Near Key West in Monroe County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
The "Dungeon"
Fort Jefferson
| | Dry Tortugas National Park | |
Photographed by Pete Payette, May 7, 2024
1. The "Dungeon" Marker
One man who knew this room was Dr. Samuel Mudd. He was shackled in irons after trying to stow away on a departing ship: "Imagine one loaded down with heavy chains, locked up in a wet, damp room, twelve hours out of every twenty-four during working days, and all day on Sundays and holidays. No exercise allowed except in the limited space of a small room and with irons on. The atmosphere we breathe is highly impregnated with sulphuric hydrogen gas... generated by the numerous sinks that empty into the... breakwater..."
(caption) The room in this bastion is probably the "dark and gloomy dungeon" one commandant mentioned to his prisoners. On its door were lines from Dante's Divine Comedy: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." Tradition says the same words once appeared over the door to the mess hall!
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles •
this page online
Location. 24° 37.648′ N, 82° 52.4′ W. Marker is near Key West, Florida, in Monroe County. It can be reached from no nearby street. The marker is located on the grounds of Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas National Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Fort Jefferson - Key West, Key West FL 33040, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Keys. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Guardian of the Gulf (a few steps from this marker); In Memory of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd (within shouting distance of this marker); Navy Days at Fort Jefferson (within shouting distance of this marker); Coal Refueling Station (within shouting distance of this marker); Gunrooms (within shouting distance of this marker); Water in "Dry" Tortugas (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Building a City on the Sea (about 300 feet away); Dr. Mudd's Cell (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Key West.
Also see . . . Dry Tortugas National Park. National Park Service (Submitted on May 14, 2024.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 14, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 13, 2024, by Pete Payette of Orange, Virginia. This page has been viewed 203 times since then and 25 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on May 13, 2024, by Pete Payette of Orange, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Wide shot of marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?
