Fort James Jackson
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Old Fort Jackson
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Moat at Fort Jackson
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| Location | Islands Expwy., Chatham County, near Savannah, Georgia |
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| Coordinates | 32°4′55″N 81°2′10″W / 32.08194°N 81.03611°WCoordinates: 32°4′55″N 81°2′10″W / 32.08194°N 81.03611°W |
| Built | 1808 |
| Architect | William McRee |
| NRHP Reference # | 70000200 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 18, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | February 16, 2000 |
Fort James Jackson (usually called Old Fort Jackson or shortened to Fort Jackson) is a restored 19th-century fort located on the Savannah River, two miles east of the city of Savannah in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is a National Historic Landmark and the oldest standing brick fort in Georgia.
U.S. President Thomas Jefferson authorized the construction of a national defense system of fortifications to defend his new nation. Jefferson's system included Fort Jackson, constructed between 1808 and 1812 over an old earthen battery from the American Revolution. At the time, war with Great Britain or France seemed likely, and Fort Jackson was the best site from which to protect Savannah from attack by sea. In the War of 1812, local militias and U.S. troops saw active duty at Fort Jackson. After the War of 1812, two periods of construction followed at the fort. A moat, drawbridge, brick barracks, privies, a rear wall, and another powder magazine were added.
James Jackson, the namesake of the fort, was a British native who fought for the American cause and rose to the rank of colonel. When he was twenty-five, Jackson accepted the surrender of the British in Savannah at the close of the revolution. He was later a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and Governor of Georgia. He is interred at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C..
During the American Civil War, Fort Jackson, along with nearby Fort McAllister and Fort Pulaski, defended Savannah from Union attack. In 1862, Fort Jackson was shelled from a ship captained by an escaped slave named Robert Smalls. The fort was commanded by Colonel Edward Clifford Anderson and would become the Confederate Headquarters for the Savannah River defenses, including the Confederate Navy.
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