Fort Pemberton was one of the larger confederate forts was constructed in the defense of

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. At the war's outset in 1861, it became evident that control of the western regions of James Island and the

Stono River The Stono River or Creek is a tidal channel in southeast South Carolina, located southwest of Charleston. The channel runs southwest to northeast between the mainland and Wadmalaw Island and Johns Island, from north Edisto River between Johns ...

was to be an important element in the defense of the city.

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

military authorities of the time believed that Union occupation of James Island would leave Charleston subject to attack from the southeast. From this position the city would assuredly fall to the Union. Although there were many gun batteries in place along the south and east side of James Island, Fort Pemberton was the only fortress in defense of this region.

Construction

The construction of Fort Pemberton employed largely slave labor drawn from the neighboring plantations. The fort was of earthen construction,"With the introduction of the rifled Parrott cannon during the decade preceding the Civil War, vertical masonry walls became obsolete as an effective form of fortification. These rifled cannons rapidly shattered masonry walls into stone splinters, producing damage that was difficult to repair. Military engineers quickly realized that the rifled cannons were least effective against earth and sand fortifications. Such offered greater protection against cannon impact and could be rapidly and effectively repaired. Consequently Civil War fortifications were almost exclusively earthworks." except for the framing over the earth-covered shot furnace and powder magazines, which were suspected to be of being wood. The fort's original section was constructed in 1862 by order of Confederate Brig. General

John C. Pemberton John Clifford Pemberton (August 10, 1814 – July 13, 1881) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole Wars and with distinction during the Mexican–American War. He resigned his commission to serve as a Confederate Stat ...

, who was at the time commander of the Charleston defenses and had the distinction of having the fort named for him. The fort was a heavily fortified structure. It represented an evolved example of Confederate military engineering. The building's shape was pentagonal, with bastions along the perimeter. The fort measured approximately 400 feet by 350 feet with walls 10 to 12 feet high and 20 feet thick at the base. An additional 700-foot-long rampart was constructed the following year which directly flanked the original section on the southeast.

Defenses

The fort was designed to function as both a land and water battery. By October 1862, the fort's armament included 20 guns of various calibers. The fort's position was to deny Federal gun boat attack from the Stono River which ran along the western shores of James Island. Union gunboats continued to have dominance of portions of the Stono river out of range of Fort Pemberton's guns. In addition, the fort had complete control of the critical Wappoo Creek that meandered eastward into the

Ashley River The Ashley River is a blackwater and tidal river in South Carolina, rising from the Wassamassaw and Great Cypress Swamps in western Berkeley County. It consolidates its main channel about five miles west of Summerville, widening into a ti ...

which borders Charleston to the west. In addition to guarding against water access, the fort was also designed as a land battery. As an enclosed structure, many of Fort Pemberton's guns faced inland in the event of a land attack. Fort Pemberton served as the western anchor of James Island's shore defense.

Condition

The fort has remained essentially intact since its completion in 1863 and is presently covered with a substantial growth of live oak and other indigenous trees. Its setting gives the fort a park-like appearance. Intrusions on the property are several residences which do not significantly alter the integrity of the fort. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1978.

References

External links

* The South Carolina Dept. of Archives and Histor

* Nomination Form for National Registry

{{National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina, Pemberton Buildings and structures in Charleston, South Carolina Government buildings completed in 1862 Infrastructure completed in 1862 South Carolina in the American Civil War Buildings and structures in Charleston County, South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Charleston County, South Carolina 1862 establishments in South Carolina American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places