Civil War Stories at Gulf Islands

The United States' Gulf Coast is steeped in Civil War history and memory. Scattered among the beaches and bays, bayous and rivers, forests and farms, are some of the most important sites related to a conflict that defined a nation.

Overview of the war in the Gulf

The Civil War Along the Gulf Coast

Articles

25th United States Colored Troops

They fought for freedom and equality, helped save the Union, end slavery, and prepare for a new future.
Forces Clash for Control of the Bay
Battle of Santa Rosa Island

The air on Pensacola Bay was tense in October 1861. Union & Confederate forces waited for the next battle to explode in a growing civil war.
It was grand and sublime
The First Bombardment of Pensacola Bay

On the morning of November 22, 1861, a Union cannon inside Fort Pickens broke the sound of crashing waves and cawing gulls.
our doom is decreed
Florida Secession

Florida seceded from the United States on January 10, 1861.
"not worth one drop of blood"
The Fort Pickens Parley

A high-stakes meeting took place outside Fort Pickens three months before the start of the Civil War.
A Vote for Disunion
Mississippi Secession

Mississippi seceded from the United States on January 9, 1861.
Road to Recovery
Preserving Historic Projectiles

When hurricane's strike, the road to recovery is long. Learn how the park is protecting cultural resources from future impacts.
a perfect hell of confusion & strife
The Second Bombardment of Pensacola Bay

Little had changed on Pensacola Bay since the battles fought in October and November 1861.
Second Louisiana Native Guard

The Second Louisiana Native Guard broke barriers and fought for freedom.
Peter, Property, and Posterity

Peter Dyson provides a glimpse of enslaved African American men who built Pensacola’s masonry fortifications.
a ship's legacy
USS Massachusetts

Learn about the ship who's legacy lives on at the national seashore.