The Naming Of Fort Saulsbury

  pic curtsy of   russpickett.com  

Fort Saulsbury is located about six miles outside of  Milford, De in  the  town of Slaughters Beach on Rt 36. It is named after Willard Saulsbury Sr. (brother of Eli Saulsbury, Father of Willard Saulsbury Jr.) A senator from Delaware ; born in Mispillion Hundred, Kent county, Del., June 2,1820;attended the common school, Dickinson Collage, Carlisle, Pa., and
Delaware collage (now the University of Delaware) Newark, Del.; studied law ; admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Georgetown, Del.; attorney general of Delaware 1850-1855; elected as a Democrat to the United Sates Senate in 1858; reelected in 1864 and served from March 4, 1859, to March 3, 1871; chairman, Committee on Enrolled Bills (Thirty-sixth Congress) ;unsuccessful candidate for reelection; resumed the practice of law; chancellor of the State from 1874 until his death. He died on April 6,1892- age 71 He was a southern sympathizer in the civil war, Harold B. Hancock describes his as "Lincoln's most bitter foe in the Senate.
 

 The Naming Of Battery Hall And Haslet

In large letters embossed over the entrance of the North bunker is theword "Hall" and over the south bunker
"Haslet" there naming is significant Delaware, a Guide
to the First State" tells that these were named in honor
of Sussex County's two most famous Revolutionary War heroes - Col David Hall and Col. John Haslet. Col Hall of Lewes was commander of the famous Delaware Line in
the Continental Army. Col . Haslet of Milford recruited
800 Revolutionary War volunteers, mustered into the
States service in Sussex County, and was chosen their colonel. He was a close friend of Caser Rodney, his counterpart in Kent County, Who corresponded daily
with Haslet from the meeting of the Continental
Congress in Philadelphia. When the enlistment of his Delaware Regiment ran out late in 1776, Haslet
remained with General Washington. Probably crossing
the Delaware on Christmas Eve with Washington, He
took Prominent part in the attack on Trenton and Battle
of Princeton. in the later a bullet struck him in the head
and killed him instantly on January 3, 1777 Haslet
was ordained a Presbyterian minister by Derry
Presbytery in Ireland and also trained in medicine at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. The records of Lewes Presbytery show it holding meetings in his home witch
was near the present Milford Airport (now air park plaza)
His son, Joseph, was Governor of Delaware 1811-1814
and lived in the Lincoln area near cedar Creek. It seams
that there is not much know about Col. David Hall except
that Colonel Hall enlisted as a private in the
Revolutionary Army. Was promoted to Captain in
January 1776 and to Colonel in command of the
Delaware Regiment in 1777 . he was wounded in the
battle of Germantown. Was chairman of the council of
safety in Sussex County. In 1941 the distinguished
Delaware historian Christopher Ward wrote," who has
heard of john Haslet ?' Odd today that Haslet's and
Hall's only monument in Sussex County is the huge
South and North Bunker at FT. Saulsbury for who has
heard of FT. Saulsbury as well.
 

  The Construction Of Fort. Saulsbury

The 161 acres of property for Fort Saulsbury was purchased from the Shockley family David L. Shockley and Mark H. Shockley in later 1916-17 the construction
of the two battery's began battery Hall and battery Haslet was completed in 1918 in 1916-17, after more then a
year of study by various agencies with in the war department the construction on the 161 acres began the Forts mission was coastal and bay defense against potential attacks from the sea it's four great 12"
Howitzer guns, capable of fifteen mile range, were designed to cover the bay entrance and the anchorage from enemy surface and underwater vessels. In WWI intelligence, largely British, had it that the Germans planed an attack up the Delaware Bay to destroy the industrial Wilmington and the Philadelphia area. when completed at the end of WWI, FT. Saulsbury two batteries of casements, each with two 12" Howitzers
gun emplacements. These huge bunkers were
constructed of steel and reinforced concrete, 14 feet thick, and 3 foot thick reinforced walls with six feet of sand with top soil to keep the sand in-place. On top
were concrete trenches, connecting observation post at the end of each mound With a Spiral Stair case at each end so you could get to the observation post from inside the mound. This monumental task of construction in 1917-18 defies imagination. How to deliver the thousands of tons of steel, concrete, soil and building supplies to
the isolated site! a dirt road, often virtually
impassable in winter and spring was the only way to the nearest railroad in Milford. At first, studies were made about delivering these by water. But the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek Canal with a mean depth of less then five feet, could only accommodate very small barges and boats. Also, there was a lack of labor at the time there only seven people manning Ft. Saulsbury Staff Sergeant Dorphin C. Wigley was the only military personal at the time the rest of the men were civilian they lived in what the military calls N.C.O Quarters. Finely, a narrow gauge railroad, following the north side of today's Rt 36, was build from Milford. the railroad had two small engines and a string of small cars. A bridge for the railroad crossed
the Cedar Creek Canal to the beach Hauling sand for the cement. the train also supplied other materials such as food and feed for the horses and mules you must keep in mind it is 1917 and most manual labor is still done by horse and mule but the train mostly carried ammo for the 12" guns the train would come in the front gate and go threw both mounds and back out the back gate.

   Notice the railroad tracks going threw the mound

Inside the batteries were emergency living quarters including showers, latrines ( or in some cases candles ) notice the candle holder on pic below.

fireplaces, a kitchen, water, water was all by gravity
tanks at the top of showers, sewage etc as well as working areas and storage rooms for the 975 pound,
four feet long projectiles and the powder for the firing it took 275 pounds of powder to fire each projectiles.
Heavy steel doors sealed off various areas of the casements inner doors and windows the main
entrances had two huge wooden doors.

 

The four guns sat on concrete pads at each end of the two batteries they were ground level on Barbette
carriages and could turn 360 degrees on brass circles
for aiming. the men kept the brass so highly polished
they could shave in it's refection the guns were of
12" bore and 40 feet long. The guns were brought to
the Fort by train each gun was broken down into three pieces and put back to together. everyone always said they were brought to the Fort by barge this is not true
now when the two guns were taken from Battery Haslet
to Fort Miles in 1942 they were taken out by barge. said to have been a major operation. the guns are no longer there. The Fort was, and is today, entirely circled by a high dirtmound making the buildings invisible from the
bay and surrounding land but it was very visible from the air if you ride by there today you will notice you cant see it very well from the road due to all the trees that have grown over the years this was not so in 1917 it was wide open doesn't make sense dose it you would think that they would want complete camo. But you must ask your self what didn't they have in 1917 air planes at least not long range fighters or bomber
 

The two pic's above an below are of what's left of the
canal were the barges came threw they also served as drain off. Mr. Robert H. Fields who was born at Fort Saulsbury in 1920 told me that before they put in the
back flaps on the ditches he would get out of bed and
put his feet on the floor and step in a foot of water.
 

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This is what the house that MR. Fields was born in looked liked