#fort delaware

[rebelyells]

Merry Christmas to all those souls alive and in Heaven.

[phillyarchives]

Records of the National Archives and Records Administration are used by hundreds of thousands of researchers each year. While every researcher visits for a different reason, everyone comes to NARA achieve the same goal: to illuminate the past. An example of a researcher who visited the National Archives at Philadelphia to do just that is Donald Laskey, Lead Interpreter at Fort Delaware State Park. Laskey had heard tale and seen references about Fort Delaware’s first school teacher, Miss Louisa Gibble, but had never been able to find any historical evidence that she ever existed at the fort! After very little research success, Laskey took a trip to the National Archives at Philadelphia to review holdings from Record Group 77: Records of the Chief of Engineers. During his visit, an Archives Technician on our research staff recommended that he review a series of Letters Sent from Fort Delaware. In this correspondence Fort Delaware’s Chief Engineer at the time, Major John Sanders, issued an order forming a school and naming Louisa Gibble as the teacher, issued June 28, 1858. Not only did the document confirm that Louisa Gibble existed, but the document went on to say that tuition was a quarter for ten weeks and the term would start July 6, 1858. This sort of research is vital for historic sites as it provides historical evidence that allow interpretive staff to educate visitors about the past through tours, exhibits, and more!

Citation: Volume 2 – Engineer Order of June 28, 1858, Fort Delaware 9/1/1855-12/31/1863, Letters Sent 1833-1882, Philadelphia District Office, Record Group 77: Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, National Archives at Philadelphia (NAID: 567334) (HMS ID: PH-3210).

[rebelyells]

Fort Delaware relics from prisoners. Gutta Percha rings and lanyards were designed by CSA POWs. Over 2,400 Southerners died of disease and forced starvation at the hand of Dutch guards and an Hungarian General.

N1993.001.1418.1 - Ring | Delaware Historical Society

Confederate Lanyard and Toothpick

[only-way-out-is-in]

Ferry ride and fort delaware visit with my girl and her fam

[la-quotidienne-cest-moi]

Sit

[la-quotidienne-cest-moi]

Shelter from the Summer Heat

[megandagata-blog]

[hamillte]

Fort Delaware

A short ferry ride from Delaware City is Fort Delaware.  Located on Pea Patch Island in the middle of the Delaware River, this fort housed Confederate prisoners of war during the Civil War.