In the early years of the 19th century, the United States was a fledgling nation with a population of 7,700,000, a standing army of 6,700, and a navy of only 12 ships, far smaller than the forces of France and Great Britain, so after events threatened to draw the nation into war, President Jefferson authorized the construction of forts and ships in 1807, including a fortification on lot 12 at Five Fathom Hole on the Savannah River that became Fort James Jackson. In the spring of 1808, Captain William McRee of the United States Army Engineer Department began supervising construction there with a workforce of hired laborers and leased slaves. Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1787, McRee chose a military career at age 15, enrolled at West Point, graduated after two years second in a class of three, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Engineer Department. He was only 21 when he started work on Fort Jackson, and except for a brief absence in 1811 he continued until his transfer in October 1812, after which his successor still consulted him about the fort's construction. When war with Britain was declared after close votes in Congress and strong southern support, including a unanimous Savannah city council resolution calling the war just, necessary, and righteous, General Thomas Pinckney ordered McRee to complete Fort Jackson and Fort Wayne as quickly as possible and to seek Georgia militia for their immediate protection, noting that official word of the June 18 declaration of war took nearly six days to reach Savannah. McRee later served with distinction on the Canadian border during the War of 1812, resigned in 1819, spent the rest of his life as a government surveyor, and died on May 15, 1833.