Hilton head and port royal sound would serve as a headquarters for federal land and naval forces for the rest of the war, a staging point from which they would launch numerous combined operations against charleston and the rest of the coast. Preliminary investigations of intertidal and submerged cultural resources in port royal sound, beaufort county, south carolina james spirek, christopher f. Nov 15, 2011 the other port royal posted on november 15, 2011 by stewardthenderson when someone mentions port royal in the civil war, most historians or scholars think of port royal, south carolina and the battle of port royal in november 1861. Port royal sound and brought a swath of this south carolina. The original site was developed in 1875 and included a wharf extending into port royal sound, as well as a clapboard hospital structure to support the parris island naval base. The confederates occupied newly constructed fort walker on hilton head island and fort beauregard on bay point. Port royal expedition the naval war american civil war forums. Soon, though, they were forced to lower their flags and retreat. Prior to the civil war he served at sea in the brazil, mediterranean, pacific and. Stay tuned in november to the civil war navy sesquicentennial blog for more information on that specific battle. December camp alleghany, west virginia december 20 cranesville, virginia 2. At south carolinas port royal sound, union naval forces won a crucial and muchneeded victory.
Read letters from port royal written at the time of the civil war 18621868 by elizabeth ware pearson, editor available from rakuten kobo. Port royal written at the time of the civil war by. En route, heavy weather forced the crew to jettison all of the cargo. By november 6, despite bad weather, a formidable flotilla of 25 ships sat at the entrance to port royal sound. In the civil war, the side that held the field at the end of the day was often declared.
Good luck also ive been trying since last december when i hit genealogical gold and found a complete pension file for an ancestor who died june 1862 during the james river expedition 140 pages of pure history including letters he wrote whilst on the port royal. On february 2, 1779, some 200 british infantrymen landed on the island and moved to attack the americans. Sc archaeologists search for port royal sound shipwrecks. These old newspapers have a variety of incredible pictures, and in depth analysis of the key people, battles, and events in the civil war. African americans preparing cotton for gin at port royal, 1862 image courtesy of the library of congress.
An expedition of 77 vessels with more than 12,000 soldiers embarked departed on october 29th. Port royal sound is a coastal sound, or inlet of the atlantic ocean, located in the sea islands region, in beaufort county in the u. The battle of port royal sound hydro international. The battles were fought because port royal was of great strategic value. Army expeditionary force sailed into port royal sound and captured fort walker on hilton head and. Carolina, while other earthworks shielded the coastal railroad from northern incursions up the. Helenas made a slow recovery during reconstruction and.
Founded in 1494 by the spanish, it was once the largest city in the caribbean, functioning as the centre of shipping and commerce in the caribbean sea by the latter half of the 17th century. Instead, they encountered a stubborn force of patriot militia and regulars. The lessons of the great beaufort skedaddle resilience. Spireks search for the wreckage included surveying the sound from 20002004, passing a boat back and forth in. While it is common for revolutionary war battlefields to possess something of historic note, the 1779 battle of port royal island stands out with browraising distinction.
Uss ottawa 1861 1865 uss ottawa, a 691ton unadilla class screw steam gunboat, was built at new york city. Port royal, south carolina, was selected as the most rational location for a southeast coast naval base. Some of the men were free black men from northern states. Unable to dislodge george washington in the northern colonies, british strategists turned their attention to the south. Planters and farmers fled before their attackers, allowing virtually all their major possessions, including ten thousand slaves, to fall into union hands.
Both sherman and du pont, to their credit, saw that port royals fall had potential that went far beyond serving as a logistical base for the navys blockading operations, noted one historian. Battle of port royal civil war songs fall of the rice kingdon. November 78 battle of port royal sound, port royal sound, south carolina the battle of port royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the american civil war. This is probably the scott, an army transport that was the subject of a search off cape henry orn, i, 9. At the onset of the spanishamerican war, the wooden hospital was demolished and replaced with a concrete building and the existing fortifications. The battle of port royal sound was one of the earliest naval operations of the civil war. In early november 1861, just months after the onset of the civil war, a massive union naval force attacked and quickly overcame the two confederate forts guarding the entrance to port royal sound. Beaufort and port royal, constitute a large portion of the countys historic. Nov 08, 2011 people in the north were overjoyed by the great naval victory at port royal sound and the occupation of southern territory.
The present altar was carved by the sailors of the u. At the start of the civil war, president lincoln and his military commanders planned to blockade. The blockade board had quickly recognized the value of port royal. Ruins of the old spanish fort, smiths plantation, port royal island, s. Port royal sound is one of the largest natural deepwater harbors on the atlantic coast. Bombardment of port royal sound, south carolina, november 7, 1861. It was a morale boost for the federal troops and a political victory for lincoln.
No soldiers were killed, but the civil war had begun. The synergistic combination of these three factors has produced a marine environment that is one of north americas overlooked ecological jewels. Remnants of four civil war forts on hilton head island, sc hilton. The burning of bluffton prepared by ron roth lowcountry. Six illustrations of the battle of port royal, one of the earliest amphibious operations of the american civil war, occurring on november 7, 1861 from u. The uss port royal cg 73 is named to commemorate battles of both the american revolution and the civil war in the waters of port royal sound and on the adjacent south carolina islands.
Title and date from stephensons civil war maps, 1989. Union forces occupied the fort after the battle of port royal in 1861. The british planned to use the coastal city as a gateway to the southern countryside, drawing on support from. The first shots of the war were fired by confederate soldiers on the unionheld fort sumter in the charleston harbor. The battle of port royal, 7 november 1861, was a major union victory early in the american civil war that demonstrated how difficult it would be for the confederacy to defend its coastline.
The panels second report, issued on july, 1861, described port royal sound as the finest harbor south of chesapeake bay, which it resembles in capacity and extent. Approximately 200,000 men of color would serve in the union army or union navy during the civil war. Ruins of the old spanish fort, smiths plantation, port royal island, near port royal s. In which we look at the battle of port royal sound, south carolina november 7, 1861. The port royal experiment, the first major attempt by northerners to reconstruct the southern political and economic system, began only seven months after the firing on fort sumter. Named to commemorate battles in the waters of port royal sound.
Union wins a victory at port royal sound, south carolina p. New hampshire, which was stationed in port royal sound during reconstruction and presented by the ships officers to st. Civil war series fort pulaski and the defense of savannah. Sc divers explore civil war shipwrecks in the port royal. In late 1778, the revolutionary war was approaching a stalemate.
Du ponts armada instead set a course for port royal, s. Sea islands were to remember as the day of the big gunshoot, commodore s. The library of congress does not own rights to material in its collections. Accompanying boutelle was charles henry davis, fleet captain, who had spent many years on the coast survey as a naval officer prior to the civil war. These documents may be freely used for private purposes. Their first move was to capture savannah, georgia, which they did successfully on december 29, 1778. Civil war, available online, south carolina, port royal. The fate of an important south carolina revolutionary war battlefield is still uncertain in beaufort country. The american battlefield trust is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. A brief history of the rhett house inn the town of. The port royal sound survey, phase one college of arts and. To seize port royal meant the union navy would have to destroy the two forts guarding the harbour fort walker and fort beauregard. After the army left the area, there were no more jobs and that doomed the town of mitchelville.
The battle of port royal sound was the beginning of the end of the old south. History of the civil war 1861 to 1862 part 1 blockade port. Port royal sound and beaufort county beaufort lifestyle. European sailboats, british war ships and civil war vessels are. Sound and skull creek forming inside passage from tybee roads to port royal sound, south carolina scale 1. Letters from port royal written at the time of the civil war. Donations to the trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Few of the planter families ever returned to the sea islands, and not until 1892 were they compensated by the federal government for their plantation lands lost. Army expeditionary force sailed into port royal sound and captured fort walker on hilton head and fort beauregard on bay pointst. In november 1861, a large union naval armada steamed into port royal sound and laid siege to two confederate forts, one on. I am particularly interested in the battle of port royal, because two brothers from my family fought on opposite sides of the civil war thomas fenwick drayton, confederate general defending the island, including his own plantation, fish haul plantation, and percival drayton, captain in the pocahontas in the union navy, attacking the island.
The sounding expedition was taken under fire by a confederate naval squadron but succeeded in finding and buoying the channel. The story of the battle of port royal beaufort sc best. May 01, 2018 port royal would be a federal bastion for the remainder of the war. On south carolina s port royal island, just north of savannah, the british planned to establish a base for loyalist recruitment. Archaeologists are returning to port royal sound to search for shipwrecks off the sc coast of beaufort, port royal and hilton head. After port royal sound, the union navy moved north by next taking st. This edition features illustrations a linked table of contents, footnotes, and index contents introduction 1862 1863. The civil war on the atlantic coast, 18611865 army center of.
There is another port royal that was very important during the civil war port royal virginia. The obvious choice was port royal sound, south carolina, not only an excellent harbor, but one the confederacy could not easily defend. After the war, most planter familiestheir sons dead, their plantations burnt, their beaufort homes sold in government auctions for back taxes often without their knowledgenever returned. Thomas west sherman 181879 our book recommendation for this episode is now for the contest.
On november 3, only 8 ships arrived off port royal. The union navy was the united states navy usn during the american civil war, when it fought the confederate states navy csn. At the beginning of the american civil war, the temporary dissolution of the united states coast survey was considered by congress as a. Sep 21, 2017 the national museum of the royal navy are hosting a special talk by dr jim clipson on a littleknown aspect of hms warriors history to be held on 19th october 11. Visit the interactive civil war site for songs, lyrics, and more. Scroll down to see entire page, or newspaper thumbnails below will take you to a specific page of interest the battle of port royal. Beaufort and its sea islands were the first places in the deep south captured by union forces. Commissioned in october 1861, she spent her entire civil war service operating off the carolinas, georgia and florida, enforcing the blockade and attacking confederate positions ashore.
Battle of port royal, 7 november 1861 military history. Sea island sea islands dot deepwater port royal sound, south carolina, where on november 7, 1861, rear admiral samuel duponts fleet of 17 warships blazed past confederate forts walker and beauregard, sailing in a clever elliptical formation to. Beaufort was the first southern city captured by union forces, remaining in their hands throughout the war. European sailboats, british war ships and civil war vessels.
During the civil war, the union navy loaded aging whaleships with rocks and towed them south from new england to coastal georgia and south carolina. Hatteras inlet and ship island were seized in the late summer of 1861. Its music and its sounds frederick fennell, eastman wind ensemble on allmusic 1990. Civil war postal history patriotic covers used from port royal, s.
The civil war 1958 part 1 full historical documentary of the civil war with art of the era great history. Social welfare history project port royal experiment. The battle of port royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the american civil war, in which. In 1577, the french ship le prince is said to have wrecked in the port royal sound. Their objective was port royal sound, which was guarded by an earthwork on either side of the harbor entrancefort beauregard at bay point and fort walker on hilton head island. Just seven months into the civil war, a union fleet sailed into south carolinas port royal sound, landed a ground force, and then made its way upriver to beaufort. Civil war songs battle of port royal fall of the rice kingdom by clark hansbarger. Port royal sound is a marriage of ocean and land, a relationship created by the combination of rising sea level, exceptionally high tides, and its unique geology. During the civil war, after contributing to the sack of beaufort, the union armys south atlantic blockading squadron established a base here for fleet repairs and a coaling station. Civil war maps, available online, south carolina library of congress. The confederates met this threat through fixed defenses at. The battle of port royal sound 31052010 at the beginning of the american civil war, the temporary dissolution of the united states coast survey was considered by congress as a costsaving measure.
After having secured hatteras inlet, the union looked for a port along the southern atlantic coast where a fleet could be maintained so as to support the blockade of the confederacy. Divers work to learn story of sunken civil war ships. Port royal island stands out with browraising distinction. It is the estuary of several rivers, the largest of which is the broad river. Civil war postal history patriotic covers used from port. Commemorate the sesquicentennial of the american civil war, and its defining moments, with a family program at macculloch hall historical museum mhhm taking place on friday, november 7.
The story begins with fort walker on port royal sound, built by confederate soldiers in 1861 to help protect the critical southern ports of charleston, beaufort and. The new york public library manuscripts and archives division. Many of the larger homes in the downtown beaufort area became union hospitals and the union made beaufort its home throughout the entire civil war. County residents continued to raise crops after the civil war, but agriculture. The forts defenders fired back, of course, and though hitting moving targets is hard, they did cause some damage. The new york public library manuscripts and archives division guide to the percival drayton family papers 18271967 bulk 18601879. Despite the loss of ship and life, the fleet of 77 ships went on to capture the sound at the battle of port royal. Lowcountry civil war roundtable bluffton, south carolina by the fall of 1861, the civil war had gone badly for the union. Port royal sound, south carolina was the first target. The battle of port royal of the history press civil war sesquicentennial series is very well written, illustrated, and very easy to read book of a pivotal turning point in the american civil war battle no one is aware of. When someone mentions port royal in the civil war, most historians or scholars think of port royal, south carolina and the battle of port royal in november 1861. Battle of port royal marker, at the end of the boardwalk at belleau wood rd. Civil war, available online, port royal library of congress.
The battle of port royal civil war books and authors. Account of the battle of port royal, an eastern theater civil war battle during the american civil war. During the american civil war the union naval commander samuel francis du pont reduced the forts guarding port royal sound. There the boats were sunk to block key waterways and frustrate blockade runners, small boats designed to elude union ships and deliver cargo to confederate states. These areas remained under union control throughout the civil war. After the civil war, a major commercial port developed. The term is sometimes used carelessly to include vessels of war used on the rivers of the interior while they were under the control of the united states army, also called the union army. Most of the civil war fighting unfolded along the coast, as union forces fought for years in a largely futile effort to capture charleston. Port royal is a village located at the end of the palisadoes at the mouth of kingston harbour, in southeastern jamaica. On november 5, 1861, the confederate secretary of war established the coasts of south carolina, georgia, and east florida as a military department, assigning one of his most senior and experienced officers, general r.
Civil war, the united states fiercely debated issues critical to. The battle of port royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the american civil war, in which a united states navy fleet and united states army expeditionary force captured port royal sound, south carolina, between savannah, georgia and charleston, south carolina, on november 7, 1861. He had four gunboats in the vicinity of port royal sound. Jun 15, 20 engaged as a troop transport for expedition to port royal sound, south carolina, nov. Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. The battle of wilsons creek, aka battle of oak hills, was the first major battle of the western theater and is often called the bull run of the west. Additionally, the first major setback for the confederacy was the capture of the areas surrounding port royal sound near hilton head, which would remain under union control throughout the war. Letter, 2 january 1862, from emmett cole, a union soldier in company f, 8th michigan infantry regiment, encamped at port royal island, s.
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