Slumbering in the midst of the Gulf of Mexico at the very end of the Florida Keys is a unique relic of the past. It is the largest brick masonry fort in the Western Hemisphere, built to guard America’s shipping lanes through the Gulf. During the Civil War, this southern fort stayed in Union hands and found a new purpose as an isolated prison. In 1865, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, Samuel Arnold, Michael O’Laughlen, and Edman Spangler were convicted of assisting in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and found themselves condemned to this lonely fortification. While all four men would eventually leave this place, one did so in a coffin.
In 2023, my wife Jen and I visited the Dry Tortugas and shot footage for a homemade documentary series about the Lincoln conspirators’ lives at Fort Jefferson. After sitting on the footage for over a year, daunted by the prospect of how to put it all together, I finally commenced editing. I’m happy to announce that the project is now ready to be shared.
The end result is a documentary series of over an hour and a half in length. For ease of viewing, I have split it up into eight parts. Today, I am releasing the first in this eight-part series. I will continue to release new parts a few times a week until they are all published. In addition to these individual posts, the videos can also be found on the new permanent “The Lincoln Conspirators at Fort Jefferson” page on the top menu bar.
I hope that you will enjoy learning about the history of Fort Jefferson and the time the Lincoln conspirators spent there.
So, without further ado, here is A Fort is Built, the first part in the series The Lincoln Conspirators at Fort Jefferson.
I hope that this first entry has whet your appetite for more. In a few days, I’ll publish part two of the series titled A Prison for the Lincoln Conspirators.
LincolnConspirators.com 
Part 1 was excellent! Thanks!Sent from my iPhone
Thank you, Grant. I hope you enjoy the subsequent installments as well.
Agreed – Part 1 is excellent! I found it to be well done, interesting, and informative. Obviously, you have great skill as a documentary filmmaker, Dave! I look forward to the remaining parts.
You’re very kind, Paul. This is a bit rough at times as I’m a naturally fast speaker and not the greatest editor, but I’m still happy with the outcome. I’m glad you are looking forward to the journey.
And I’m still impressed!
Thank you!
Gosh, this looks awesome! Thanks so much for this! And wow, it looks so nice and warm there… this series should provide some solace in the coming winter months.
The Dry Tortugas is a truly beautiful place. While it takes a bit of planning to get out there, it is totally worth it. The water is so blue and the stars are so bright at night. It’s a truly remarkable National Park.
Not only is the Lincoln assassination history rich, but so is the landscape- I have a friend who’s been, and I might just have to go now. Thanks!
I hope you do! The best way to enjoy the fort is to camp there. You only get like three hours there if you come for a day excursion. That’s just not enough time. The fort is best once the day tourists leave and it’s just a like a dozen campers and some rangers left on the island.