Freedom’s Fortress: The Enduring Legacy of Fort Monroe, Virginia
OLD POINT COMFORT, VA – Standing sentinel at the mouth of Hampton Roads, where the mighty Chesapeake Bay spills into the Atlantic, Fort Monroe is more than just a collection of historic stone walls. It is a living testament to American history, a place where strategic military might intertwined with the profound struggle for human liberty. From its formidable defenses to its pivotal role in the Civil War, earning it the moniker "Freedom’s Fortress," Fort Monroe’s story is one of enduring significance, now transitioning from a military bastion to a public treasure.
For nearly two centuries, Fort Monroe was the largest stone fort ever built in the United States, a marvel of engineering designed to protect the vital waterways of southeastern Virginia. Its construction, initiated in 1819 and largely completed by 1834, involved thousands of enslaved laborers and a young West Point graduate named Robert E. Lee, who served as a construction engineer here in the 1830s. The fort’s hexagonal shape, surrounded by a wide moat and equipped with casemates designed to withstand heavy artillery, earned it the nickname "American Gibraltar." Its strategic location was undeniable: control of Old Point Comfort meant control over Norfolk, Richmond, and the critical naval operations of the region.
But it was during the tumultuous years of the American Civil War that Fort Monroe etched its most enduring chapter into the nation’s narrative. While Virginia seceded from the Union in April 1861, Fort Monroe, thanks to its island-like isolation and federal garrison, remained firmly in Union hands. This proved to be a strategic stroke of fortune for the North, providing a crucial foothold deep within Confederate territory, protecting the Union blockade, and serving as a staging ground for military operations.
Yet, its most profound impact was not on the battlefield, but in the unfolding drama of human rights. In May 1861, just weeks after the war began, three enslaved men – Frank Baker, James Townsend, and Shepard Mallory – escaped from Confederate service at Sewell’s Point and sought refuge at Fort Monroe. Their arrival presented Union Major General Benjamin F. Butler, the fort’s commander, with a moral and legal quandary. Confederate law considered them property, but assisting their return would mean aiding the enemy. Butler, a shrewd lawyer, seized on a brilliant legalistic argument.
"I determined to hold them," Butler later recounted, "on the ground that they were contraband of war, the property of an enemy, useful in war, and I put them at work." He declared that since Virginia claimed to be a foreign country and was at war with the United States, any property used to aid the Confederate war effort, including enslaved persons, could be seized by the Union army.
This audacious decision, made without direct orders from Washington, had seismic repercussions. News of Butler’s "contraband" policy spread like wildfire throughout the enslaved communities of the South. What began as a trickle quickly became a flood. Thousands of enslaved men, women, and children risked everything to reach the safety of Fort Monroe, knowing that once inside its walls, they would not be returned to their enslavers. They came by foot, by boat, through swamps and forests, all seeking "Freedom’s Fortress."
The fort’s population swelled dramatically, transforming the military installation into a sprawling refugee camp. These "contrabands," as they were called, were put to work for the Union army, building fortifications, performing camp duties, and supporting the war effort, often for meager wages but with the promise of liberty. Their presence and the Union’s refusal to return them effectively nullified the Fugitive Slave Act in Union-held territories and applied immense pressure on President Abraham Lincoln to move towards emancipation.
Historian Adam Goodheart, in his book "1861: The Civil War Awakening," vividly describes the scene: "Fort Monroe…became a magnet for hundreds, then thousands, of fugitives. It was a place where slavery, bit by bit, began to unravel." The contraband decision at Fort Monroe, a pivotal, if unplanned, prelude to the Emancipation Proclamation, laid the groundwork for the eventual abolition of slavery. It demonstrated that freedom was not just a moral ideal but a strategic necessity, a weapon against the Confederacy.
Following the war, Fort Monroe continued its unique historical journey. In May 1865, its casemates held a prisoner of immense symbolic weight: Jefferson Davis, the former President of the Confederate States of America. Confined for five months in a damp, poorly lit cell within the fort’s walls (Casemate No. 1), his imprisonment became a focal point of national debate and a somber epilogue to the bloody conflict. Today, visitors can walk through the preserved cell, a chilling reminder of the war’s bitter end.
Throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, Fort Monroe evolved into a premier center for coastal artillery training and development. It became the home of the U.S. Army Artillery School, later the Coast Artillery School, playing a critical role in developing the doctrine and technology for defending American shores. Generations of soldiers honed their skills here, preparing for conflicts from the Spanish-American War to the two World Wars and the Cold War. The fort’s ramparts, once bristling with smoothbore cannons, were eventually equipped with massive disappearing guns and advanced fire control systems, reflecting the ever-changing face of warfare.
The 20th century saw Fort Monroe adapt to new threats and technologies. During World War I and II, it served as a vital command center and embarkation point. In the Cold War era, it was home to the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), shaping the future of the U.S. Army. For nearly 150 years, the fort had been a continuously active military installation, a cornerstone of national defense and a vibrant community.
However, the post-Cold War era brought sweeping changes to the American military landscape. In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission made the difficult decision to close Fort Monroe. For the military personnel, their families, and the surrounding community, it was a bittersweet moment. A storied chapter was ending, but a new opportunity was emerging. On September 15, 2011, Fort Monroe officially ceased operations as an active military base, ending 193 years of continuous service.
Yet, Fort Monroe’s story was far from over. Just two months later, in November 2011, President Barack Obama designated a significant portion of the former base as the Fort Monroe National Monument, managed by the National Park Service. Concurrently, the Commonwealth of Virginia established Fort Monroe State Park, ensuring public access and preservation of its natural beauty. This dual designation marked a profound transformation, opening "Freedom’s Fortress" to the world.
Today, Fort Monroe is reborn as a public treasure, a place where history, nature, and recreation converge. Visitors can walk the historic ramparts, explore the casemates, and stand in Jefferson Davis’s cell. They can visit the Fort Monroe Casemate Museum, which vividly tells the story of its military history and, crucially, the "contraband" decision. The property boasts stunning beaches, walking and biking trails, and unparalleled views of Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay. The historic Officers’ Quarters, many beautifully preserved, are now available for rent, offering a unique opportunity to stay within the fort’s storied walls.
The challenge now is to balance preservation with public access, to honor its complex past while embracing its future as a vibrant community space. The Fort Monroe Authority, a state agency, works alongside the National Park Service to manage this delicate equilibrium, ensuring that the fort’s rich narrative—from its origins as a strategic stronghold to its role as a beacon of freedom—continues to be told and experienced by generations to come.
Fort Monroe stands as a powerful reminder that history is not static. It is a dynamic force, constantly revealing new layers of meaning. From its formidable walls that once housed cannons to its gates that offered refuge to the enslaved, Fort Monroe embodies the contradictions and triumphs of the American experiment. It is a place where the echoes of military drills mix with the whispers of those who found their path to liberty, truly an enduring "Freedom’s Fortress" for the nation.
