Fort Norfolk History - 1848
In January 1848 Commander Zachariah F. Johnston took command of the Gosport Navy Yard.
January 21, 1848 Commander Zachariah F. Johnston, Commandant of Navy Yard Gosport, wrote Commander Joseph Smith, Chief of the Burrow of Yards & Docks, that tried to break into the Magazine; “they succeeded in scaling the outer fence, and by means of a plank which they ripped from the floor of the Shell House managed to get over the brick wall & into the yard; where they have make considerable progress in enlarging the air holes in the main building, by picking at the bricks; they also attempted to force the lock at the main gate.” The magazine’s isolated location and large quantities of Powder produced apprehension for the Commander.
Joseph Smith replied that “The only remedy that can now be applied to protect the building, is to make the gate, doors, windows and all other apertures as secure and formidable as possible, and require the Keeper of the Magazine to have the premises always in order, and to report to you their condition at 8 O’Clock A.M. and at 8 P.M. every day.”
Commodore V F Johnston wrote to Commander Joseph Smith on January 26, 1848 ; “The contiguity of the Magazine to the Naval Hospital & I may add lunatic Asylum, together with the flat making off from the wharf so far as to render it difficult of access except at high water, are subject to which I beg most respectfully to call your attention; the proving of powder so near the Hospital, I am informed by Doctor Williamson has a most pernicious effect upon the lunatics and in the event of any accident to the Magazine producing an explosion of the powder in store, the Hospital must of necessity be destroyed & with it perhaps most of its unfortunate occupants. Several more eligible sites, near here might be selected. Old Fort Norfolk, belonging to the War Department, or a place on St. Helena.
It may be well to observe in this connection that the “Keeper of the Magazine, is old and very infirm & has been confined to his bed a long time. I believe he has not been at the Magazine for several months; indeed his age & ill heath render him entirely unfit for the station.”
In February 1848 Commander John D Sloat took command of the Gosport Navy Yard.
On May 17, 1848 Commandant John D Sloat wrote Commander Joseph Smith that; “The dilapidated state and the exposed and inconvenient situations of the Powder Magazine at this station has been a source of great anxiety to me ever since I have been in command of the station, and I have several times called the attention of the Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance & Hydrography and Yards & Docks to the subject verbally. From recant occurrences my solicitude as well as the of the inhabitants of the neighborhood has been increased to such as extent that I consider it my duty for the interest of the government as well as to receive myself from responsibility to lay the state of the establishment before the Bureau in order that such action may be taken by them as may seem the best.
The Bureau are aware that there is not any residence for the Keeper of the Magazine belonging to the establishment. He resides half a mile distant, and is I am informed a man entirely useless either for protection or any other purpose as he has not been out of his bed for several years.”
In response Commander Joseph Smith wrote to WPS Sawyer of the Engineer Office on May 21, 1848; “I am of the opinion that the present buildings are totally unfit for the purposes of a Magazine being neither commanders, convinced not safe; the location is a very improper one; on account of the difficulty of access by water and its proximity to the town & Hospital and I would respectfully recommend that miss use be taken to effect the erection of a new Magazine upon a more eligible site. I concur with Capt. Dormin in the opinion that Fort Norfolk is the best site in the neighborhood for a Magazine; it may easily be made entirely secure from the depredations of mischievous persons, and the channel runs so near the point, that a very small wharf only would be required to admit vessels of any size to lay along side and receive or discharge powder or other articles. The transfer of this site to the authorities of Norfolk City by the War Department is probably a temporary character and would not prove a serious objection to its being obtained for a Naval Magazine.”
Then on July 20, 1848, Commander Joseph Smith, wrote to the Honorable J. Y. Mason, Secretary of the Navy ask him to request that the Department of War transfer Old Fort Norfolk to the Navy. He stated “”As the buildings are in a very dilapidated state, and will probably never be of further use to the Department of War.”
More History
Back, 1673, 1775, 1787, 1789, Army before 1793, 1793, 1794, More 1794, First Fort, 1795, 1796-1800, 1801-1806, 1807, 1808-1811, 1812, 1813, 1813-1814, 1816, 1817-1818, 1820-1821, 1824, 1835, 1840, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1848 Request, 1849, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1854 Keeper's House, 1854 Changes, 1858, 1859, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1875, 1884, 1893, 1903, 1923, Next
Source of Information
John Haviland, "Plan of the U. S. Hospital Grounds & Buildings", National Archives, College Park, MD - Cartographic (RDSC), Record Group 71: Records of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, 1784 - 1963, Series: Bureau of Yards and Docks Plans of Navy Facilities, 1815 - 1966, 551-2-19.
John Y. Mason, "John Y. Mason to William L. Marcy ", July 25, 1848, National Archives, Record Group 77 (Office, Chief of Engineers),Land Papers, Virginia (Craney Island, Mill Creek Bridge, Ferry Point, Ft. Norfolk, Yorktown Monument, Arlingtron Estate, Willoughby Spit); Washington (General), Box No. 61, NM-19, Entry 171.
William L. Marcy, "William L. Marcy to John Y. Mason ", August 4, 1848, National Archives, Record Group 77 (Office, Chief of Engineers),Land Papers, Virginia (Craney Island, Mill Creek Bridge, Ferry Point, Ft. Norfolk, Yorktown Monument, Arlingtron Estate, Willoughby Spit); Washington (General), Box No. 61, NM-19, Entry 171.
Joseph G. Totten, "Joseph G. Totten to William L. Marcy ", July 28, 1848, National Archives, Record Group 77 (Office, Chief of Engineers),Land Papers, Virginia (Craney Island, Mill Creek Bridge, Ferry Point, Ft. Norfolk, Yorktown Monument, Arlingtron Estate, Willoughby Spit); Washington (General), Box No. 61, NM-19, Entry 171.
John Y. Mason, "John Y. Mason to William L. Marcy ", August 11, 1848, National Archives, Record Group 77 (Office, Chief of Engineers),Land Papers, Virginia (Craney Island, Mill Creek Bridge, Ferry Point, Ft. Norfolk, Yorktown Monument, Arlingtron Estate, Willoughby Spit); Washington (General), Box No. 61, NM-19, Entry 171.
Joseph Smith, "Joseph Smith to John D Sloat ", August 11, 1848, National Archives, Record Group 71 Records of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, Records of the Office of the Chief of Bureau, 1820 - 1946, Letters Sent 1842 - 95, Vol. 04 of 104, PI-10, E. 1, 220.
John D Sloat, "John D Sloat to Joseph Smith", August 16, 1848, National Archives, Record Group 71 Bureau of Yards and Docks, Letters Recieved from Commandants of Navy Yards -- Norfolk, Nov 3 1846 - Sept 15 1848, Box No. 154, Entry 5.
Joseph Smith, "Joseph Smith to John D Sloat ", August 17, 1848, National Archives, Record Group 71 Records of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, Records of the Office of the Chief of Bureau, 1820 - 1946, Letters Sent 1842 - 95, Vol. 04 of 104, PI-10, E. 1, 227.