November 20 Fort Moultrie, Sullivans Island SC

We are still exploring Charleston and the surrounding area. Tuesday we still had cloudy skies and a chilly wind so we decided to delay going to see the USS Yorktown and went for a drive to Sullivans Island. From the time of the earliest settlement to the end of WWII Fort Moultrie has been part of the seacoast defense  Today there are five sections and two outlying areas each with typical weapons from the different historical periods. The fort was named in honor of its first commander, William Moultrie. He held the fort in a 9 hour battle with  British warships in 1776.  It was rebuilt and it was from Fort Moultrie that the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter. It was rebuilt in the 1870's used in both WW I and WW II before being retired in 1947. 

Tom and I wandered through the fort, amazed at the history in such a small area. The grounds are well maintained and we both learned a lot. Later we drove to find the Sullivans Island lighthouse, I must say it is one of the most peculiar lighthouses we have seen. I saw a little of the "pristine beach" and finally the sun was shining, coats came off and we had a picnic lunch at the fort. 

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It is hard to get an idea on how thick the walls are under ground

These are 15-inch Rodman muzzle-loading smooth bore cannon with
a barrel weighing 50,000 pounds. Capable of firing a 400 pound projectile
4 miles. 

In commemoration of the current Fort Moultrie being
officially opened on December 19, 1809 the flag has 15 stars
and 15 strips