A 19th-century woodcut engraving from William Cullen Bryant's 1872 publication Picturesque America, showing an early portrayal of Alcatraz as a military fortress.
Second Lieutenant James Birdseye McPherson took command of the fortification construction in January of 1858. In personal letters he implied regret for his post assignment, indicating that the conditions on Alcatraz were cold and miserable. Nevertheless, he proved to be an effective commander at the fort. He would later advance through the ranks, and was eventually killed during the Civil War in the Battle of Atlanta.
On December 31, 1857, 2 ndLt. James Birdseye McPherson was assigned to Alcatraz to continue supervision of the final construction activities. McPherson lived on the island full-time and in several letters he implied that he disliked his assignment. In one of these he wrote:
I often think of my position one year ago, and instinctively draw a comparison between it and my present one. Candor compels me to state that in everything appertaining to the social amenities of life the “Pea Patch” [Fort Delaware] is preferable to Alcatraz — though I am determined to make the best of the matter, looking forward joyfully to the time when I can return to the Atlantic States.
Regardless of his personal bias, McPherson was a dedicated commander and effective taskmaster. He kept his men focused on their orders, and accomplished his objectives at Fort Alcatraz. During an inspection report filed in January of 1859, J.K.F. Mansfield wrote the following:
I this afternoon inspected the fortifications on Alcatrazes Island in this harbor, and have to report the result to the general chief as follows:
This work has been under the superintendence of 2nd Lieut. James B. McPherson of the Corps of Engineers since the 1 stof January 1858 when he relieved Brevet Major Z.B. Tower of the Corps of Engineers who commenced this work. This work from the beginning has been extremely well conducted, and managed by most faithful and meritorious officers. The progress has been great under the difficulties to be encountered in a new country, at the time the work was commenced.
At first it was difficult to obtain suitable building materials. New stone is had at various places. Excellent granite comes from Folsom on the American River, for both coping and walls. Granite for coping is had at Monterey. Blue calcarious hard stone is had in this harbor from Angel Island. Brick is in the greatest abundance, and excellent quality from Sacramento. Lime from Diablo via San Joaquin River. Water from Sausalito on the Main, and cement from New York, and all at constructively reasonable rates.
McPherson left Alcatraz on August 1, 1861, and died following an attack by the Confederate Army during the Battle of Atlantain July of 1864.
After several years of laborious construction and several armament expansions, Alcatraz was established as the United States’ western symbol of military strength. The fort boasted over a half mile of masonry walls made of dense brick and sandstone, which surrounded the island, and in some sections stood over thirty feet tall. The new military fortress featured long-range iron cannons and four massive 36,000-pound, 15-inch Rodman guns, which were capable of sinking mammoth hostile ships three miles away. The guns of Alcatraz could fire 6,949 pounds of iron shot in one barrage. At the island’s peak of military supremacy, which came at the end of the Civil War, the fortress had 129 cannons lining the perimeter, capable of firing fifteen-inch cannon balls weighing over four hundred pounds, to a distance of nearly three miles.
Eadweard Muybridge, one of the great pioneers of photography, shot an extensive series of stereoscopic views of life at the military fortifications on Alcatraz. His photos would endure to become the primary pictorial documentation of the military occupation of the island. This photo series from 1870 illustrates the massive armaments at the fort. Featured are the long-range cannons, ordinance, and massive 36,000-pound, 15-inch Rodman guns, which were capable of sinking enormous hostile ships at a distance of three miles.
On January 24, 1859, Army Inspector General J.K.F. Mansfield examined the fortifications and reported: “The workmanship as well as plans for the defenses are excellent.” The island dock was also guarded by massive cannons and protected arsenals. The sallyport entrance had a moat, similar to that of a medieval castle that could only be crossed by drawbridge, and it was arrayed with powerful weaponry aimed at the only access pathway. At the island’s summit was a three-story brick Citadel for soldiers, offering a full 360° view of the island. The Citadel was designed as self-sustaining defensive barrack of four-foot-thick brick construction, with multiple rifle slits in every wall to allow soldiers to fire upon a potential enemy landing party. Adjacent to the Citadel was an underground cistern that could sustain the soldiers with a liberal water supply for several months. The island’s jagged rocky perimeter offered no natural landing points for invading enemies.
The first military command, Company “H” of the Third Artillery, assumed its post on December 30, 1859, with Captain Joseph Stewart as the first commanding officer. In May of the same year, Company “H” was ordered to Carson Valley, Nevada, to quell a disturbance among the Pah Ute and Shoshone Indians, and various other units would assume stations at Fortress Alcatraz. During this same year, the Army would bring the first military prisoners to be confined at Alcatraz.
Alcatraz Island photographed from North Point in 1865.
Alcatraz Island circa 1860.
As is illustrated by these 1870 photographs, the gardens situated next to the Citadel flourished in the rich soil ferried over from Angel Island. These opulent beds were meticulously nurtured by the officers and their families. The formal gardens featured beautiful panoramic vistas of the Bay and they were a popular gathering place for residents.
