Booknotes: Fort Clinch, Fernandina and the Civil War

New Arrival:
• Fort Clinch, Fernandina and the Civil War by Frank A. Ofeldt III (Arcadia Pub and The Hist Press, 2020).

From the description: "Even though Fernandina was tucked away in the far southern reaches of the Confederacy, Fort Clinch had been abandoned to Federal forces by March 1862. It proved a boon to the Union war effort, and the island became a haven for runaway slaves, with many joining the Federal army. The military occupation of this vital seaport helped end the war, and the Reconstruction period that followed bore witness to Union and Confederate veterans working together to bring Fernandina into a golden era of prosperity."

With its fine ocean port and rail connection to the Florida interior, Fernandina and its nearby protector, Fort Clinch, seemed destined to play significant roles in the war. However, both were abandoned early in the conflict, casualties of Confederate realization that they could not defend everywhere. I'm always up for anything related to the coastal war and am not aware of another book dedicated in full to this topic, so this should make for an interesting read.