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This shot of the exterior walls of Fort Montagu was taken just after sunrise.

The fort was built by Peter Henry Bruce and was named Montagu by Governor John Tinker after the Duke of Montagu.  The foundation stone was laid by Governor Tinker on the 10th June, 1741 and construction of the fort was completed toward the end of July, 1742.

Peter Bruce’s memoirs contain the following passages dealing with the construction of Fort Montagu.

“Upon the 10th of June the Governor laid the foundation stones, in the presence of the principal inhabitants, and named the fort Montagu, and the sea battery Bladen’s Battery. All the stone on this and the adjacent islands is of so soft a nature, when raised from the quarries, that we could cut and shape them in any form with very little labour; and after they have been some time exposed in the open air, they turn hard as flint, with this excellent property, that in firing into the walls, the hall lodges as in a mud wall, without making the least breach; this I proved by several shot from an eighteen pounder … the mastich wood, which the inhabitants delivered for pallisades, was as hard and heavy as iron: I was obliged to form them while the wood was green, for when they are fully dry, there is no possibility of working them. The inhabitants affirmed to me that they would last above a century; they are so hard that a musket hall makes no impression on them; they assured me they were proof against swivel shot, but this I did not think proper to try.“Fort Montagu and Bladen’s Battery were finished the latter end July, 1742, and mounted eight 18, three 9, and six 6 pounders. Within the fort is a terraced cistern, containing thirty tons,of ram water and so contrived as to receive all that falls within the fort, with a drain to carry off the superflous water; there are barracks for officers and soldiers, a guard room, and powder magazine, bomb proof, to contain ninety-five barrels of powder; two of its sides are close upon the sea, and the two land sides are well secured by mastich pallisades. When the fort was finished, I invited the Governor and principal inhabitants to it, and then delivered His Excellency the keys thereof, under a discharge of all the cannon. The Governor and inhabitants were now extremely well pleased to consider themselves in a condition to repel the invasion of an enemy, as the back door through which the place often had been surprised, was now shut up.”

On the 2nd March, 1776, Fort Montagu was captured from the British by American forces comprising sailors of the Continental Navy as well as Continental Marines.  The Continental Marines would later become the United States Navy and Marine Corp.  These forces were led by Captain Samuel Nicholas.  Captain Nicholas was the first commissioned officer in the Contintental Marines.  

The assault on Fort Montagu was the first amphibious assault in United States history.  The assault is known as the Raid of Nassau.

Nassau was captured by a Spanish force of 5,000 men in 1782.  In 1783, Colonel Andrew Deveaux of the South Carolina Militia captured Fort Montagu and Fort Nassau from the Spanish.  Colonel Deveaux gave this account of the action to capture Nassau:

“I undertook this expedition at my own expense, and embarked my men, which did not exceed sixty-five, and sailed for Harbour Island, where I recruited for four or five days, from thence I set sail for my object, which I carried about daylight, with three of their formidable galleys on the 14th. I immediately summoned the grand fortress to surrender, which was about a mile from the fort I had taken. On the 16th I took possession of two commanding hills, and erected a battery on each of them, of 44-, 24, 12, and 9 pounders. At daylight on the 18th, my batteries being complete, the English colours were hoisted on each of them, which were within musket shot of their grand fortress. His Excellency, finding his shots and shells of no effect, thought fit to capitulate.“My force never, at any time, consisted of more than 220 men, and not over 150 of them had muskets. I took on this occasion one fort consisting of thirteen pieces of cannon, three galleys, carrying 24 pounders, and about fifty men. His Excellency surrendered four batteries, with about severity pieces of cannon, and four large galleys (brigs and snows), which I have sent to Havannah with the troops as flags.”

 

 Fort Montagu remains standing today and is open to the public.