Fort Gaines Tidal Latrine

The ramparts at Fort Gaines have guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay for more than a century and a half. The fort stands at the eastern tip of Dauphin Island, where it commands views of the bay and the Gulf of Mexico — a site that has seen three centuries of history, from the French colonial port that preceded it to the Civil War siege that made it famous.

Fort Gaines was a crucial site for the South during the Civil War. It was here, during the Battle of Mobile Bay, that Admiral Farragut issued his order: "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" The fort's role in that battle is detailed in exhibits and signs throughout the site. You can walk tunnels, see original cannons, visit the blacksmith shop and kitchens where soldiers worked. The stories of the fort's days in battle, and the soldiers encamped there, are brought to life daily — guided tours for groups include cannon-firing demonstrations and blacksmithing, done by soldiers in period uniform.

The fort was recently designated as one of the Eleven Most Endangered Historic Sites in America due to ongoing shoreline erosion. The island itself, one of the Mississippi-Alabama barrier islands, is narrow at its western end, vulnerable to the gulf. On a site where history spans three centuries, you can almost hear the sounds of cannons firing, echoing the distant past, while looking out over the water.