Fort Morton and the ruins of the Taylor farmhouse might be my favorite sites in the main part of the park. The sites are within walking distance (100yrds) of each other and both afford quite a good view out over a large expanse of the battlefield. The farmhouse in particular has an air of lonesomeness and solitude. I've often wondered what became of the Taylors themselves when the war came. We know both sides used the house as an observation post at times since it was between the lines. But where did the family go?
There is also quite a lot of wind all the time on the rise which encompasses both the house and the fort. Even on the stillest days, if there is going to be a breath of air stir anywhere in the park it will be at the Taylor farm. When a storm is coming in swiftly you might just believe you could be blown off of the little ridge. There are days when what I want is a meadow, long and sunlit with grass being rolled by the breeze or thrashed about by a violent wind. Fort Morton is a place for such days. The grass there isn't terribly long because it is often mowed, but it is let grow long enough between each cutting that it can still show the switch and curve; the fickleness of the wind. The five cannon that mark the fort's no vanished wall stand in strange juxtaposition to the grass and wind. Silent, immovable, and steady, they will be at Fort Morton until kingdom come.
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| Ruins of the Taylor farmhouse |
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| First floor fireplace, chimney, and outer wall foundations |
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| Union battery at Fort Morton |
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