We had a similar situation here too.[ Just an aside, they built some batteries here during the WW's at Pickens and where McRee was.] We had three forts. All in a triangle with the pass from the Gulf into the Bay on the mid-Southern end of the triangle between Pickens and McRee. Ft Barrancas could have been the northern point in the triangle. Slemmer and Bragg had their little hits n runs and Slemmer took his toys to Ft Pickens. Now, Bragg had McRee and Barrancas. One would think that would be the smart place to be. It wasn't. The ships came in and they commenced to help Pickens guns destroy McRee and much of Barrancas. After Bragg pulled up stakes and left, Slemmer went back to Barrancas and repaired the mess and they occupied it once again. It isn't a large area either but with that pass being the only way at that time into the Bay it was important. The lumber yards, the Navy Yard, the brick yards and any other type of yard were all on the other side of the Bay.

Pam