South Carolina Forts

American Forts: East

SOUTH CAROLINA

Last Update: 29/MARCH/2008

Compiled by Pete Payette - Š2008 American Forts Network

Fort Randall
(1860's), Little River
A CSA battery at Tilgham's Point on Little River Neck. Union forces attempted to take the battery in 1863 but were unsuccessful.

Fort Euhanie
(1716 - unknown), Yauhannah
A fortified trading post established by the SC colonial government, located at "Great Bluff". The site has been excavated.

Snow Island Camp
(1781), near Johnsonville
Patriot leader Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox", established a secret base here to harrass the British army. Also known as Marion's Camp (1). The British located and destroyed the camp in March 1781, but Marion and his men escaped to continue operations elsewhere. Located on the Great Pee Dee River at the convergence of the Lynches River and Muddy Creek.

Winyah Bay Blockhouse
(1526), near Georgetown
The first Spanish colonization attempt north of Mexico landed on Cabo de San Nicolás (present-day Winyah Bay), but did not settle here. Spanish documents of the period place the landing at 33 degrees, 30 (or 40) minutes north latitude, within a present-day 30 minute margin of error. A fort or blockhouse was possibly built here as the two ships were repaired after running aground on sand bars. Meanwhile, the bulk of the 600 colonists, led by Lucas Vásquez de Ayllón, headed 40-45 Spanish leagues southwest by land towards Sapelo Sound, Georgia, in order to find a suitable settlement site. They most likely settled on St. Catherines Island. (please see GEORGIA)

Fort Winyah
(1715 - 1716), near Georgetown
A SC colonial militia fort located on the south side of the Black River northwest of town.

Georgetown Fort (1)
(1780 - 1782, 1794), Georgetown
An unnamed British earthwork fort, attacked by Patriots under Francis Marion in January 1781. Exact location undetermined.
NOTE: Georgetown was occupied by the British from July 1780 until the summer of 1782.

An unnamed and incomplete American earthwork battery (1794) was also located in the vicinity.

Fort Winyaw
(1810 - 1814), Georgetown
An American brick and tabby fort located on Blythe's Point. It was in ruins by 1826. A lighthouse was built here after 1857.

Winyah Bay Civil War Defenses
(1862 - 1865), near Georgetown
(Fort) Battery White a ten-gun CSA earthwork located at present-day Belle Isle Gardens four miles south of Georgetown. Captured by the Union in February 1865. Two guns still remain at the preserved earthworks.
CSA earthwork batteries were also located on South Island and Cat Island (1861 - 1862), near Quarantine, armed only with "Quaker Guns" (blackened logs). Both islands are presently part of the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve.
A CSA redoubt was also located at the lighthouse on Mayrant's Bluff.
Camp Marion (2) a CSA camp in the area.

Georgetown Battery (2)
(1898 - 1899), near Georgetown
In 1898 two 7-inch BL seige howitzers were temporarily emplaced in sandbag revetments near the ruins of CSA Fort White. Two 5-inch BL rifles were emplaced inside the ruins. All four guns were later replaced with four 12-pdr guns, and all were removed in 1899.

Battery Warren
(Francis Marion National Forest)
(1863 - 1865), near Honey Hill
A CSA battery on the Santee River below Echaw Creek. Traces still remain.

Ford's Fort
(1715 - 1716), Berkeley County
A settlers' fort during the Yamassee War, located somewhere along the Wando River.

Hasel's Fort
(1715 - 1716), Berkeley County
A settlers' fort during the Yamassee War, located somewhere along the Cooper River.

Mepkin Plantation Fort
(1715 - 1716), Mepkin
A settlers' fort during the Yamassee War, built by James, Peter, and Thomas Colleton.

Wantoot Plantation Fort
(1715 - 1716), near Moncks Corner
A settlers' fort during the Yamassee War.

Moncks Corner Redoubts
(1780 - 1781), Moncks Corner
British troops built redoubts here and at Biggin Bridge (location ?). Patriot forces captured the works in 1781.

Fort Wassamassaw
(1715 - 1716), Berkeley County
A settlers' or SC colonial militia fort during the Yamassee War, located somewhere near the Wassamassaw Swamp at the head of the Ashley River.

Col. George Chicken's Fort
(1715 - 1716), Berkeley County
A settlers' fort during the Yamassee War, located somewhere northeast of Summerville.

Fort Edisto
(1715 - 1716), near Givhans
A SC colonial militia fort at Givhans Ferry on the Edisto River, guarding the backdoor to Charleston during the Yamassee War. Located on James Rawlings' plantation, near today's Givhans Ferry State Park.

Camp David Hunter
(1875), Summerville
A Federal summer camp for three coastal artillery companies from Charleston.

Camp Marion (3)
(1898), Summerville
A Spanish-American War training camp for northern troops moved south. Location undetermined.

Pond's Fort
(1715 - 1716), Dorchester County
A settlers' fort during the Yamassee War, located somewhere on the east-side of the Ashley River.

Fort Dorchester
(Old Dorchester State Park)
(1697 ? - 1756, 1775 - 1782), near Summerville
A tabby fort originally built sometime between 1697 and 1719. The town was largely abandoned by 1756. The fort was rebuilt during the American Revolution, and changed hands several times. The current remains are mostly from the 1775 work. The British garrisoned Old Dorchester in 1780.

Richard Godfrey's Fort
(1715 - 1716), Middleton Place Gardens
A settlers' fortified home used by the SC colonial militia during the Yamassee War.

St. Giles Plantation Fort
(1715 - 1716), Dorchester County
A settlers' fort during the Yamassee War. Undetermined location.

(see pages 2 and 3 for Greater Charleston area fortifications)

Thomas Elliott's Fort
(1715 - 1716), Rantowles
A settlers' fortified home located on Rantowles Creek, used by the SC colonial militia during the Yamassee War.

Rantowles Area Defenses
(1863 - 1865), Rantowles
Several CSA batteries were located on the western outskirts of Charleston:
Rantowles Station Battery, at the old railroad station, south of Wallace Creek.
Rantowles Battery, in the old village, north of Wallace Creek.
Battery Bulow (?), on Rantowles Creek at Bulow Landing.
Stono Ferry Batteries, two works on the Stono River at the present-day Links at Stono Ferry Golf Course. Possibly still exists.
Camp Evans (date ?), a CSA camp at Church Flats along the Stono River, near Stono Ferry.
Warren Batteries, three works near Warren Crossroads along present-day SC 165.

Parker's Ferry Earthworks
(1782), near Jacksonboro
Patriot earthworks protected the ferry and a supply depot here. Earthworks still exist along the western bank of the Edisto River. A marker is located about 3.5 miles north of town. The last battle of the American Revolution along the eastern seaboard occurred here along the Edisto and Combahee Rivers in August 1782.

John Jackson's Fort
(1715 - 1716), Jacksonboro
A settlers' fort during the Yamassee War.

Willtown Fort
(1715 - 1716), Willtown
A SC colonial militia fort on the Edisto River at the old Willtown (New London) settlement (founded 1682). Attacked by Apalachee Indians in 1715. Used as a base for SC colonial patrol boats in 1716.

Botany Bay Island Post
(1862 - 1865), Edisto Island
A Union occupied island after the capture of Port Royal Sound. Botany Bay Island is now part of Edisto Island, within Charleston County.

Edisto Island Post
(1862 - 1865), Edisto Island
A Union occupied island after the capture of Port Royal Sound.

Fort Drayton
(St. Helena Sound Heritage Preserve)
(1861 - 1865), Otter Island
A CSA earthen fort with a wet moat, originally named Fort Heyward. It was captured by the Union after the Confederates abandoned it in December 1861 after the fall of Port Royal, and was renamed. Part of the wooden palisade also still exists. The island is currently owned by The Nature Conservancy.

Fenwick Island Post
(1861 - 1865), Fenwick Island
A Union occupied island after the capture of Port Royal Sound.

Woodward's Fort
(1715 - 1716), Colleton County
A settlers' fort during the Yamassee War, located somewhere near the mouth of the Ashepoo River.

Chapman's Fort
(ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve)
(1860's), near Airy Hall ?
A CSA fort on the Ashepoo River.

Camp Chehaw
(ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve)
(1860's), Colleton County
A CSA cavalry encampment on Chehaw Neck along Chehaw Road near old Ballouville.

Barton's Post or
(1781), Colleton County
A battle/skirmish occurred here in April 1781. Undetermined location (near Red Hill ?).

NEED MORE INFO: Old Fort Road on Bull Island, Cape Romain NWR.
Towns: Fort Corner near Awendaw.

Greater Charleston Area I - page 2 | Greater Charleston Area II - page 3
Port Royal Sound Area - page 4 | Interior South Carolina - page 5