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Fort Terry was a coastal fortification on Plum Island, a small island just off Orient Point, New York, USA. This strategic position afforded it a commanding view over the Atlantic entrance to the commercially vital Long Island Sound. It was established in 1897 and used intermittently through the end of World War II. In 1952, it became an animal and biological warfare research facility, a mission it continued under military and later, civilian, control until 1969. ==History and Timeline== First “owned” by the Corchaug and Montaukett Indian tribes〔Alexandra Cella, “An Overview of Plum Island: History, Research and Effects on Long Island,” Long Island Historical Journal 16, no.1-2 (2003- 4): 176-181.〕 the Plum Island was sold to Samuel Wyllys for a coat, a barrel of biscuits and 100 fishhooks.〔http://huntingtonaudubon.org/pdfs/Plum-Island-Case-Statement.pdf〕 The original fort was constructed after the federal government acquired Plum Island from Abraham S. Hewitt, a former mayor of New London, Connecticut,〔Bleyer, Bill. "(Plum Island Animal Disease Center )", from ''Newsday'', via ''The Baltimore Sun'', April 26, 2004, accessed January 10, 2009.〕 for $25,000.〔http://www.uscg.mil/d1/antLIS/files/lights/pil.asp〕 It is not clear how Hewitt became owner of the property. Fort Terry, named for Major General Alfred Terry,〔 began operation in 1897 and was expanded several times from the time of the Spanish–American War through World War II.〔〔〔 The initial federal purchase was for 150 acres, however the rest of the island was turned over to the federal government in 1901.〔Cella, Alexandra. "(An Overview of Plum Island: History, Research and Effects on Long Island )", ''Long Island Historical Journal'', Fall 2003/Spring 2004, Vol. 16, Nos. 1 and 2, pp. 176-181 (194-199 in PDF), accessed January 10, 2009.〕 Fort Terry served as an artillery post during the Spanish–American War, and it was to attack enemy ships as they headed toward New York City.〔 Organized in 1907, It was manned by the 133rd Company, Coast Artillery Corps, organized in 1907.〔http://www.vetshome.com/military_air_defense_artillery_patches_history1.htm〕 In 1916, they were re-designated as the 3d Company,〔http://forums.military.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3990015041001/m/8230011842001〕 and continued to serve in that capacity throughout World War I.〔 Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Hero, Jr. was in command of the post in August, 1915.〔http://www.airdefenseartillery.com/online/2010/Coast%20Artillery%20Journal/Extract/CA%201930/Apr%201930.pdf〕 Following the end of World War I, Fort Terry was declared surplus and put under the control of personnel at Fort H.G. Wright.〔 At one point, Fort Terry was used by Portsmouth National Guard Armory as their summer encampment and training location. The Gun and Machine Gun Battalions worked on night firing solutions at aerial balloon targets, tracked by the Searchlight Battalion.〔http://www.seacoastnh.com/Places-%26-Events/NH-History/A-History-of-Portsmouth-Armory/2/〕 In 1930, the Federal Census - New York, identified 133 people living on Fort Terry.〔http://www.1930census.com/〕 Also, in 1930, the Justice Department conducted a study to consider building a 1000-cell prison on the island. However, it was deemed impractical, and there was no further action.〔 During World War II, the post was put to use again, this time as a training facility and supply depot.〔 It was also used as a look-out for German U-boats and planes.〔http://www.ars.usda.gov/plum/forum1295.htm〕〔http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/nyregion/long-island/25plumli.html〕 On December 7, 1941, this fort was listed as manned by the Navy Harbor Defense, 242nd Coastal Artillery Regiment.〔http://www.navsource.org/Naval/usarmy.htm〕 Today, on the east side of Plum Island, a network of trenches remains from the area's tenure as an artillery post.〔Grossman, Karl. "(Target: Plum Island )", ''The New York Times'', September 11, 2005, accessed January 10, 2009.〕 The fort was once again declared surplus in 1948.〔"(Fort Terry )", New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center, ''NYS Division of Military and Naval Affairs'', accessed January 9, 2009.〕 Beginning April 15, 1952, it served as a U.S. Army Chemical Corps facility.〔 As a Chemical Corps facility, it was under the control of the First Army. Fort Terry was small and focused primarily on anti-animal biological warfare (BW) research aimed at enemy livestock.〔〔 Anti-animal agents rinderpest and foot and mouth disease were the main areas of research.〔Chauhan, Sharad S. ''Biological Weapons'', ((Google Books )), APH Publishing Corporation, 2004, p. 197, (ISBN 8176487325).〕 When the decision to use the Fort as a research facility was planned, it was envisioned that it would be staffed by less than 20 personnel.〔 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) took over the island in 1954〔〔Pg 13132 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 52 / Thursday, March 18, 2010 / Notices〕 and began to use it as an animal disease research center. It was then staffed by at least 9 military and 8 civilian employees.〔Wheelis, ''Deadly Cultures'', p. 225-228.〕 Most of the original buildings and batteries still stand today〔 and in many cases have been incorporated in one way or another into the island's new role as a disease research center.〔 Most of the disease research done by the USDA was also focused on biological warfare until Richard Nixon ended the U.S. bio-weapons program in 1969.〔 The facilities continued to be operated by the USDA until June 2003, when the responsibility for Plum Island and its security was transferred to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.〔"(Combating Bioterrorism: Actions Needed to Improve Security at Plum Island Animal Disease Center )", ''General Accounting Office'', September 19, 2003, accessed January 10, 2008.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fort Terry」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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