Alcatraz Citadel having some 111 cannons encircling the island at peak, and was also used as a war camp. During the Civil War, the defense establishment at Alcatraz Citadel had the onerous task to defuse the possibility of any local war between the Union and Confederate supporters who were both part of the population of California, and to protect San Francisco. Ammunition in the form of 10,000 muskets and 150,000 cartridges was supplied to the fort, which made the Fort Alcatraz and the island most impregnable and thus leaving any plans of the Confederate soldiers of taking control of the San Francisco
Legends of Alcatraz their refuge. "The Washington Post" has also claimed that Alcatraz is a place "where visitors can sense the dread of past inhabitants still trapped in the atmosphere." "New York Magazine" has said that although the penitentiary hasn't been operational since 1963, it "remains ultra sinister, perversely fascinating, iconic." A documentary "Haunted Alcatraz", broadcast on the Travel Channel, has said "there is little question that Alcatraz holds a particular place in our collective imagination, consistently evoking feeling, stirring and dark" and that the "power of the island" still captivates visitors after departure. A 1995 book included Alcatraz as one of "The