Capt. Brad Schall talking with Alcatraz visitors.
“The Rock” was the nickname of the famous prison located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. However, the island was originally used by the US governement as a for during the Civil War. The Alcatraz, along with Fort Point and other key positions around the Golden Gate were used as defensive gun emplacements to defend the bay and the city in case of Confederate attacks. Why would San Francisco be considered a possible target during the Civil War? One word: gold.
The gold that was mined in the Sierra Nevada was sent to San Francisco, where it was shipped to banks on the east coast to fund the war effort. An interruption in the supply of money could have changed the course of the war, so San Francisco was well worth defending.
On September 28, Alcatraz will return to it’s origin days when dozens of Civil War re-enactors will be on the island to lead the public through presentations and demonstrations of life on the island in the 1860’s. For more information on teh event, contact The Friends of the Civil War Alcatraz.