Fort Pulaski National Monument, Tybee Island

The location of the first rifled cannon test, Fort Pulaski National Monument was an important site in the American Civil War. The success of the cannon test rendered brick forts obsolete. The Union army asked Colonel Charles H. Olmstead, commander of the Confederate garrison, to surrender before using the cannon. They hoped he would accept and prevent needless loss of life. The colonel refused to surrender, and the Union army pummeled the fort in a siege that lasted only one day. This fort was mainly used as a prisoner-of-war camp because of its isolation on Cockspur Island surrounded by a moat. You'll find sleeping quarters and rooms where the colonel signed his surrender preserved inside the fort. Fort Pulaski National Monument is just one of the many highlights you can arrange to see using our , world travel planner Edition.