Complex sentence: Simón Bolívar's arrival to the island prompted the destruction and abandonment of the fort in May 1816, and by 1899, the facility serviced as headquarters, and later as quarters for the National Army.
Split into simpler sentences: Simón Bolívar's arrival to the island prompted the destruction and abandonment of the fort in May 1816. By 1899, the facility serviced as headquarters, and later as quarters for the National Army.