Fort Jackson and Fort St Philip

Neither Jackson nor St Philip can be considered modern forts. Fort Jackson has been sinking into the mud of the Mississippi Delta for some time and is perennially flooded, requiring constant pumping to keep its magazines dry. St Philip is no better, being an elderly fort originally of Spanish construction. Its guns are unprotected and vulnerable to the plunging fire of Union mortar bombs. The bulk of the guns in both forts are also outdated, being old-fashioned 32– pounders with short ranges.