Battle of New Orleans.

Monday, June 15, 2015

North Carolina's Fort Hampton-- Part 4: A Tabby Fort

In November 1807, North Carolina's General Assembly took steps to encourage the federal government to protect Beaufort.  A tract of land at the point was purchased by the state and ceded to the U.S. government for this fort.

In early 1808, the Army's Engineer Department authorized a small fort and work began the following year. Captain Charles Gratiot supervised construction at a cost of $8,863.62 and it was named for N.C. Revolutionary War hero Col. Andrew Hampton ((1713-1805).

It was the smallest Second System fort built at the time, but typical of their design, consisting of a horse-shaped parapet seven feet high and made of an oyster shell cement called tabby, or tapia.

The walls were 14-feet thick at the base and tapered to 8-feet at the top..  The gun platform was 23-feet wide on which there were to be mounted five 18-pdr. cannons capable of throwing an 18 pound cannon ball a mile.

--Brock-Perry

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