Fort Mott (New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
Fort Mott was part of a three-fort defense system designed for the Delaware River
during the postbellum modernization period following the American Civil War
. The other two forts in the system were Fort Delaware
on Pea Patch Island
and Fort DuPont
in Delaware City, Delaware
. They are connected by the Three Forts Ferry Crossing
.
Original plans for Fort Mott specified eleven gun emplacements with twenty guns and a mortar battery with six emplacements for Rodman Smoothbore
guns. Construction was started in 1872, however, only two of the gun emplacements and two magazines in the mortar battery were completed by 1876 when all work stopped.
A general War Department Order #72, issued on December 16, 1897, designated the new fort as Fort Mott, in honor of Major General
Gershom Mott
, of Trenton. Gershom Mott had served with distinction as Second Lieutenant
in the Tenth Infantry
in the Mexican-American War, as Lieutenant-Colonel in the 5th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
, as Colonel and commander of the 6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
before he was promoted to first Brigadier General. He was wounded four times, resigned from the Army in 1866 and died on November 29, 1884.
Fort Mott, along with Fort Delaware and Fort DuPont, became obsolete as the principal defensive installation on the Delaware River with the construction of Fort Saulsbury, near Milford
, Delaware, shortly after World War I
.
Troops were regularly stationed at Fort Mott from 1897 to 1922. The federal government maintained a caretaking detachment at the fort from 1922 to 1943. New Jersey
acquired the military reservation as a historic site and State park in 1947. Fort Mott State Park was opened to the public on June 24, 1951. The site is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
. It is located in Pennsville Township, New Jersey
.
Apart from regular practice sessions and testing, the guns at Fort Mott were never fired in battle.
Fort Mott is part of the Fort Mott and Finns Point National Cemetery District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
during the postbellum modernization period following the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The other two forts in the system were Fort Delaware
Fort Delaware
Fort Delaware is a harbor defense facility, designed by Chief Engineer Joseph Gilbert Totten, and located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. During the American Civil War, the Union used Fort Delaware as a prison for Confederate prisoners of war, political prisoners, federal convicts, and...
on Pea Patch Island
Pea Patch Island
Pea Patch Island is a small island, approximately 1 mi long, in the U.S. state of Delaware, located in the mid channel of the Delaware River near its entrance into Delaware Bay. It is a low, marshy island, located in New Castle County, facing Delaware City on the Delaware shore, and Finns Point on...
and Fort DuPont
Fort DuPont
Fort DuPont, named in honor of Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont, is located between Delaware City and the modern Chesapeake and Delaware Canal on the original Reeden Point tract, which was granted to Henry Ward in 1675. The first fortification built was the Ten Gun Battery, an auxiliary to...
in Delaware City, Delaware
Delaware City, Delaware
Delaware City is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2010 census. It is a small port town on the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and is the location of the ferry to Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island.-Geography:Delaware City is...
. They are connected by the Three Forts Ferry Crossing
Three Forts Ferry Crossing
Three Forts Ferry Crossing is a ferry system on the Delaware River which serves Forts DuPont and Delaware in Delaware and Fort Mott in New Jersey. The Delafort ferry, which serves the three points, is operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority....
.
Original plans for Fort Mott specified eleven gun emplacements with twenty guns and a mortar battery with six emplacements for Rodman Smoothbore
Smoothbore
A smoothbore weapon is one which has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars.-History of firearms and rifling:...
guns. Construction was started in 1872, however, only two of the gun emplacements and two magazines in the mortar battery were completed by 1876 when all work stopped.
A general War Department Order #72, issued on December 16, 1897, designated the new fort as Fort Mott, in honor of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Gershom Mott
Gershom Mott
Gershom Mott was a United States Army officer and a General in the Union Army, a commander in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, of Trenton. Gershom Mott had served with distinction as Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Tenth Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
in the Mexican-American War, as Lieutenant-Colonel in the 5th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
5th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
The 5th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was one of four regiments formed by Governor Charles Olden upon requisition of President Abraham Lincoln on July 24, 1861. The regiment departed for Washington, DC on August 24, 1861 and camped at Meridian Hill...
, as Colonel and commander of the 6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
The 6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was regiment of infantry from New Jersey that served in the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.-Service:...
before he was promoted to first Brigadier General. He was wounded four times, resigned from the Army in 1866 and died on November 29, 1884.
Fort Mott, along with Fort Delaware and Fort DuPont, became obsolete as the principal defensive installation on the Delaware River with the construction of Fort Saulsbury, near Milford
Milford, Delaware
Milford is a city in Kent and Sussex counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 9,559....
, Delaware, shortly after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Troops were regularly stationed at Fort Mott from 1897 to 1922. The federal government maintained a caretaking detachment at the fort from 1922 to 1943. New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
acquired the military reservation as a historic site and State park in 1947. Fort Mott State Park was opened to the public on June 24, 1951. The site is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
The New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry is responsible for the management and operation of New Jersey's 42 parks, 11 forests and 3 recreation areas, as well as for the more than 50 historic sites and districts...
. It is located in Pennsville Township, New Jersey
Pennsville Township, New Jersey
Pennsville Township is a Township in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 13,194. The township is named for William Penn....
.
Apart from regular practice sessions and testing, the guns at Fort Mott were never fired in battle.
Fort Mott is part of the Fort Mott and Finns Point National Cemetery District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.