Visited: Friday, September 13, 2024
Somehow, when we were planning this trip, I missed this one. But we did find it, and - it's an impressive site, particularly for such a recent addition to the NPS. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the fort - which, like many forts, never actually saw combat - was the decision of the commander when three escaped slaves arrived right after Virginia seceded to (1) decide that the fugitive slave act did not apply, since Virginia was claiming to be a foreign country, then (2) decide that the only way he would need to turn them over would be if their owner arrived and proclaimed loyalty to the Union (thus legally requiring they be returned, but something he was sure wouldn't occur), and finally (3) deciding that they qualified as contraband, and therefore could stay and contribute. This led to 20,000 slaves appearing at Fort Monroe during the US Civil War, where they were housed, employed, and later recruited to the Union effort. This is a reason Hampton University - a prominent HBCU - is located where it is - and is considered one of the actions that eventually led to the Emancipation Proclamation.
Oh, and the C&O eventually reached to Fort Monroe, leading to the Mile 0 marker for the railroad being adjacent to the fort.
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