Sullivan's Island - Fort Moultrie
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| Fort Moultrie's history covers over 170 years of seacoast defense, including the first decisive victory in the American Revolution and the firing onto Fort Sumter during the first battle of the Civil War. The third Fort Moultrie, built in 1809, stands today. By touring the fort, visitors can see how coastal defenses have evolved.
On the 31st of May 1776, 20 British ships appeared off the South Carolina coast. It had been known for months that a fleet was dispatched to the southern waters, and it was only a matter of time before Charleston was made the object of British intentions. It was the only city of any consequence south of Philadelphia and widely believed to be the key to ending the rebellion. One of Charleston's barrier islands and home to Fort Moultrie, South Carolina received its nickname -The Palmetto State - while defending Sullivan's Island from the British. Fort Moultrie was built using the area's most abundant building resource, the palmetto tree. The softness of the wood kept splinters from hurting the South Carolina soldiers when the British bombed the fort. In the end, the colonists were able to defeat the British. As a young soldier, Edgar Allen Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie and wrote The Gold Bug during that time. It is said the island is a haunted place, populated with the ghosts of broken hearts and lives of untold courage. Click each photo to enlarge. |
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