tage might have been sold
in 1776 yet the title of ‘The Castle’ is rather endearing to the
inhabitants of Massachusetts and is still bestowed by the greater
part as the only proper appellation.”

A new fort was now planned and constructed under the direction of
Lieutenant Colonel Louis Toussard, who was inspector of all of
the posts of the Eastern seaboard. The first stone was laid May
7, 1801, and the whole superstructure was raised from an original
design not influenced by the structure standing hitherto. On the
23d of June, 1802, the national colors were first displayed at
the new fort. The work was a barbette fortification and was not
materially different from the present-day structure.

[Illustration: HARBOR SIDE, FORT INDEPENDENCE, BOSTON, MASS.]

The five bastions of the fort were named, in 1805, as follows:
First, “Winthrop” after Governor Winthrop, under whose auspices
the first fort was built; second, “Shirley,” who repaired Castle
William, erected other works and made it the strongest fortified
point in British America; third, “Hancock,” after the first
governor of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, under whose
administration new works were thrown up; fourth, “Adams,” after
John Adams, who bestowed its present name upon the fort and
collected materials for its construction; fifth, “Dearborn,” after
General Dearborn, Secretary of War, under whose auspices Fort
Independence was actually rebuilt.

In 1833 the garrison was withdrawn and the post given over to the
Engineers Department for constructing a new work, in effect a
modernification and improved edition of the former structure. Work
was prosecuted at intervals during the succeeding eighteen years.
The post was regarrisoned July 4, 1851. The garrison was finally
withdrawn November 25, 1879, and Fort Independence went out of
service.

Not long after that the island was deeded to the city by the
Federal War Department for use as a public park. That it could ever
be of service as a fighting man now in its old age is extremely
i