Original subtitles

Narrator: two forgotten Fortresses on opposing banks...

Of the mississippi.

Something bigger than just The passage of time

Has taken an even heavier toll On these buildings.

Narrator: ...A concrete behemoth

That proved invulnerable To enemy bombardment...

These structures are so massive.

They're so well built. You can't get rid of them.

You can't level them. You can't tear them down.

You can't blow them up.

You can't blow them up.

Narrator: ...And a ghostly ruin That's home

To a haunting presence.

There are reports of apparitions In the corridors,

And that's no surprise.

It has that kind of feel to it.

If you ever want to visit A haunted mansion,

Then this is it.

*

Narrator: decaying relics,

Ruins of lost worlds,

Forged through years of toil, Now haunted by the past,

Forged through years of toil, Now haunted by the past,

Their secrets Waiting to be revealed.

*

-- captions by vitac -- Www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by Discovery communications

*

On the north coast of wales

Overlooking the sea Sits a foreboding castle.

Overlooking the sea Sits a foreboding castle.

*

This looks like something out Of a medieval fairytale

Like a home For princes and princesses.

It's a grand palace of A building with so many rooms,

Embattled towers And amazing windows.

Somebody clearly wanted To impress and make an impact.

Narrator: But as striking as it appears From the outside,

Narrator: But as striking as it appears From the outside,

Once you venture In through the arches

The feel of the place Takes a turn.

If you ever wanted to visit A haunted mansion,

This place has got it all.

You've got your gothic Architecture,

Your faded grandeur, Your air of mystery and terror.

Rumors of hauntings float Around the place,

And every wall tells a story:

Marriages gone terribly wrong, Battles and children

Marriages gone terribly wrong, Battles and children

Fleeing from cruel And deadly fates.

Narrator: this site's story Isn't quite what it seems.

Scott: what's strange is that Although it looks ancient

There's parts of this building That don't look that old at all.

You can see this was once A glorious structure,

But now it's just crumbling away And disintegrating.

It's as though the life Has been sucked from the place.

It looks so sad and abandoned.

What went wrong here?

What went wrong here?

Narrator: contained within these Crumbling walls

Are stories of ambition, Families at war

And a people saved From slaughter.

Yet, there is something strange About this defensive stronghold.

There's some clever trickery At play here

Because it's clearly been made To look like something it isn't.

Because it's clearly been made To look like something it isn't.

Narrator: dr. Mark barker is An architectural historian.

He's spent the last 20 years

Investigating this building's Deepest secrets.

So this looks like A medieval fortress,

But as we look around you Will find out

That there's a lot more To it than meets the eye.

Narrator: Inside are clues that betray The true age of this structure.

So one of the telltale signs That you can pick up

So one of the telltale signs That you can pick up

Looking around the building

That it's not as ancient As you think are the windows,

And the windows are made Out of cast iron,

Which was the wonder material Of the early 19th centuries,

The pvc of the day.

Narrator: so if this wasn't A medieval castle,

Then why did someone spend a Fortune making it look like one,

And would those defensive walls Ever be called upon?

This place was commissioned By the wealthy industrialist

This place was commissioned By the wealthy industrialist

Lloyd hesketh in 1812.

It was the largest structure To be erected in britain

In the 19th century

And at its peak boasted An estate of over 6,000 acres.

Scott: many said that hesketh Was a dreamer,

But he had a bold And ambitious plan,

One that he hoped would Influence architecture forever.

Barker: It all seems to center around The loss of his mother

Barker: It all seems to center around The loss of his mother

When he was around About 11 or 12,

And he wants to build him A monument to her

To immortalize her In architecture.

Narrator: this was Lloyd hesketh's masterpiece,

A lavish 19th century imitation Of a much earlier time,

Gwrych castle.

So in wales, we are famous For the medieval castles

Of the native princes,

Of the native princes,

And lloyd knew this When he was building here,

And he set about looking back At the medieval castles

But also all the manuscripts,

Looking at how they actually Did it properly.

It is a hugely significant Structure as it was

The first gothic folly In all of europe.

Lloyd's dream May have come true,

But this isn't a story Of happily ever after.

But this isn't a story Of happily ever after.

A bitter family feud Was brewing.

The horrors of war Were on the horizon,

And a haunting presence Would soon be felt.

Hesketh lived in this castle For many years.

It was his home,

And then it got passed down Through his family,

Eventually coming Into the ownership

Of his granddaughter In 1894.

Inheriting the castle And the estate

Meant that The countess of dundonald

Meant that The countess of dundonald

Was a woman Of very great means.

Like her grandfather before her,

She left her mark on the castle In a very unique way.

Narrator: adding her own touches To the building

Like this grand Marble staircase,

The countess' presence Can still be felt here,

But her more public showings Were what caused a real stir

And may have sowed the seeds For what was to come.

Selwood: she was a very Strong-minded person

Who fought heavily For women's rights

Who fought heavily For women's rights

And was a key figure In the suffragette movement.

This was extraordinary At the time,

But apparently the marriage Was a very unhappy one,

And her husband Treated her cruelly.

Barker: she was really very Forward-thinking,

And I think this was Very disturbing to her husband.

I mean, he was A victorian gentleman

Really that he should have Control, and she refused.

Scott: what's astonishing Was that in 1906

She did something That was unheard of.

She did something That was unheard of.

Bear in mind that her husband

Had all of the power Over this property.

She actually banished him From the castle

And cut him out Of her will entirely.

The countess managed the estate On her own for 20 years

Until her death When it was put up for sale,

But its story was far from over.

As it turns out, the countess' Estranged husband

Wouldn't let things lie.

Wouldn't let things lie.

He bought back the castle.

He bought it back out of spite, And it was a great tragedy

That occurred that he destroyed All of her papers.

The contents of the castle Were sold off,

And his parting shot Was that he said to the children

That no member of the family Shall ever live here again.

Narrator: According to some accounts, The countess was determined

Narrator: According to some accounts, The countess was determined

To exact her revenge Even from beyond the grave.

*

Narrator: In north wales, the old ruins of A castle cling to the hillside.

At the start Of the 20th century,

A troubling battle For this place ensued,

And it would leave a mark On this site for years to come.

Just a few years After the countess' death,

Her estranged husband Bought the castle.

Her estranged husband Bought the castle.

He sold off much of the contents To finance the purchase,

But he was determined To make it his again.

Shortly after the collection Was broken up in 1928,

People start to see a figure On the marble staircase,

A woman seen looking down the Stairs and also in the gardens.

One of the most famous sightings Was by a boxer

Called randolph turpin, Who was training in the park,

And he saw this woman in white Walking towards him crying,

And he saw this woman in white Walking towards him crying,

And then he turned to ask what Was wrong, and she disappeared.

Narrator: but these hauntings Were not tales of horror.

In fact, this place would turn Into a scene of hope.

As a ruthless tyrant spread fear And suffering all over europe,

The walls of this gothic Fortress offered sanctuary

To the 20th century's Dispossessed.

Scott: this was a time when World war ii was on the horizon,

And britain knew only too well

And britain knew only too well

What this would mean For the children.

So what it did Was it evacuated 10,000

Predominantly jewish children From germany,

Poland, austria, Czechoslovakia to britain.

Selwood: it was known as the Kindertransport,

And the children were taken To farms, foster homes

And schools across the country

With 200 of them Coming here to the castle.

Scott: it would have been Heart-wrenching

For these children To be pulled away

For these children To be pulled away

From their parents At such a young age,

Brought to a completely Foreign country,

But what is truly horrifying Is these children

Were often the only surviving Members of their family

After the holocaust.

Narrator: after the war, The castle opened to the public,

One of the first country Houses in britain to do so,

But with the cost Of upkeep too high

It soon fell into disrepair.

It soon fell into disrepair.

The castle was extensively Looted and vandalized,

Reduced to a derelict shell,

But then the final blow Came when a fire broke out

And caused devastating damage To the structure.

*

*

Narrator: for years, The castle sat forgotten

Until an 11-year-old boy Fell under its spell.

This fairytale Had one last twist.

This fairytale Had one last twist.

So I'd pass the castle every day To and from school,

And it really kind of invoked Something in me

Wanting to save the place.

That drove me on To set up the trust.

Narrator: Mark now leads a team dedicated To restoring gwrych castle

To its former glory,

Its future now secured For generations to come.

Selwood: In its short life, the castle Has seen many fascinating

Selwood: In its short life, the castle Has seen many fascinating

And important events.

Hopefully, it can be brought Back from the dead

So that it can do so again.

Narrator: On the west coast of france Surrounded by the busy harbor

Of lorient Is a colossal brutalist relic.

As you approach the structure,

You can see from miles away How big they are.

You can see from miles away How big they are.

It's in stark contrast Of what's surrounding it.

You've got these beautiful Luxury yachts and villas,

And then you've got This concrete

What some would call A monstrosity.

Corum: what you see are Identical massive structures

Just like this one,

And you realize you're not Dealing with just one structure.

You're dealing with an entire Complex of structures.

You're dealing with an entire Complex of structures.

Barratt: they are oppressive In their scale.

They are absolutely huge, Sat there on the waterline.

Narrator: Vast concrete chambers, Heavy metal doors,

Whatever this place was,

It appears built to withstand More than just the elements.

There's nothing fragile About the construction of this.

It looks absolutely solid.

There's superficial damage In places,

There's superficial damage In places,

But this is in no way going to Collapse in the next few years.

But then when you go to other Parts,

You can see they're darker, Locked away,

And those are windows To this structure's

Rather sinister past.

Corum: what you have is A strange-looking man-made

Concrete tunnel with large beams And the light coming down.

You really wonder what Kind of facility this is.

You really wonder what Kind of facility this is.

Narrator: Do the ominously submerged Vessels in the harbor

Offer a clue to the purpose Of this baffling complex?

Why are there ships sunk out The front of these structures?

Was this a scene of a battle Or something else?

*

Narrator: Construction had begun two years Into the second world war,

The conflict that ultimately Claimed 85 million lives.

The conflict that ultimately Claimed 85 million lives.

It was a time when the people Of france were forced

To live under the thumb Of nazi oppression.

What was hidden inside These haunting walls

Struck fear into the hearts Of the allied forces?

1940 was a game changer For the axis powers.

Germany went from having just A small area on the baltic

They could have access To seas from

To having the whole Of the coastline of france,

To having the whole Of the coastline of france,

And that changed the face of Warfare for the next few years.

And what this meant was that There was a change

In focus of the nazis.

It went from very much A land-based war

To being much more focused On the sea

And then Particularly the atlantic.

Narrator: A clue to the devastating power Stored here can be found

In the extreme lengths German forces went to defend it.

What made this place so great For the nazis

What made this place so great For the nazis

And at the same time Dangerous for the allies

Was the design of the roof.

Barratt: The roof construction itself Is a very clever

Well-thought-out Piece of engineering

To protect what's below From the threat from the skies.

Narrator: maritime historian Christophe cerino

Is an expert On this defensive stronghold.

Narrator: this three-part design Was repeated

Across the entire structure,

Essentially a line Of concrete frames

Sitting above the actual solid Roof that's 10-feet thick.

Barratt: what we see here With the beams across the top

Is they're almost sacrificial.

Is they're almost sacrificial.

If a bomb was to hit those, They could break

But not threaten The main structure below.

They're to absorb the energy

And thus protect The structure below.

The design of the roof Didn't mean there was no damage.

There was just no damage To the actual bit

That needed protection.

Narrator: So what deadly weapon were The nazis working so hard

Narrator: So what deadly weapon were The nazis working so hard

To safeguard from allied bombers That they needed to build this?

*

Narrator: In the second world war,

This large concrete base On the edge of the atlantic

Sheltered a deadly fleet That offered

Hitler a way to cut off The allies' supply lines.

Now, the germans have lost The greater part

Of their surface fleet,

Damaged or destroyed In the norway campaign,

But the german navy Has one weapon

But the german navy Has one weapon

With which it can bring A great deal of power

And force against great britain, And that's the u-boat.

Narrator: To house their machines of war, The third reich built this,

The keroman u-boat base,

The largest submarine facility Of its kind,

On the west coast of france.

In order for the u-boats To be most effective,

They needed a quick way To resupply, refuel

They needed a quick way To resupply, refuel

And then get them back out In the sea,

And that's what this structure Was all about.

You can see the effort That was put into building it.

It is absolutely vast, And it rises up,

And it's just this massive Imposing temple to u-boats,

And it completely Dominates the area.

Narrator: From here and four other similar Sites along the west coast,

The battle for the atlantic Was waged.

It was the longest continuous Campaign of the entire war

And a vital part Of hitler's plans.

Scott: it was basically A different way of fighting.

Scott: it was basically A different way of fighting.

It was picking off the enemy, Hiding in the shadows.

Corum: britain is an island.

It has to import key Raw materials.

It has to import men.

It has to import oil, And if the germans can establish

An effective submarine blockade Against great britain,

They can win the war.

Narrator: After the fall of france,

The germans newfound access To the atlantic

Led to the destruction Of some 3,500 merchant vessels.

Led to the destruction Of some 3,500 merchant vessels.

In one devastating week, German u-boats sank

27 royal navy ships.

We're talking millions of tons Of shipping

That goes down and shipping

And carrying supplies, Carrying personnel,

Carrying oil and raw materials.

This kind of warfare became Very successful for the nazis,

And so obviously when you find Something successful

You invest in it,

And that's exactly What they did.

Corum: winston churchill said The one battle

Corum: winston churchill said The one battle

That kept him awake at nights Was the battle of the atlantic,

Which lasts from 1939

Until the last day Of the european war, 1945.

Narrator: allied forces Were on their knees.

At all costs, the german u-boat Bases had to be destroyed.

I've seen some of The aerial photographs

That were taken post mission,

That were taken post mission,

And 500-pound, 1,000-pound bombs,

Direct hits all over these Massive concrete structures,

And they barely chip The concrete.

Scott: underneath this modern Protective shelter,

You can see A bomb crater.

You can see that there was Damage caused to the roof,

But what you can also see is That that damage is contained.

It didn't go through To the actual building.

It didn't go through To the actual building.

Narrator: it wasn't just The roof of this facility

That was designed To be impregnable.

Every inch of the site And its surroundings

Was intended To repel aerial assault.

Gun emplacements sat atop it,

And in the waters in front Makeshift torpedo barriers

Were established.

Scott: those boats were scuttled At strategic positions

So if a low-flying bomber Came in it

Would be those shipwrecks That would take the impact

Would be those shipwrecks That would take the impact

And not the u-boat That's being prepared.

Narrator: For many pilots, it was no more Than a suicide mission.

For the allies to turn the tide Of this war back in their favor,

They needed a new approach,

But for the population Of lorient

That meant a campaign Of devastation

Raining down from the skies.

*

Narrator: On the west coast of france,

The u-boat bases so essential To the nazi war effort

Were proving hard targets For allied bombers.

The allies very quickly realized

Exactly how impenetrable These u-boat pens were,

And they focused their efforts On the town beyond.

And they focused their efforts On the town beyond.

Something like 95 percent Of that town was taken out,

And that meant houses.

That meant water.

That meant supplies.

By destructing the supply lines,

By taking out the railway lines Bringing the raw materials down,

They hoped that They would be able

To put an end To the u-boat activity.

Narrator: Although the allies failed To destroy the submarine base,

The desperate tactic Helped shatter

The progress Of this fortress complex.

The progress Of this fortress complex.

Scott: You can see there looks like What would be a fourth bunker,

And it was just that.

It was going to be A fourth bunker,

But during the allied bombing

They just couldn't continue Its construction.

Narrator: but for the french Civilians of lorient,

There was a greater toll

As hundreds paid The price with their lives.

After the nazi surrender, The base here

Only had a momentary glimpse Of true abandonment

Before the french navy moved in.

The legacy of the second World war is huge.

In terms of the buildings,

They were so big And so well constructed.

What do you do with them?

Narrator: Today, some of those solid Concrete structures

Narrator: Today, some of those solid Concrete structures

Have been repurposed Once more,

Hosting everything From commercial enterprises,

A theater and even a museum

Dedicated to the history Of this site.

Just north of triumph, Louisiana on the banks

Of the swirling Mississippi river,

A structure emerges out of the Thick foliage beyond the levee.

*

*

Madere: southern louisiana Is a land

That is just sinking Into the sea.

Everywhere you look there Is water, strips of land,

And then here you see This large structure.

Corum: you know you've come Across something important

When you see blocks Of granite, masonry, concrete.

Somebody put a substantial Structure there.

Somebody put a substantial Structure there.

Mitchell: It's in such a swampy place.

There's something that Looks like a drawbridge.

There must have been a reason

To build something So imposing here.

Narrator: Crossing the drawbridge Inside the surrounding moat,

An extensive complex Is revealed.

Wawro: it's quite A sophisticated structure.

I mean, you come in, and you see These huge vaulted galleries

Extending off into the distance Built at tremendous cost.

Extending off into the distance Built at tremendous cost.

Narrator: but this mysterious Site is not alone.

Across the river, a second set Of ruins are slowly drowning.

This place is clearly on its way To being washed out to sea.

It shows a lot of damage And destruction.

Narrator: these two remnants Are inextricably linked,

But what force Left them devastated,

And how did they work together During a pivotal moment

In american history?

*

*

This striking site Is fort jackson,

A long-forgotten relic With a disturbing history.

Once the scene Of a bitter conflict,

It would shape The future of america.

James madere is an expert On this ruin's bloody past

And is fighting To preserve its remains.

Madere: Because we're almost 90 miles Away from new orleans,

Most people don't even Realize this place is here.

Most people don't even Realize this place is here.

It's part of our history And our heritage.

Meigt: one thing that makes this Fort so impressive

Is that it got built at all And at such a scale

In this very difficult area

Where transportation Is difficult.

There's no firm foundation To build on.

*

*

Narrator: ex-marine mark sauer Knows better

Than anyone how treacherous Building in this region can be.

Than anyone how treacherous Building in this region can be.

From above, the demanding nature Of the landscape becomes clear.

Ahead of seeing fort jackson, As you can see with the terrain,

Mostly all swampland And intermingled canals.

This is an area That is really cut off

From the rest of the world

And just very difficult And challenging to get to.

Narrator: When construction began in 1822, Engineers found a novel way

Narrator: When construction began in 1822, Engineers found a novel way

To overcome the challenge Of building on a swamp.

They literally laid down logs Of cypress as a foundation.

It sounds crazy, but that could Sink down in the muck

And then create a firm, Stable platform

Upon which to build This massive brick structure.

Wawro: it's a beautiful thing.

It has its origins In these bastion forts

That they were building In renaissance italy

Which were considered This huge innovation in warfare

Because the fort Is shaped like a star.

Because the fort Is shaped like a star.

Narrator: Based on european castles Built 4 centuries earlier,

The layout was designed To inflict maximum damage

On invading forces.

Madere: The importance of that shape Is always because a cannon

Has a wider sweep on a point As well as the opposing force

Would have to basically Go around more edges

Where you could possibly Pick them off

With your sharpshooters Or your bastion cannons

That go from side to side.

That go from side to side.

Wawro: that's what's really Interesting.

Even though this thing is built In the 1800s,

It's basically rooted In the 1400s.

In this period, This fort was regarded

As being almost invincible.

Narrator: The effort required to build Such a structure was enormous.

Whoever was responsible

Must have had something Very important to protect.

The key to understanding Its creation

Is the mighty river It overlooks.

You simply can't underestimate How important the mississippi

You simply can't underestimate How important the mississippi

Was to american history And still is.

It's like a superhighway

Leading into the heartland Of the country.

If you wanted to move A lot of goods and men,

You did it by boat In that part of the country,

Or you didn't do it at all.

Mitchell: This locale is on the river Right before it bends

Towards new orleans Into the united states,

So it's really A strategic point.

Corum: and defending new orleans Was a big,

Corum: and defending new orleans Was a big,

Big issue from the very time

That the united states Acquired the territory.

*

Narrator: but who ordered Its construction,

And which enemy would it need To protect new orleans against?

*

Narrator: in louisiana on The banks of the mississippi

Are the decaying Remains of fort jackson.

Its strategic location near New orleans suggests

It was built To protect the city,

But who built it,

And whose navy was it Intended to protect against?

To find out, we need to Investigate the origins

Of the crumbling relic on The opposite side of the river.

Of the crumbling relic on The opposite side of the river.

Sauer: I mean, you can see The remains represent

A pretty bad state of disarray Due to the high water,

The currents and the uncertainty Of the location.

Narrator: This is fort saint philip, Built by the spanish in 1792,

A time before the u.S.A. Was in control of this area.

How then is it connected To fort jackson,

Built around 4 decades later?

This region of the gulf Of mexico

This region of the gulf Of mexico

Was one that was actually

Contested among the great powers For a long time.

Spain claimed it at first, And then france controlled it.

The early united states famously Purchased louisiana from france,

And so it kept trading hands,

But everyone recognized it had Enormous strategic importance.

Narrator: after the purchase Of louisiana in the early 1800s,

The fort passed into the hands

The fort passed into the hands

Of the fledgling American states,

And it was soon put to the test As they desperately tried

To maintain independence From the british empire.

The war of 1812 was coming.

Britain attempted to attack New orleans,

Which was a pivotal port At that time.

The ground troops attacked, And some warships

Tried to sail up the mississippi To join that attack.

They were beaten back By the gunneries in this fort.

They were beaten back By the gunneries in this fort.

They weren't able to get past This particular

Bend in the river.

Without this vital naval Support,

The commander Of the american troops,

General andrew jackson, was able To rout the british army.

If the warships had Broken through,

The outcome could have been Very different.

Fort saint philip Is really instrumental

In the american victory

In the battle of new orleans In 1815.

This is the moment when britain Gives up on its dream

This is the moment when britain Gives up on its dream

Of reconquering The american colonies

And bringing them back Into the british empire.

Meigt: from a strategic Point of view,

What we learned From the war of 1812

Was it was very important To defend

The lower mississippi And defend new orleans,

And having forts On the lower mississippi

Could make that possible.

Following the close call With the british,

Jackson was convinced Another fortification

Jackson was convinced Another fortification

Was needed to protect The south's biggest city.

Jackson was a national hero.

He was considered A military genius

And a brave Swashbuckling character,

So his word carried A lot of weight,

But in fact his military advice Was dead on.

I mean, this was an absolutely Crucial

Avenue for The young country to control.

Narrator: after a decade Of construction, the stronghold,

Named after the man That demanded it,

Named after the man That demanded it,

Was ready for action.

Now, fort jackson And fort saint philip

Could work together To repel enemy attacks.

Plaquemines bend In the mississippi river

Is at such an angle That any sailing ship

At the time pre dates 1860s Would have been very subject

To bombardment From the opposing bank,

Which would have been Fort saint philip at the time.

By having this fort On the west bank

And having them trapped Between these two forts,

It was incredibly dangerous For the sailing ships.

It was incredibly dangerous For the sailing ships.

Narrator: another ingenious Piece of engineering

Made these two forts Even more deadly.

Wawro: The forts were designed company Complement each other.

They would run An underwater chain

Between the forts to block Any river traffic,

So any ships trying To push up the river

Would be caught on this chain, And they'd be hung up,

And then they'd be exposed To fire

From the casemates of the fort Facing the river,

From the casemates of the fort Facing the river,

And they'd be annihilated In this crossfire.

So it made it, you know, Exceedingly difficult

For anybody to contemplate An attack on new orleans

Or an attack up the mississippi River into the heart of america.

Narrator: yet, it would be Another 3 decades

Before the combined defenses For fort jackson

And fort saint philip Were truly put to the test.

This time, the enemy Was no foreign invader.

This time, the enemy Was no foreign invader.

The threat came from Much closer to home.

*

Narrator: Near triumph, louisiana,

The remains of fort jackson And fort saint philip occupy

Opposing banks Of the mississippi.

One year into the conflict That would tear america apart,

They were forced into action.

You have to remember At the start

Of the civil war new orleans

Was one of the world's Top port cities,

And a massive quantity of goods

And a massive quantity of goods

Were traveling through it Every day,

So whoever controlled it Really had their hands

Around the windpipe Of the economy of the south.

Narrator: by 1862, the two forts Were under the command

Of the military forces Of the confederacy.

Union admiral david farragut Was determined

To break through the blockade.

With 40 ships, he moved upriver.

With 40 ships, he moved upriver.

About a week before the battle, There was barges,

Wooden schooner holes that were Stretched between the two forts,

And chain links were linked To each one of them.

Narrator: On the morning of april 18th, Farragut's ships approached.

Their ships are equipped With the newer heavy guns.

They also bring in A lot of smaller boats

Equipped with large mortars.

Now, the one vulnerability That these old-style forts

Had is they were pretty Vulnerable to mortar fire.

Had is they were pretty Vulnerable to mortar fire.

That means high trajectory Coming up and down

And landing explosive shells In the middle of the fort.

Around 1,000 confederate troops Holed up inside

Were gripped by fear as Farragut's fleet unleashed hell.

The bombardment of over 8,100 Projectiles coming at this fort

And fort saint philip Must have been incredible.

And fort saint philip Must have been incredible.

We had brave men that were Fighting hard

That didn't know the outcome Of what was going to happen

After the thunderous cannons Had been rocking this place

From those ships For hours and hours and hours.

Wawro: the confederate garrisons Of these forts,

They would have been subjected

To just really Hellish bombardment.

They were taking, you know, More than 1,000 rounds a day

From these union warships.

Narrator: Could the confederate troops Survive this onslaught

And prevent a union run on Their biggest city, new orleans?

And prevent a union run on Their biggest city, new orleans?

*

For 5 murderous days, the union Fleet blitzed the forts

As they attempted To break through.

Meanwhile, union soldiers cut The chain linking the hulks

That were forming a barrier Between the two forts.

This was part of a bigger Strategy.

Meigt: they had to get past These two forts,

And farragut did something Really brilliant.

He decided to lead his ships Around that bend of the river

He decided to lead his ships Around that bend of the river

Between the two forts, Knowing they would be

Taking fire from both sides In a single file,

But he did it at night When the clouds of smoke

And darkness would somewhat Obscure his ships,

And he gambled They could get through.

Using artillery at night Is a very iffy proposition

Even for well-trained troops In those days.

Both sides were blazing away With every gun they had.

Both sides were blazing away With every gun they had.

Narrator: In the confusion, 13 union ships Broke through the blockade,

And the river to new orleans Now lay open.

Its impact downriver Was devastating.

The morale effect of this union Victory at fort jackson is huge.

I mean, downriver you see A complete collapse

Of confederate resistance as,

You know, Confederate ships surrender.

Confederate troops Along the river surrender,

Confederate troops Along the river surrender,

And pretty soon this important Tract of the mississippi

Is entirely controlled By the union,

Facilitating a push up The river.

Narrator: with new orleans Having now fallen,

What would become of The confederate troops

Still occupying these forts?

Any civil war army has real, Real problems with disease,

And you put people way out in The swamps of southern louisiana

On malarial climate Sitting until they're attacked.

This inside not really something

This inside not really something

That's going to work For your troop morale.

Meigt: they were fed up. They were dispirited.

The conditions were terrible.

They actually mutinied.

They refused to fight anymore, And they walked out,

Which meant that When the union army

Came to take these forts They were able to do it

Without firing a shot.

Narrator: so if fort Saint philip and fort jackson

Managed to survive The civil war,

What accounts for the damage Seen today?

What accounts for the damage Seen today?

So you have hurricane season That starts 1 june

Through 1 november Every single year.

It is truly something that you Are eagerly awaiting and praying

That a storm Doesn't directly hit you.

Madere: Since 1960s, there has been Several hurricanes,

None worse than Hurricane katrina in 2005,

Devastated this fort.

17 foot of water Settled in for 6 weeks.

Narrator: Although damaged, fort jackson Survived the howling winds.

Narrator: Although damaged, fort jackson Survived the howling winds.

On the other side of the river,

Fort saint philip Fared less well.

What ultimately leads to The destruction, it's not a war.

It's not an attack. It's not an assault.

It's nature.

*

Narrator: Their precarious position On the mississippi delta

Leaves these forts At the mercy of the elements,

But while fort saint philip Is all but gone,

But while fort saint philip Is all but gone,

Fort jackson may have A brighter future.

We're trying to get the national Park service to take this over

Or a local effort Just to try to save it.

It's part of our history And our heritage.

The battle here was One of the bloodiest

In the civil war history,

But not just the battle, The people that were here.

There's lives and stories That are untold.