Advanced manufacturing and scientific design by General T.J. Rodman made this Columbiad the finest of large smoothbore armor crushers. 10 and 15 inch Rodmans were mounted in Fort Moultrie as part of a massive modernization program in the 1870's. . . . — — Map (db m32124) HM
Captured by Confederates at Fort Sumter in 1861, this weapon was later repaired and rifled by Eason Brothers of Charleston. With an iron band and brass trunions, it presents an unique appearance. This weapon returned to service at Battery Bee on . . . — — Map (db m32121) HM
Cast at the Tredegar Foundry in Richmond, this gun is an example of what the Confederacy was able to produce with limited resources. Although less refined than similar Union pieces, it helped meet the Southern demand for heavy caliber seacoast guns. . . . — — Map (db m32125) HM
The largest of the Parrott series of guns, this rifle was part of Fort Moultrie's post Civil War armament. Heavy caliber Parrotts stood side by side with large Columbiads in the seacoast forts until replaced by breechloaders near the turn of the . . . — — Map (db m32033) HM
Union artillerists on Morris Island used mortars similar to this nine ton giant to fire 218-pound explosive shells into the Confederate fortifications. In 1874, two batteries, consisting of two mortars each, were emplaced near the site of the . . . — — Map (db m32126) HM
Near Middle Street, on the right when traveling east.
On the fort wall you can see the outline of a doorway and traces of two walls that tied into the brick on either side of it. This is all that remains of one of two structures built by the United States in garrison in 1860 to protect the fort's low . . . — — Map (db m19832) HM
This quality product from the Confederate Naval Ordnance Works in Selma, Alabama was popular with Confederate artillerymen. Its long range, combined with heavy, accurate projectiles was particularly effective against Federal ironclads and siege . . . — — Map (db m32116) HM
Named for the inventor, Robert Parker Parrott, these guns were the most widely used new rifled artillery during the Civil War. Heavy Parrott batteries emplaced on Morris Island reduced Fort Sumter to rubble. After the Civil War, this gun was . . . — — Map (db m32076) HM
This gun emplacement, manned by the Regular Army in peacetime, drew upon the Coast Artillery units of the National Guard for its huge manpower needs in wartime. One 10-inch gun crew alone consisted of 43 men – 26 of the gun detachment, 11 . . . — — Map (db m68017) HM
On Station 22 1/2 Street (State Highway 703) north of Myrtle Avenue, on the left when traveling south.
[Marker Front]:
In this cemetery are the remains of some of Sullivan's Island's original Islanders, people of predominantly African American descent whose history parallels that of the Island.
Buried here are Carpenters, Cooks, . . . — — Map (db m19117) HM
The growth of powerful iron navies during the 1890’s prompted the United States to build hundreds of new anti-battleship batteries such as this, which mounted four 10-inch guns. Each shell, weighing as much as 617 pounds, had a range of nearly 8.5 . . . — — Map (db m68013) HM
Battery Jasper, the primary Endicott System battery on Sullivans Island, was rushed to completion in 1898 when the Spanish-American War began. This massive, reinforced-concrete structure before you was named for Sgt. William Jasper. Revolutionary . . . — — Map (db m67830) HM
On Poe Avenue near Palmetto Street, on the right when traveling east.
[Side A]
On June 28, 1776, a British and Loyalist force seeking to capture Charleston advanced to Sullivan's Island with 9 ships and 2,500-3,000 infantry. The American defenders, 435 men under Col. William Moultrie of the 2nd S.C. . . . — — Map (db m19122) HM
On Jasper Boulevard (State Highway 703), on the right when traveling east.
Here at Breach Inlet in June 1776, Americans commanded by Colonel William “Danger” Thompson repelled a British attempt to capture unfinished Fort Sullivan by land. The British planned a coordinated land and sea assault to establish a . . . — — Map (db m67277) HM
Confident of victory, British Admiral Peter Parker led his fleet of nine warships in an attack on the palmetto log fort, June 28, 1776. Parker’s ships anchored only 400 yards from here, firing thundering broadsides in the nine-hour battle. The . . . — — Map (db m67389) HM
On Jasper Boulevard (State Highway 703) at Middle Street, on the right when traveling east on Jasper Boulevard.
British Attack at Breach InletIn 1776, a force of British Army regulars attempted to cross Breach Inlet in an effort to capture Fort Sullivan (Fort Moultrie). Their advance was thwarted and many British lives lost when their boats were caught in . . . — — Map (db m31100) HM
Near Middle Street, on the left when traveling west.
In the days before power equipment existed fort building took muscle, sweat and ingenuity, and the big brick forts such as Moultrie III and Sumter required masons of unsurpassed skill. Most of the labor on the first two forts built of sand, . . . — — Map (db m67370) HM
Mines came into use at the turn of the century as part of a new system of seacoast defense. A minefield could be laid in the main ship channel in time of war and remain harmless until electrically detonated from Fort Moultrie. The minefield, . . . — — Map (db m32006) HM
On Jasper Boulevard (State Highway 703), on the right when traveling east.
British and American forces struggled for control of this strategic city throughout America’s quest for independence. The Revolution in South Carolina began in 1775 when Patriot leaders overthrew the British colonial government in Charles Town. The . . . — — Map (db m67282) HM
Almost four years after their defeat at the palmetto log fort in 1776, the British returned to Charleston with a larger force, new tactics, and respect for Fort Moultrie. The British did not repeat their earlier mistakes. A British fleet of 96 . . . — — Map (db m67396) HM
The row of cannon in front of you dates from the Civil War, when radical advances in technology increased power, range, and accuracy.
Union armories produced new, larger rifled cannon; the South had few foundries and used existing weapons, often . . . — — Map (db m19245) HM
On Poe Avenue at Palmetto Street, on the left when traveling west on Poe Avenue.
As the Civil War progressed from 1861 to 1865, Sullivan's Island became the primary defensive position for Confederate forces guarding Charleston Harbor. Anchored at Fort Moultrie, by 1865 these defenses stretched the length of Sullivan's Island . . . — — Map (db m108549) HM
Marker Front:Civilian Conservation Corps
March 31, 1933 to June 30, 1942
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was established by the 73rd Congress in order to put young men to work restoring the natural resources of this country . . . — — Map (db m19119) HM
Battery Jasper, the black, concrete structure in front of you, was built in 1898 as part of the Endicott System - a series of concrete and steel fortifications armed with heavy-caliber guns, along the U.S. coastline. With the support of smaller . . . — — Map (db m31975) HM
On Poe Avenue near Palmetto Street, on the right when traveling east.
(Side A)
The CS H.L. HUNLEY, the first submarine to sink an enemy warship, left from a point near here on the evening of February 17, 1864, and proceeded out Breach Inlet toward the USS HOUSATONIC, anchored nearby. The . . . — — Map (db m19124) HM
Near Middle Street at Osceola Avenue, on the right when traveling west.
From this observation deck the strategic value of Fort Moultrie becomes clear. Charleston Harbor's main ship channel—the only deep water access to the port—passes directly in front of the fort. Ships entering the harbor had to pass . . . — — Map (db m87004) HM
Near Middle Street, on the right when traveling east.
The 1st South Carolina Artillery Battalion occupied Fort Moultrie for the Confederacy in December, 1860. Fire from Fort Moultrie's guns helped force the surrender of Fort Sumter in April, 1861. Rifled artillery appeared shortly before the Civil War . . . — — Map (db m31930) HM
This rooftop cavity held the carriage mechanism for one of Battery Jasper’s four 10-inch disappearing rifles. Installed in 1898, these formidable weapons represented the latest technology. Weighing 55 tons with a range of 8.5 miles, they fired . . . — — Map (db m68016) HM
On Middle Street west of Station 13 Street, on the left when traveling west.
Discovering the Hunley
Since the night of the attack, the H.L. Hunley and its crew escaped detection by amateur and professional divers. In 1980, novelist Clive Cussler and a team of underwater archaeologists began to . . . — — Map (db m108573) HM
Near Middle Street, on the right when traveling east.
Long rectangular foundations are all that remain of the two-story brick soldiers' barracks that stood here from 1809, when Fort Moultrie III was new, until Confederates razed it in 1863 to eliminate the danger from flying debris should the building . . . — — Map (db m31943) HM
On Middle Street at Station 18 Street, on the left when traveling west on Middle Street.
Military reservation Named in Honor of Col. William Moultrie who commanded Fort Sullivan (now Fort Moultrie) comprising the 2nd South Carolina Regiment of infantry and a detachment of the 4th South Carolina Regiment (Artillery) during the . . . — — Map (db m19125) HM
Near Middle Street, on the right when traveling east.
Fort Moultrie II was an enclosed five-sided earthwork, partly faced with brick, surrounded by a ditch and glacis. Within the fort were a hot-shot furnace, powder magazine and bombproof. Officers’ quarters, enlisted men’s barracks, and the bake . . . — — Map (db m67367) HM
On Middle Street at Palmetto Street, on the left when traveling west on Middle Street.
From Military Base to National Park
In 1947, Fort Moultrie Military Reservation was closed as static seacoast defensive positions became obsolete. While Fort Sumter became a National Monument in 1948, Fort Moultrie and the rest of the . . . — — Map (db m108569) HM
On Middle Street, on the right when traveling west.
Down the walk on your left is the grave of General William Moultrie, a citizen of Charleston, who on June 28, 1776 led American troops in the defense of the city. From the walls of the unfinished palmetto log fort on Sullivan's Island he won a . . . — — Map (db m31915) HM
Near Poe Avenue, on the right when traveling east.
(Side One):H.L. Hunley DisappearsTo break the blockade of Charleston Harbor, the Confederate submarine the H.L. Hunley set out to attack the Union warship Housatonic on the night of February 17, 1864. After ramming a . . . — — Map (db m32007) HM
Near Middle Street, on the right when traveling east.
America’s attention turned away from warfare when the Civil War ended and seacoast defenses, including Fort Moultrie, deteriorated. But another crisis wasn’t long in coming – disputes with Great Britain in 1872 over the Alabama claims . . . — — Map (db m67386) HM
Near Middle Street, on the right when traveling east.
The War of 1812 saw Fort Moultrie III armed with 12-, 18-, and 24-pounder smoothbore cannon on garrison carriages designed to fire through embrasures in the parapet wall. British warships blockaded Charleston, but never came within range of . . . — — Map (db m31962) HM
Near Middle Street, on the right when traveling east.
These two rapid-fire batteries are part of the Endicott installations that protected Charleston from the Spanish American War until World War II began. The Endicott System combined heavy coast artillery, minefields, and rapid-fire guns into an . . . — — Map (db m31918) HM
On Middle Street at Palmetto Street, on the right when traveling east on Middle Street.
From this camouflaged concrete observation post, Army and Navy personnel kept a round-the-clock vigil to protect Charleston Harbor. Built in 1944, this fortified underground installation housed the combined activities of the Navy's Harbor Entrance . . . — — Map (db m31886) HM
On Middle Street, on the right when traveling west.
Historic Fort Sumter At 4:30 a.m., April 12, 1861, Confederate gunners fired on Fort Sumter and the Civil War began. After 34 hours of non-stop shelling, Sumter's Union garrison surrendered, and on April 14 the Confederates took the fort. Fort . . . — — Map (db m31912) HM
On Jasper Boulevard (State Highway 703), on the right when traveling east.
The American victory at Breach Inlet came at great risk and sacrifice. Thomson’s rangers, other state troops, militia, and Indians from South Carolina were joined by soldiers from North Carolina and Virginia. They all hurried to defend Sullivan’s . . . — — Map (db m67304) HM
Near Middle Street west of Station 13 Street, on the right when traveling west.
Major General William Moultrie
1730 - 1805
Commander of
Second South Carolina Regiment
During the Battle of Sullivan's Island
June 28, 1776
When offered inducements by Lord Charles
Montagu to desert the American cause,
General . . . — — Map (db m108527)
Near Middle Street, on the right when traveling east.
Question: How do you move a 50,000 pound Rodman gun? Answer: With ingenuity - and a lot of difficulty. Moving and mounting these huge guns before the days of diesel-powered cranes and bulldozers was a monumental job. However, with the aid . . . — — Map (db m31968) HM
Near Middle Street, on the left when traveling east.
U.S. forces under Major Robert Anderson hastily expanded this part of the fort in 1860 on the eve of the Civil War. From here musket fire could sweep the adjoining walls to repulse an expected land attack. — — Map (db m68008) HM
(Grave Marker):
Oceola
Patriot and Warrior
Died at Fort Moultrie
January 30th 1838
(Historical Marker):
A Seminole Leader
Perhaps Fort Moultrie's most celebrated resident was Osceola, famed Seminole leader who led . . . — — Map (db m15425) HM
In 1776 South Carolinians prepared for a British invasion by building a fort on this site. This key position on Sullivans Island, beside the main ship channel, protected the entrance to Charleston Harbor. The fort was designed as a 500-foot square . . . — — Map (db m67399) HM
Near Middle Street, on the left when traveling west.
“Keep your powder dry” is a time-worn expression today, but it was vital advice for gunners of the 19th century. This powder magazine was designed to keep the fort’s supply of black powder safe, dry, and away from flame. The thick . . . — — Map (db m67372) HM
Completed in 1910, this powerhouse replaced the old generators inside Battery Jasper which had been in operation since 1899. Two 25 kilowatt gasoline actuated generators within this building supplied power for the electric lights, ammunition hoists . . . — — Map (db m31983) HM
Near Middle Street west of Station 13 Street, on the left when traveling west.
The two cannon in front of you are reproductions cast in 1976 by the National Park Service for the American Bicentennial Celebration, and placed here to generally represent the location of the palmetto log fort built in anticipation of a British . . . — — Map (db m108528) HM
On Middle Street west of Station 13 Street, on the left when traveling west.
The Hunley Recovery Project
Federal, state, and private sector underwater archaeologists teamed with engineers and divers from Oceaneering International to excavate and recover the H.L. Hunley. Oceaneering, a marine engineering . . . — — Map (db m108574) HM
A place where...Africans were brought to this country under extreme conditions of human bondage and degradation. Tens of thousands of captives arrived on Sullivan's Island from the West African shores between 1700 and 1775. Those who remained in . . . — — Map (db m19123) HM
On Jasper Boulevard (State Highway 703), on the right when traveling east.
Commemorating the 1776 defense of Charles Town against the British army by American Patriots under Colonel William “Danger” Thompson. Dedicated in 2011 by Friends of Danger www.thomsonpark.org — — Map (db m68336) HM
On Jasper Boulevard (State Highway 703), on the right when traveling east.
Ten days of skirmishing on beaches, creeks, and marshes climaxed on June 28, 1776 with the British attempt to cross Breach Inlet during the bombardment of Fort Sullivan. Colonel William “Danger” Thompson and 780 American Patriots had . . . — — Map (db m67272) HM
In 1898 as Battery Jasper neared completion, work began on these two 30,000 gallon cisterns. Concrete gutters atop Jasper were designed to collect rain water, which was conducted to these holding tanks.
To provide additional water, . . . — — Map (db m32001) HM
