The Naming Of Fort Saulsbury

 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  

 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
which 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 within 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   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 dirt mound 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 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.