Fort Canell

Fort Cannell was a 19th-century coastal defense fort located on Mayrnagh Island in eastern Lathadu. The fort was named after Eddard Cannell who held positions as Mayor of Ushteyghoo, People’s Deputy in the National Diet of Lathadu, and Minister of State and Defense under Premier Carmac Kneale. The structure was listed on the Register of Historical Places of National Heritage in 1983. Original plans for the fort were prepared by Ordrish-educated army engineer Lieutenant Ronan Kews. These plans called for the fortress to be a trapeziform stronghold surrounded by a moat and outworks on the land sand. The walls were constructed of cemented shell, faced with brick and trimmed with granate.

For Cannell is among the largest coastal forts of Lathadu. It is a classic example of coastal forts in the Aarnieu Delta Region. Today it is in ruins.

History
In the early 19th century, Mayrnagh Island and much of the Aarnieu Delta were home to various pirate or bandit groups. The majority of these birgands were forced out of the region in a series of sweeps conducted by the government of the Lathadun Federation in 1814, in order to construct a defensive fort in the area. The fort was also designed to control the entrance to Lear Pass, and thereby guard Ushteyghoo from naval attacks from the east of the city. The Federation government bought a tract of land, where the fort now stands, from Clan Gawne on the west side of Mayrnagh Island. Construction at the site began in 1834, but was suspended soon after. Construction resumed in 1840, and construction of the fort itself began in 1841 under the direction of Major Martin Gell. The fort at this time bore the name Fort Lear, named for the pass it overlooked on the Aarnieu. A lighthouse was added near the fort in 1850. Construction of the fort was halted in 1854 with the beginning of the Silent Years, never to be resumed. The fort was never fully completed.

The fort was briefly occupied by forces of Lanshad Teige during the Silent Years, used to protect Federation shipping as well as serving as a prison for high-level rebel leaders. The Federal garrison of Fort Cannell was under the command of General Leece. The garrison consisted of four companies, totalling 300 men. The fort was equipped with 15 guns, including a 32-pounder, and 8-inch columbiad, seven 24-pounders, four 12-pounders, and two howitzers. In 1864, the fort was the site of the execution of rebel leader Iney Quayle (a direct ancestor to Premier Alden Quayle), which led to a series of reprisals by rebel forces that ended in their assault of the fort. In 1866, the fort was captured by forces under rebel leader Brenden Forrest, then under orders from Eddard Canell. Forrest renamed for fort for his commanding officer and immediately occupied it with his men. Taking the fort and threatening Ushteyghoo’s position is recognized by historians today as one of the key turning points of the Silent Years.

The fort continued to be occupied following the end of the Lathadun Federation and the founding of the Republic of Lathadu until 1889, when a particularly bad seasonal storm destroyed much of the structure. Most of the guns were removed in 1906. The fort’s last Ordinance Sergeant removed all remaining ammunition that same year. A commercial shrimp cannery opened adjacent to the fort in 1890, one of the first of its scale in Lathadu. In 1913, the centralized government gave control of the fort and the island to local political devolutions for management.

Today
In 1965, Mayrnagh Island and surrounding areas were designated as a National Wildlife and Fisheries Preserve. In 1983, the National Diet of Lathadu created the Fort Cannell National Commemorative Historical Area. The remains of the fort are a tourist attraction, although it is only accessible by boat. The fort is located directly east across Lear Pass from the nearby Coast Guard Station. Mayrnagh Island is also currently home to the Ministry of the Interior, Agriculture, and Ecology Aarnieu Laboratory and Estuarium. The fort itself is also part of a wave protection project being conducted by the Ministry of the Interior, Agriculture, and Ecology. The project consists of a rock dike built to conserve the gulf shoreline of east Mayrnagh Island and protect the fort. As a result of seasonal storm systems in the early 2000s, erosion rates along the island’s coast have greatly advanced, requiring the construction of protective barriers.