Judging by the lack of posts around the blogosphere this week, I’m guessing that everyone is off preparing for the upcoming holiday.

Just in case you stopped by… I want to wish each and every one of you a safe and happy Fourth of July. I have the privilege of celebrating Independence Day this year with my neighbor, a Marine Recon vet who served in the “official” war in Iraq, and his lovely family. I can’t think of anyone that I would rather spend the day with as it is through his sacrifice (and that of his peers) that we are all able to sit around the pool, talking sports and eating BBQ in the safety and security of a free country. So as we reflect on the anniversary of our country’s independence, let us also acknowledge the courage and sacrifice that it took (and still takes) to maintain it. God truly blessed the U.S.A. and we are all very fortunate to live here.

I also wanted to post my Fort Macon recap that I promised last week:

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of touring historic Fort Macon (North Carolina) with my father. This was my first trip to a Civil War beach-stronghold and it was truly a memorable experience. I was extremely impressed with Macon’s exterior fortifications, which had been constructed with over 9.3 million bricks, and it really helped to have someone along with a background in construction to aid in the appreciation of the fort’s craftsmanship. It was the little details that really got me, and the masonry skills that are showcased at Fort Macon are just as noteworthy as the artillery and service exhibits. Bob Vila (whose birthday we celebrated on the same trip) would certainly be proud.

Below are some photographs that we took of the park, along with a brief background on Fort Macon as quoted from the North Carolina Parks Service:

“Construction of the present fort began in 1826. Named after state senator Nathaniel Macon, who procured the funds to build the facility, the fort was garrisoned in 1834. In the 1840s, a system of erosion control was initially engineered by Robert E. Lee, who later became general of the Confederate Army. At the beginning of the Civil War, North Carolina seized the fort from Union forces. The fort was later attacked in 1862, and it fell back into Union hands. For the duration of the war, the fort was a coaling station for navy ships.

Fort Macon was a federal prison from 1867 to 1876, garrisoned during the Spanish-American War and closed in 1903. Congress offered the sale of the fort in 1923, and the state purchased the land, making it the second state park. Restored by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1934-35, the fort was garrisoned for the last time during World War II.

Fort Macon was designed by Brig. Gen. Simon Bernard and built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It was named after North Carolina's eminent statesman of the period, Nathaniel Macon. Construction began in 1826 and lasted eight years. The fort was completed in December 1834, and it was improved with further modification during 1841-46. The total cost of the fort was $463,790. As a result of congressional economizing, the fort was actively garrisoned only during the years of 1834-36, 1842-44 and 1848-49. Often, an ordnance sergeant acting as a caretaker was the only person stationed at the fort.

The Civil War began on April 12, 1861, and only two days elapsed before local North Carolina militia forces from Beaufort arrived to seize the fort for the state of North Carolina and the Confederacy. North Carolina Confederate forces occupied the fort for a year, preparing it for battle and arming it with 54 heavy cannons.

Early in 1862, Union forces commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside swept through eastern North Carolina, and part of Burnside's command under Brig. Gen. John G. Parke was sent to capture Fort Macon. Parke's men captured Morehead City and Beaufort without resistance, then landed on Bogue Banks during March and April to fight to gain Fort Macon. Col. Moses J. White and 400 North Carolina Confederates in the fort refused to surrender even though the fort was hopelessly surrounded. On April 25, 1862, Parke's Union forces bombarded the fort with heavy siege guns for 11 hours, aided by the fire of four Union gunboats in the ocean offshore and floating batteries in the sound to the east.

While the fort easily repulsed the Union gunboat attack, the Union land batteries, utilizing new rifled cannons, hit the fort 560 times. There was such extensive damage that Col. White was forced to surrender the following morning, April 26, with the fort's Confederate garrison being paroled as prisoners of war. This battle was the second time in history that new rifled cannons were used against a fort, demonstrating the obsolescence of such fortifications as a way of defense. The Union held Fort Macon for the remainder of the war, while Beaufort Harbor served as an important coaling and repair station for its navy.”

The day after our tour, my father, son, and I spent a wonderful day fishing off the coast of Fort Macon (about 8 miles out), aboard “The Highlander”, which is a beautiful center-console boat piloted by a local fishing guide named Ron McPherson. Captain Ron was a great guy and he took the three of us out to one of the many shipwrecks that rest (40+ feet down) off the Carolina coast.

These sunken vessels attract all kinds of aquatic life and we caught close to 60 fish in a little under 5 hours! Capt. Ron had rigged dual hooked-lines and we were literally pulling in two at a time. I’m pretty sure that my son got spoiled, as I cannot imagine how any future fishing trips here in Virginia could compare.

Some of the larger fish that we caught were called “triggerfish” and my father took a nice big bag of cleaned filets home with him back to Pennsylvania. My teenage son bragged repeatedly that he had reeled in the most fish, BUT I prefer to focus on the quality - as opposed to the quantity. Clearly, I had caught the largest and have the photo to prove it. (BTW: I want to post a very special thank you to my father Thomas Aubrecht and Captain Ron McPherson.)

Another thrill during our charter trip was the rare opportunity that I had to photograph the fort’s coastline from afar, just as it would have appeared to an oncoming ocean-going vessel. I was very glad that I had visited the stronghold on the day before, as I had a definite appreciation for the guns that guarded this area of Carolina’s waters. Nothing could have passed in front of Fort Macon without being detected, and this may have been one of the last sites ever viewed by an unfortunate “target.” That said, our position off the coast in turn, showed just how close the fort was to the waterline, and that a heavily armed ship could have just as easily pounded the fort’s interior – which is exactly what happened in April of 1862. It was neat to see BOTH perspectives.

For those of you who have never visited Fort Macon, I recommend the trip highly. And for my fellow anglers out there, contact Highlander Charters Inc. for a day of fishing that you will never forget. Call Captain Ron McPherson at 252-726-2762 and tell him I sent you.

Have a great holiday.
BTW: I may have a BIG announcement coming up later this week.