Changing Role of the Fort
The late 19th century saw revolutionary changes in both weapons and strategies of defense. Steam powered ships with high velocity naval guns could now bring the walls down and rendered forts obsolete. To remedy the risk, Fort Adams expanded outside its main walls. Just before 1900, the Army built six new batteries and armed them with modern cannons and mortars. These batteries could fire at greater ranges to protect Newport and Narragansett Bay.
From 1900 on, the older fort walls served primarily to house soldiers rather than to provide defense. New barracks were added to the southwest and southeast walls. During World War I, the fort saw service as a depot for units departing for duty in France. Three regiments of artillery were formed and trained at Fort Adams. They brought some of the fort’s guns with them into combat.
[ Along Bottom of Marker : ]
New Cannon Capabilities
Rifling
Breechloading
Made of Steel
Smokeless Powder
New Batteries
Battery Greene
8 12-inch Mortars
Battery Edgerton
8 12-inch Mortars
Battery Reilly
2 10-inch Disappearing Rifles
Battery Bankhead
3 6-inch Rifles
Battery Talbot
2 4.7-inch Rifles
Battery Belton
2 3-inch Mine Defense Guns
New Locations
Green & Edgerton opposite Brenton Cove & Newport Harbor
Reilly, Bankhead, Talbot & Belton along East Passage from the fort south to Eisenhower house.
New Homes Officer’s Quarters built south of the fort
New enlisted barracks built of brick on the old south wall
Marker can be reached from Fort Adams Drive, on the left when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
