California State Military
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- The California
State Military Museum
- Preserving California's
Military Heritage
- Historic California
Posts:
- Fort Montgomery
-
- In July 1846 Captain John
Berrien Montgomery, commander of the U.S. Sloop Portsmouth
and the ship's Marines, established the post at Punta del Embarcadero
(Clark's Point). in what is now downtown San Francisco, immediately
after the American occupation of San Francisco Bay in the first
days of the war with Mexico. Lieutenant Misroon landed a party
of blue jackets and marines from the Portsmouth and constructed
a battery the point. This was called "the battery"
and gave the name to Battery Street, whose lines intersect it
at Broadway. The work was begun about July 17th. High on the
steep bluff facing the bay
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- Misroon excavated a terrace
whereon he mounted a battery of five guns, two brass pieces from
the old Spanish fort; two from Sonoma, and one brass twelve pounder
dug up at the Presidio where it had been buried. On July 20,
the captain reported that "we are progressing very well
with the new fort...and I have in view to erect a block house
also, in a position to overlook the fort and command the town
and hills in its, rear" (Forts of the West, pp. 27-28).
Although there are archival references to the fort, abandoned
in 1847, there is no indication that it was ever officially designated
Fort Montgomery. One historical chronologist places the fort's
site in Portsmouth Square at Washington and Kearny streets. The
Society of California Pioneers believes the site to be near the
intersection of present Broadway and the Embarcadero.
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