Silently I stand and wait
At ready to vituperate
Those who choose to test my might
And the flames of war ignite
At peril of their fate
Try thee not my granite wall
Lest thunder from my cannon fall
Upon you that attempt to pass
Mount your challenge and alas
Answer Poseidon’s call
Fort Gorges, named for the colonial proprietor of Maine, sits on Hog Island at the entrance to Portland harbor. Construction began in 1861 at the outset of the Civil War. It is similar in size and construction to Fort Sumter, except it is built of granite instead of brick. The Fort’s armament consisted of thirty-four 10-inch Rodman guns mounted in the fort’s encasement’s. It was built in support of Fort Preble on the banks of South Portland on one side, and Fort Scammel on House Island on the other. Any ship attempting to enter the harbor had to sail between two forts, making the harbor close to impenetrable. However, it was not completed until 1865 as the war ended. Modern explosives made it obsolete by the time it was completed. In 1898 all of guns were removed except one 10-inch Parrott rifle em-placed at the top of the fort which remains today as one of the largest surviving specimens of Civil War vintage artillery.
Ink lings 