James Island in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Battery Cheves
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2010
1. Battery Cheves Marker
This four-gun Confederate artillery battery was one of several earthworks built on the southeastern shore of James Island in the summer of 1863. Built between Battery Simkins and Battery Haskell, this battery was named for Capt. Langdon Cheves, an engineer who designed Battery Wagner on Morris Island and who was killed during the Federal assault there on July 10, 1863.
(Reverse text)
The battery assisted in the defense of James and Morris Islands, and its armament in 1863 was four 8-inch smoothbore naval guns. A magazine explosion on September 15, 1863 killed five men and wounded two. Battery Cheves and the rest of Charleston’s defenses were evacuated February 17, 1865. The battery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Erected 2008 by The South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust. (Marker Number 10-59.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is February 17, 1908.
Location. 32° 44.267′ N, 79° 54.43′ W. Marker is on James Island, South Carolina, in Charleston County. Marker is on Robert E. Lee Blvd, on the right when traveling south. Located South of Preston Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Charleston SC 29412, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other
this page online
Regarding Battery Cheves. Battery Cheves was built in 1863 and named for Capt. Langdon Cheves, Confederate engineer killed at Morris Island in 1863. This battery was designed to protect the area between Fort Johnson and Battery Haskell from amphibious attack coming from Morris Island. Cheves mounted two pieces of heavy artillery at the time of capture. Battery Cheves is located on the southeastern shore of James Island in a suburban residential area. A simple open battery with four gun emplacements, Battery Cheves is about 280 feel long with a parapet 12.5 feet high and a powder magazine about 15 feet high. The total position is approximately 240 feet deep. It is currently completely obscured by a dense growth of vegetation. Listed in the National Register August 11, 1982. (Historic Resources of Civil War Defenses of Charleston, 1861-1865)
Photographed By Mike Stroud, April 6, 2010
2. Battery Cheves Marker, reverse side
Photographed By Mike Stroud, April 6, 2010
3. Battery Cheves Marker seen at southern portion of Robert E. Lee Blvd
Photographed By Mike Stroud, April 6, 2010
4. Battery Cheves and Marker
National Register of Historic Places:
Battery Cheves *** (added 1982 - Structure - #82003841)
South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
5. Battery Cheves Map
Photo by Quimby, Charleston, S.C.
6. Capt. Cheves, C.S.A.
From the book: A Southern Girl in '61: The War-Time Memories of a Confederate Senator's Daughter by Mrs. D. Giraud Wright (New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1905), opp. p. 40. The caption reads: "CAPT. LANGDON CHEVES, C.S.A./ Designer of Battery Wagner"
S.C. Dept. of Archives and History, circa 1982
7. Battery Cheves
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 14, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,111 times since then and 78 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on April 14, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
