Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia, was the only pre-war fort to remain under Union control when the war erupted. The fort served as a major Union base for army and navy operations. After the fall of Richmond, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured in Georgia and taken to Fort Monroe for imprisonment. Davis was eventually charged with three crimes:  treason against the United States, maltreatment of Union prisoners of war, and complicity in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

A casemate at the fort was specially prepared to serve as Davis’ cell. Strict precautions were taken to ensure that Davis could not escape. The initial conditions of his imprisonment were harsh; he was chained and shackled on May 23.  Nevertheless, with the intercession of Fort Monroe’s chief medical officer, Lieutenant Colonel John J. Craven, the chains were removed within a few days. Eventually, Davis was moved to better quarters in Carroll Hall and released on bail.

At Fort Monroe’s Casemate Museum, you can visit the room where Confederate President Jefferson Davis was held following the Civil War and see the residence where Robert
E. Lee lived as a young Lieutenant. This museum tells the Fort Monroe and Old Point Comfort story from 1607 to 2011. While not all accessible for inside tours, other Fort Monroe sites to note include:

Quarters 17, built in 1819, where Lieutenant Robert E. Lee and his wife, Mary Custis Lee, lived from 1831 to 1834.




Old Quarters Number One, dating to 1819 was home and office to Fort Monroe’s commanding officer. It is here where General Butler made his “Contraband of War” decision. President Abraham Lincoln also used the house to organize his capture of Norfolk in May 1862.



Engineer’s Wharf, one of several wharves that existed on Old Point Comfort during the war. Fort Monroe’s location at the entrance to Hampton Roads enabled it to serve as the base for every major amphibious operation during the conflict.