Endicott Period Fortifications (1897 - 1901)

10-inch Disappearing Rifle of Battery Reilly c. early 20th Century.

Although Fort Adams was built in the early 19th Century it was an active installation until the mid-20th Century. One of the most significant improvements to the fort was when modern gun batteries were installed at the fort in the late 1890's. These installations are commonly known as Endicott period batteries and are named after Secretary of War Endicott who, in 1885, issued a report calling for revolutionary improvements in nation's coastal defenses.

Work on two mortar batteries (with eight 12-inch mortars each) was started in 1897. In 1898, shortly after the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, these batteries were completed and Fort Adams was a match for any warship afloat at that time.

Between 1898 and 1917 several modern batteries were completed. These included batteries Greene and Edgerton each mounting eight 12-inch mortars (later reduced to eight), Battery Reilly with two 10-inch rifles, Battery Mansfield with three 6 inch rifles and Battery Talbot with two 4.7-inch rifles (one of which is on display at Equality Park in Newport, the other being at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina) and Battery Belton with two 3-inch mine defense guns.

12-inch mortar of the kind installed at Fort Adams in 1898. (This is a rare photograph in that it shows the mortar shell leaving the muzzel of the mortar as it is fired.)

These batteries complemented several other Endicott period forts in Rhode Island and were the primary coast defense installations until the outbreak of World War Two in 1939. These modifications led to the inevitable removal of the last cannons from the main body of Fort Adams. This marked the end of Fort Adams as a true fortification. Hereafter the main fort would be used as the primary enlisted housing area with barracks for junior soldiers in the brick dormitories over the southeast and southwest walls and non-commissioned officer housing along the east wall and in the northwest bastion. During the Spanish-American War in 1898 Fort Adams was brought into a high state of readiness in the event of an attack on Newport. Although these fears were unfounded, the fort was used as a training site by 80 members of the Newport Artillery Company for one week when they came over to the fort to practice firing the fort's huge 15-inch Rodman guns. The fort also hosted a National Guard regiment from New York for some time while it was waiting to be sent overseas.

As the new century approached, attention turned to improving the living conditions of the soldiers at the fort. Prior to this time, most soldiers were quartered in the casemates along the fort's southeast and southwest walls. By all accounts these quarters were damp and unhealthy - especially in the winter months. It was decided to build new barracks on top of the southeast and southwest walls which would house the soldiers and the casemate quarters below were converted into latrines, messhalls, kitchens and offices.

A number of other improvements were made to the fort about this time. The bakery was moved from the southeast demibastion of the main fort to its own building north of the east gate. The fort's jail (or "guardhouse" in Army parlance) was relocated from the old redoubt near the east gate to a new building just south of the bakery - which was also near the east gate.

The west wall - no longer mounting cannon after about 1904 - was converted to a number of uses. The upper casemate tier served as the enlisted mens club and post exchange while the lower level contianed a boiler room, an indoor range for .22 caliber rifles and a bowling alley where boys living at the fort were employed as pin setters at two cents a string.

Southeast Barracks, Constructed circa 1900.

The barracks on the southeast wall were completed around 1900 and those on top of the southwest wall around 1907. This coincided with the removal of the last remaining guns from the main body of the fort when the more modern Endicott period batteries were installed. From then on the main body of the fort (commonly called the "quadrangle" - although it had five, not four, sides) would serve as the primary quartering area for the enlisted soldiers stationed at the fort.

Pre World War One Training Excercises

Battleship U.S.S. Kearsarge.

In September of 1902 the Army and Navy staged a joint wargame involving ships of the Atlantic Fleet as well as the forts protecting Narragansett Bay. The attacking fleet was commanded by Rear Admiral Higginson who used the battleship Kearsarge as his flagship. This exercise was significant in that it was one of the few peacetime co-operative efforts between the Army and Navy prior to the late 20th Century (although such operations are still a rare exception to normal training routines.) It also gave to opportunity for the new batteries to be tested under realistic circumstances. (See the Newport Journal for the dates August 30th, September 6th and 13th, 1902 for more details.)

Elihu Root was the Secretary of War from 1900 - 1905. He was probably the most innovative man to hold the position in history. He advocated greater cooperation of the services and believed strongly in making practical use of National Guard troops as a ready reserve to augment the regular Army in time of war.

One program which was implemented after he left office was using National Guard troops to man coastal fortifications. As Rhode Island was a maritime state it was thought best to try the concept there.

The first was that the National Guard units were integrated with Regular Army units for training. This practice would regain popularity in the late 20th Century with the "One Army" concept designed to diminish the distinctions between the Regular and Reserve components. The second is that it foreshadowed the redesignation of the National Guard's infantry units as Coast Artillery units in a couple of years. The last was that it helped prepare these units for their actual mobilization mission of manning the state's coast defences - as was the case in both world wars.

From July 7th through 14th, 1907 several companies from the Rhode Island National Guard trained at Fort Adams as well as Fort Greble on Dutch Island. At that time the bulk of the Rhode Island National Guard was organized into the first and second infantry regiments. Each regiment had eight companies with an authorized strength of 3 officers and 47 enlisted men.

The First Regiment was sent to Fort Greble on Dutch Island and the Second Regiment was sent to Fort Adams. Each company was assigned to a regular army unit for training purposes. This was important because it was the first time the Guardsmen would train on the modern artillery pieces at each fort.

Monday, July 8th to Wednesday, July 10th were devoted to instruction on the artillery pieces. The men were organized into reliefs so that training could proceed continously. The training included night drill in which boats would run in and out of the harbor in order to test the fort's defenses. (Annual Military Reports, Rhode Island, 1907; pp. 39-58., Newport Mercury, June 29th, 1907.)

It is mildly ironic that 24 years before Brevet Major Henry Cushing, who had previously served at Fort Adams, was assigned to evaluate the Rhode Island Militia at their annual encampment in 1883. In his comments he mentions that the Rhode Island Militia should be reorganized as heavy artiller troops. He observed, correctly, that the militia of coastal states should be organized and trained to man fortifications in time of war. (Annual Military Reports, Rhode Island, 1883; pp.23-24.)

Colors of the Coast Artillery Corps c. 1917
(Source - National Geographic Magazine, October 1917.)

1907 also marked a major reorganization of the Artillery Corps of the Army. Instead of having units for both field and seacoast duties in the same branch of service the Army decieded that they should be separarted by forming the Coast Artillery Corps and the Field Artillery Corps. The Coast Artillery Corps did not have regiments until the 1920 and instead had numbered companies organized into districts. This reorganization marked an acknowlegement of significant differences between the Coast and Field Artillery.

In the early 20th Century the Fort returned to its peacetime routine. There were, however, several interesting events.

In September of 1906 Private Ephriham Lajoie of the 78th Company, CAC sleepwalked out of the second story window of the enlisted barrracks on top of the the southeast wall. He was severely injured by the approximately 30 foot fall and died soon after. His body was shipped home to his family in Hartford, Connecticut. (Newport Daily News, September 16th, 1906.)

A few months later a similiar incident occured. This time, however, it was suicide instead of an accident. Private Timothy R. Langdon of the 97th Company, CAC was seated with some of his friends and suddenly dashed for the window and fell head first out of it. He suffered massive injuries and died the next day. (Newport Mercury, March 17th, 1907.)

In early May 1907 the 102nd and 117th Companies of the Coast Artillery Corps arrived from the south at Fort Adams along with the 14th Company which was sent to Fort Greble.

They replaced three companies sent south on April 6th which were the 78th and 79th Companies from Fort Adams and the 72nd Company from Fort Greble. Apparently the Army had a policy of rotating units between regions of the country. (Mercury, May 11th, 1907.)

The above mentioned annual training at Fort Adams of both the National Guard and Regular Army continued in 1908 and 1909 but there were drastic changes in 1910. The well to do summer residents of Newport protested loudly that the firing of large guns at Fort Adams and Fort Wetherill was quite disturbing to them. United States Senator George Peabody Wetmore (himself a Newport summer resident) wrote a letter, dated June 13th, 1910, to Mr. John T. Spencer, Esquire informing him that there would be no firing of the large guns at Forts Adams and Wetherill with service (ie. full) charges during the summer months. (Newport Daily News, June 14th, 1910.)

On July 8th, 1910 the troops at Fort Adams were issued new Khaki uniforms to be worn until October. (NDN, July 8th, 1910.)

On July 12th, 1910 the troops from Fort Adams left the fort to conduct their annual two week encampment at Fort Wetherill. It was Army policy that coast artillery troops camp out at least two weeks a year and that would be in conjunction with National Guard troops. (NDN, July 11th, 1910.)

Company F, 13th Infantry Football Team in 1929.

The time between the wars was one of the best in the fort's history. The soldiers at the fort lived a fairly easy and complacent life while the officers could look forward to having their official duties accomplished by noon time and spending the afternoon playing golf (a course of nine short holes was constucted near the southern boundary of the fort's reservation), riding or other liesure activities. As was the lot of the coast artillery, there was the curious irony of preparing for a war that would never be fought and waiting for attacking fleets of ships which would never come.

CMTC Camp at Fort Adams c. 1930's.

Company A, CMTC in 1940.

Between the wars Fort Adams was used as a training site by the Citizen's Military Training Camps (CMTC) starting in the summer of 1924. The CMTC program allowed young men to learn basic military skills without having to enlist in the army. The annual program took four weeks in the summer (usually in the month of July) for four years - although relatively few stayed to complete the whole four year course which would entitle them to an officer's commission. CMTC graduates provided an invaluable nucleus of trained soldiers around which combat ready units could be organized and trained.

General Lyman L. Lemnitzer