![]() These weapons also became obsolete as nuclear weapons and guided missiles altered the entire concept of national defense. The world wars brought new threats of submarine and aerial attack and required new means of defense at Fort Moultrie. As technology changed, harbor defense became more complex. ![]() Larger weapons were emplaced elsewhere on Sullivan's Island, and the old fort became just a small part of the Fort Moultrie Military Reservation that covered much of the island. New batteries of concrete and steel were constructed in Fort Moultrie. This system, named for Endicott, again modernized the nation's fortifications. Endicott to head a board to review the coastal defenses in light of newly developing weapons technology. In 1885, President Grover Cleveland appointed Secretary of War William C. Newer, larger cannon were installed, magazines and bombproofs were built of thick concrete and then buried under tons of earth to absorb the explosion of heavy shells. The new rifled cannon used during the Civil War had demolished the brick-walled fortifications.įort Moultrie was modernized in the 1870s. When the Confederate army evacuated the city in February 1865, Fort Sumter was little more than a pile of rubble and Fort Moultrie lay hidden under the band of sand that protected its walls from Federal shells. In August 1863, Federal shore batteries on Morris Island began an 18-month bombardment of Fort Sumter, yet Charleston's defenses held. Three and a half months later, Confederate troops shelled Fort Sumter into submission, plunging the nation into civil war. In December of 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union, and the Federal garrison abandoned Fort Moultrie for the stronger Fort Sumter. For more information about Fort Moultrie in 1860, including 3D models and animation, visit Battlefields in Motion. The forts ringing Charleston Harbor - Moultrie, Sumter, Johnson, and Castle Pinckney - were meant to complement each other, but instead became opponents. The walls were altered and the weaponry was modernized, but the big improvement in Charleston's defenses during this period was the construction of Fort Sumter at the entrance of the harbor. By 1809 a new brick fort stood on Sullivan's Island.ĭrawing of the original 1809 Fort Moultrieīetween 18 Fort Moultrie changed little. Congress responded by authorizing funds for a Second System, which included a third Fort Moultrie. By 1807 many of the other First System fortifications were in need of extensive repair. It also suffered from neglect and was finally destroyed by a hurricane in 1804. ![]() A second Fort Moultrie, one of twenty new forts along the Atlantic coast, was completed in 1798. The next year, Congress, seeking to safeguard American shores, authorized the first system of nationwide coastal fortifications. Then, in 1793, war broke out between Great Britain and France. The city was evacuated in December 1782 as the Revolution entered its final year.Īfter the Revolution, Fort Moultrie was neglected, and by 1791 little of it remained. In May 1780, the British finally captured Charlestown, including Fort Moultrie. Charlestown was saved from occupation, and the fort was named in honor of its commander, Colonel William Moultrie. ![]() After a nine-hour battle, the British ships were forced to retire. The first fort on Sullivan's Island, constructed of palmetto logs and sand, was still incomplete when Commodore Sir Peter Parker of the Royal Navy and nine British men-of-war attacked it on June 28, 1776. A view of the interior of Fort Moultrie showing the American flag, cannons and buildings within the fort.
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