Fort Johnston (Southport, Brunswick County, North Carolina)
Southport, Brunswick County · North Carolina · Colonial, Revolutionary War, Civil War
History & Significance
In 1744, as King George's War began, Governor Gabriel Johnston appointed a committee to identify a fort site to defend the Cape Fear River. In April 1745 the North Carolina General Assembly authorized construction, and in spring 1748 appropriated funds to begin building.
Governor Johnston declared the fort complete in April 1749, though it continued development into the 1750s. The fort garrisoned militia soldiers and served as a coastal protection and quarantine station; Captain Robert Howe first stationed here in 1766.
In 1766, armed colonists protesting the Stamp Act threatened Fort Johnston after British officials seized merchant vessels. In June 1775, Royal Governor Josiah Martin sought refuge at the fort and instigated a plot to arm enslaved persons, but after patriots discovered the plan, John Ashe of the Wilmington Committee of Safety led a force that removed military stores, dismounted cannon, and fled.
On July 19, 1775, about 500 militiamen set the fort ablaze. This action constituted the first military operation of the Revolutionary War in North Carolina.
In March 1794, Congress appropriated funds for a first system of seacoast defense; North Carolina ceded the land to the federal government, and reconstruction began in July 1794. Early in the Civil War, Fort Johnston emerged as a center of Confederate States Army recruitment and training.
After Union capture in February 1865, the name reverted to Fort Johnston. After 2004, the Army declared it surplus and ceased operations. The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport now operates on the former fort property.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- 18th-century brick fortification overlooking the Cape Fear River
- North Carolina Maritime Museum exhibits naval history and blockade-running artifacts
- Colonial and Civil War period structures and earthworks
- Strategic defensive position protecting colonial merchant shipping
- Waterfront setting with views of historic shipping channels
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Johnston_(North_Carolina)
- https://www.ncpedia.org/fort-johnston
- https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2023/12/08/fort-johnston-d-11
- https://amrevnc.com/fort-johnston/
- https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/fort-johnston-north-carolina
- https://northcarolinahistory.org/commentary/fort-johnston-and-the-american-revolution/
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=4754
Other Forts in North Carolina
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