Fort Howell (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina)
Hilton Head Island · South Carolina · American Civil War
History & Significance
Fort Howell is an earthworks fort built in 1864 during the American Civil War, located on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and was named in honor of Union Army Brigadier General Joshua B. Howell, with its primary function being to protect Mitchelville, a Freedman's town located to its east. The fort was built by the 32nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment (Union) from Pennsylvania and the 144th New York Infantry from late August or early September to mid-October 1864, using shovels, spades, picks, and axes.
In spring and summer 1864, Union officers on Hilton Head Island became concerned about defending the island as units were transferred elsewhere, and commanders worried that Confederates would attack the new freedman's village of Mitchelville, prompting Major General John G. Foster to order Captain Charles R. Suter, Chief of Engineers in the Department of the South, to build the earthwork fort. The fort was an enclosed pentagonal earthwork with a 23' high parapet and emplacements for up to 27 guns.
Fort Howell never saw action, for by the time it was completed near the end of 1864 the Confederate Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida lacked the forces to offer much of a significant threat to the Federal presence on Hilton Head Island. Fort Howell is one of the most intact and best preserved Civil War field fortifications in South Carolina and is particularly significant as a fine example of a sophisticated Federal earthwork built in an area occupied by the United States Army for an extended period. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places on June 15, 2011.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Well-preserved pentagonal earthworks with bastions and moat from 1864
- Union artillery fort protecting the freedmen's settlement of Mitchelville
- Built by the 32nd U.S. Colored Infantry and 144th New York Infantry
- Interpretive signage and guided tours available on site
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Howell
- https://www.hhilandtrust.org/fort-howell
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=49841
- http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/beaufort/S10817707070/index.htm
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/fort-howell
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=131823
- https://fortwiki.com/Fort_Howell
Other Forts in South Carolina
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