FORT HATCH

Jacksonville was an important port on the St. Johns River during the Civil War. It changed hands four times, finally ending up under Union control. In 1864, determined to prevent the city from once again falling into Confederate hands, the Union Army encircled it with temporary fortifications, called breastworks. Maps and archaeological testing showed this site was the location of Fort Hatch, which housed one of nine gun batteries built to protect the city. The chest-high fortifications contained barracks, mess halls, medical facilities, and parade grounds. Fort Hatch was named in honor of General John P. Hatch (1822 - 1901), who commanded various Union operations in the South. President Grover Cleveland awarded him the Medal of Honor in 1893 for his efforts during the Antietam Campaign. Notable occupants of Fort Hatch included members of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, raised in 1863 as the first northern unit of African Americans following President Abraham Lincoln’s issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. The 54th grew to over 1000 men by May 1863, but by the battle of Olustee in 1864, the unit numbered about 500. The 54th retreated with other units to Fort Hatch after Union forces were routed at Olustee.