Featured Stories: 24
Stories
Redoubt on Inland Waterway-1776-Revolutionary War
In June 1776, General Charles Lee strategically positioned troops and guns around the Charles Town region. Brigadier General John Armstrong commanded all American troops in Christ Church Parish. He spread 1,500 men, including troops from Virginia,…
Haddrell's Point Barracks-1777-Revolutionary War
Sometime in late 1777, the American army began construction on a barracks complex for soldiers at Haddrell’s Point. In 1780, the barracks were being used as a hospital when it was captured by the British on April 26. Uzal Johnson, a Loyalist…
Fort Sullivan-1776-Revolutionary War
In early January 1776, the Charles Town Council of Safety decided to build a fascine battery on Sullivan’s Island until a more permanent fort could be constructed. Men from the 1st and 2nd Regiments were transferred to Sullivan’s Island as a…
Gadsden Bridge Redoubt-1780-Revolutionary War
Prior to the June 28, 1776 British attack on Fort Sullivan, American engineer Captain J. Ferdinand DeBraham served as the Chief Engineer for Colonel Moultrie and was tasked with building a useable bridge across the Sullivan’s Island Narrows Creek as…
Haddrell’s Point Redoubt -1780-Revolutionary War
The Haddrell’s Point Redoubt, located along the shoreline just north of the 1776 Fascine Battery, was positioned to defend the mouth of the Hog Island Channel. Anticipating the advance of Admiral Arbuthnot and his fleet, General Lincoln placed…
Haddrell’s Point Fascine Battery-1775-Revolutionary War
In December 1775, the Council of Safety ordered Colonel William Moultrie to erect a “fascine battery for four cannon, 18-pounders, at Haddrell’s Point with all convenient dispatch.” He was directed to use two hundred men commanded by a major to…
Shem Creek Lunette-1780-Revolutionary War
A small temporary earthwork was constructed just south of Shem Creek behind the Jacob Motte house (now known as the Hibben House). This battery was constructed to defend the Hog Island Channel.
Lord Cornwallis moved with troops beginning at…
Lempriere's Point Battery -1780- Revolutionary War
Lempriere’s Point was located on the northwest shore of Mount Pleasant at the mouth of the Wando River. The property was part of a plantation owned by Captain Clement Lempriere and the location of Lempriere’s Ferry that offered daily runs to and…
Center Street Wastewater Treatment Plant- Mount Pleasant Waterworks
In 1933 this land was the property of Clovis Goblet. Yonge Simmons purchased it by auction in 1934. Mr. Simmons’ descendant sold the property to the Town of Mount Pleasant and Mount Pleasant Waterworks and
Sewer Commission in 1968. In the early…
Hobcaw Point Battery
Beauregard returned to Charleston in September 1862 to, once again, assume command of the Department of South Carolina and Georgia for the Confederacy. Headquartered in Charleston, he quickly began working on improving the defenses of the city.…
Hog Island Battery
Early in the war, torpedoes (mines) were placed in the Hog Island Channel to defend against Union ships that might slip past Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie. The Hog Island Battery, also known as the Shem Creek Battery, was built on the southern tip…
Hibben Street Battery
The Hibben Street Battery was located behind the Hibben House on a high bluff at the western terminus of Hibben Street in the Old Village of Mount Pleasant overlooking Charleston Harbor. The battery was constructed to serve as an inner-harbor…
Venning's Landing Battery
Venning’s Landing Battery was located at another ferry landing 1.37 miles northeast of Kinloch’s Landing Battery on the southeast shore of Mount Pleasant facing Sullivan’s Island. Like Kinloch’s Landing Battery, this battery was placed to protect a…
Kinloch's Landing Battery
A two-gun battery was constructed in 1863 at Kinloch’s Landing, a ferry landing facing Sullivan’s Island. The battery was 2.16 miles northeast of Battery Gary. It was originally constructed with a powder magazine and gun positions for two heavy…
Battery Gary
On August 18, 1863, as Beauregard and his staff sought to strengthen inner harbor defenses, Lieutenant Colonel D. B. Harris, Chief Engineer, was directed to construct a new battery for “heavy guns” at the site of the old mortar battery on Mount…
Fort Palmetto
Fort Palmetto, a three-gun battery, was constructed at the eastern terminus of the Christ Church Lines. This strong fortification commanded both Hamlin Sound and Dewee’s Inlet. Dewee’s Inlet, located between Long Island (Isle of Palms) and Dewee’s…
The Christ Church Lines
General Robert E. Lee was sent to Charleston in early November 1861 to oversee the design and construction of defenses for the South Carolina coast and the cities of Charleston and Savannah. Lee and his engineers analyzed the multiple possible…
Mount Pleasant Mortar Battery
The Mount Pleasant Battery was a two-gun battery built at the end of present-day Schweers Lane, adjacent to Pitt Street. It was armed with two 10-inch seacoast mortars. From this vantage point, the battery could fire on the three Federal…
54th Massachusetts Regiment
The Whilden House served as Union headquarters after the fall of Mount Pleasant in February 1865. Among the occupying troops was the first black volunteer 54th Mass. regiment. Under the command of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, this unit was made famous…
Shem Creek
The name of this deepwater tidal creek is derived from the Indian word “Shemee.” The creek has been an important site for shipbuilding, fishing, transportation, and milling industries since the early 1700’s. Shem Creek was also known as Sullivan’s,…