At the
Garden Key, one of the
Tortugas Islands, off the extremity of the
Florida Peninsula, was
Fort Jefferson; and at
Key West was
Fort Taylor.
Neither of these forts was quite finished at the beginning of 1861.
The Confederates early contemplated their seizure, but the laborers employed on them by the
United States government were chiefly slaves, and their masters wished to reap the fruit of their labor as long as possible.
It was believed these forts might be
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seized at anytime by the Floridians.
Captain Brannan, with a company of artillery, occupied barracks about half a mile from
Fort Taylor.
Some of the military and civil officers there were Confederates, and they determined to oppose
Captain Brannan if he should attempt to take possession of that fort.
Finally
Captain Brannan succeeded by a stratagem in gaining possession.
The steamer
Wyandotte lay near the fort, and her guns commanded the bridge that connected it with the island.
One Sunday morning, while the inhabitants were at church,
Captain Brannan marched his men by a back road, crossed the bridge, and entered the fort.
Supplies had already been forwarded by water.
Both forts were strengthened and were lost to the
Confederates.
