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The War Begins- Castle Pinckney

Castle Pinckney sits on the island Shute’s Folly at the mouth of the Cooper River. It was named for Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a Charleston native and President George Washington’s Ambassador to France. The horseshoe-shaped brick and mortar structure was built between 1809 and 1810 on the grounds of a previous log and earthen fort. When South Carolina seceded from the Union on December 20th there were only 36 people on the island, a lieutenant (Richard K. Meade), an ordinance sergeant, thirty laborers and four mechanics. The two soldiers were not enough to defend the facility against 150 South Carolina militia commanded by Colonel James J. Pettigrew that arrived on the steamer Nina and Castle Pinckney became the first Federal property seized on December 27, 1860. By the time of the Civil War the fort had 28 cannons including fourteen 24-pounders, four 42-pounders, and four 8-inch howitzers.

Early in the war Confederate authorities converted Castle Pinckney into a prison. The gun embrasures were bricked in and by mid-September 1861 one hundred and fifty-six prisoners had arrived. They were confined to their cells at night but during the day were allowed free rein of the island. Ultimately, due to overcrowding the prisoners were transferred to the Charleston city jail. Diagrams of the fort are shown below (link).

Pictures taken of Union P.O.W.s and the Confederates guarding them during the war are shown below taken by George S. Cook.

Federal prisoners from the 79th New York and the 8th Michigan Regiments captured at the First Battle of Bull Run, with members of the Charleston Zouave Cadets guarding them. On the bottom level from right to left are casemates 6-9. The sign above casemate #7 states “Music Hall 444 Broadway”. Temporary porches sit in front of Casemates 8 and 9. Also on the parapet to the left of the dismounted cannon wearing their leather cross belts extending from the right shoulder to the left hip are 2 of the company’s 4 corporals. To the right of the cannon sitting on a chair in a gray frock coat and Keli is Captain Chichester. Sitting on the casemate in front of Chichester wearing the white vest is 2nd Lieutenant E. John White. Taken at Castle Pinckney in August 1861. Link
Castle Pinckney in front of Casemate #1 Link
Castle Pinckney in front of Casemate #2 Link
Photograph shows members of the 69th New York Infantry, some seated, others standing in the rear, facing front. A sign above the door, Casemate No. 7 Musical Hall, 444th Broadway.Link
Cadets presenting arm infront of the eastern bastion. To the left behind the soldiers is part of the three sided wooden palisade fence which created an enclosure to enlarge the parade ground behind the fort. The two men on the left are Black musicians wearing military uniforms. Third from the left is Captain Charles Chichester. The men to his left are Zouave Cadets. Link
This picture was taken outside the fort against the wall between the sally port and the western bastion.The 4 officers in the foreground from left to right are Captain Charles Chichester, Robert Gilcrest, Edwin White and B.M. Walpole.

During the prolonged siege of Charleston in 1863 Confederate authorities became concerned that Forts Sumter and Moultrie might fall and that they needed to further strengthen their harbor defenses. The walls of Castle Pinckney were reinforced with earthen mounds and four large guns were added on the walls.


Interior photographs from the Civil War of Castle Pinckney

View of the barracks. A dismounted cannon can be seen in the lower part of the image to the right of center. The three cadets near the cannon, one with a bayonet, are standing with their backs to the sally port. The hot shot furnace is in front of them to the left of center. Link
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The fort survived a large fire in 1902. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge designated Castle Pinckney a National Monument. An act of Congress in 1956 abolished Castle Pinckney’s status and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took possession. It changed hands many times over the years but in 2011 was purchased by the Sons of Confederate Veterans Fort Sumter Camp #1269 for $10 in Confederate money. It is thought that 2-4 cannons are buried in the fort. These pictures were taken from the boat to Fort Sumter which passes by Castle Pinckney. The South Carolina Department of Archives link below has pictures that were taken on the island.

This is the fifth post in the series- The War Begins. The sixth and final post is- Fort Sumter.

Sources-

Castle Pinckney Uses from the National Park Services website.

South Carolina Department of Archives and History– Castle Pinckney pictures from the island

Sumter’s Stepchild by John Banks America’s Civil War July 2018.

The Civil War Transformation of Castle Pinckney by W. Clifford Roberts and Matthew A.M. Locke Artilleryman Magazine Volume 45 No. 4 Fall 2024

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