During the American Civil War, the Battle of Fort Pulaski was fought on the island, in which the United States Army captured the fort from the Confederate States Army on April 11, 1862. Confederate soldiers were imprisoned in the fort. During the Spanish–American War, a coastal artillery battery, Battery Hambright, was built on the island; it was reactivated during World War I and World War II.The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1.
During the American Civil War, the Battle of Fort Pulaski occurred on an island where the United States Army captured the fort from the Confederate States Army on April 11, 1862. Confederate soldiers were held captive in the fort. During the Spanish–American War, a coastal artillery battery named Battery Hambright was built on the same island; it was reactivated during both World War I and World War II. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1.