Ship Island

Island in southern Mississippi, one of several barrier islands lying between Mississippi Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. Measuring some 8 km/5 mi east–west, and located 19 km/12 mi south-southwest of Biloxi, Ship Island forms part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

From the late 17th century until the 1720s, Ship Island served as a port for Spanish and French ships, and in the early 18th century was a base for France's exploration of the Gulf Coast. It was a British naval station during the War of 1812, and became an American military installation in 1847. During the Civil War, Ship Island was held alternately by Confederate and Union forces. It was a staging area for Northern troops before Admiral David Farragut's attack on New Orleans in 1862, and its Fort Massachusetts (1858) was used as a Union prison camp. The island became a quarantine station in 1878. Today it is accessible by ferry from Gulfport and Biloxi, and has tourist facilities.