In 1828 Lieutenant William H. Chase of the U.S. Army was sent to the U.S. Navy Shipyard west of Pensacola where plans had been laid out to build a group or forts for its protection. From his Pensacola base, he would spend almost thirty years overseeing the construction of coastal forts from Key West to Louisiana. This seems an exceptional explanation of a lifetimes work, but it is only a part of his.
Chase’s position as Chief Engineer of the Gulf would assure much political power in West Florida, his ability to cut corners on fort construction costs and slip some of the savings into his pocket...
