Fort Delaware - Star Fort

Star Fort

Sandstone remnants of star fort recovered by Corps of Engineers during modern seawall repair. Map showing the layout of structures on Pea Patch Island following the fire of 1831. Army Corps of Engineers.

Construction of a star fort on Pea Patch island began sometime before Dec. 8, 1817. Chief Engineer Joseph Gardner Swift mentions a fort on the "Pea Patch in Delaware River" among forts that are progressing nicely.

Fort Mifflin's Replacement
The attack on Fort Mifflin during the Revolutionary War proved that a fort was needed further away from Philadelphia in order to delay possible invaders. A fortification further down river would also provide protection for other vital port cities such as Chester, Marcus Hook, Wilmington and New Castle. On February 7, 1821, the Board of Engineers reported: "In the Delaware, the fort on the Pea Patch island, and one on the Delaware shore opposite, defend the water passage as far below Philadelphia as localities will permit: They force an enemy to land forty miles below the city to attack it by land, and thus afford time for the arrival of succors The two projected forts will also have the advantages of covering the canal destined to connect the Chesapeake with the Delaware"

Construction Issues
The star fort was designed by army engineer Joseph G. Totten and construction was supervised by Capt. Samuel Babcock. Babcock supervised the work from about August 1819 until August 20, 1824. Lt. Henry Brewerton was also onsite, serving as an assistant engineer the during construction. Completion of the project was delayed years past the proposed date due to uneven settling, improper pile placement and the island's marshy nature. In once occurrence an entire section of 43,000 bricks had to be taken down, cleaned and reworked due to massive cracking. In 1822, Colonel Totten and General Bernard were on the island to inspect the faulty works. In fact, Captain Babcock was severely criticized for altering Totten's plans without orders. Babcock subsequently appeared before a courts martial for his actions in late 1824. It was determined he was not guilty of neglect but rather error in judgement and he was acquitted. During the trial his council was George Read Jr. of New Castle, Del.

Commanders and Garrison
Fort Delaware's first documented commander was Maj. Alexander C.W. Fanning, who took command sometime before 1825. That year, a letter documenting a lost mail shipment was written by him as post commander. Army records the fort was manned by soldiers of the 2nd U.S. Artillery. Sometime around 1829, Maj. Benjamin Kendrick Pierce took command of Fort Delaware. During his tenure, the fort was garrisoned by Companies A and B, 4th U.S. Artillery. Major Pierce was a graduate of Dartmouth College and the older brother to the 14th President of the United States, Franklin Pierce.

1831 Fire
In February 1831, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sent Lt. Stephen Tuttle to evaluate the foundation issue and offer possible solutions. On Feb. 8, 1831, around 10:30 p.m, a fire originating in Lieutenant Tuttle's quarters, destroyed much of the work, burning until the next morning. Maj. Benjamin K. Pierce, post commander, was granted orders to use the federal arsenal in New Castle, Del. as barracks for his two companies until "Fort Delaware can be reoccupied." Captain Richard Delafield, Babcock's replacement, asked for $10,000 to tear down the remaining structure the following year. In 1833, Fort Delaware was torn down to make room for a new fortification. According to official records, the rubble from the star fort served to re-enforce the seawall around the island. The sandstone remnants can still be seen today.