off the coast of cape hatteras where it sank in a storm in Dec of the same year as the battle. The ship was less than a year old. Two sailors recovered during its raising were buried in Arlington cemetery.
www.marinersmuseum.org...


We also host the annual blackbeard festival to celebrate Blackbeards gory demise on the prow of his ship when they displayed his severed head for all to see.

A few miles north of here Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington in the battle of Yorktown and the first settlement of this great land was in Jamestown just south of that site.

I'm surrounded by and steeped in history here which I love.