The majority of the images below are from the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). The text is excerpted from the SCDNR and the SC Battlefields Preservation Trust. Of the five forts/batteries Fort Pemberton is soon to open as a city park, Batteries Pringle and Tynes are on the Dill Sanctuary owned by the Charleston Museum and are open to the public only during selected events, Battery Leroy and Battery #1 are not open to the public.

Fort Pemberton– Although not part of Beauregard’s New Line there is a lot of information about it on the SCDNR and SC Battlefields Preservation Trust websites. Fort Pemberton, a large five-sided Confederate earthwork on the James Island side of the Stono River, was one of the largest forts built by Confederate authorities for the defense of Charleston. Construction on the pentagonal earthwork was initiated in 1861 by the order of Confederate Commander Brigadier General John C. Pemberton for whom the fort is named. Completed in 1862, it was 400 by 350 feet with an additional rampart 700 feet long. The earthen walls are 10 to 12 feet high and 20 feet wide at the base. The fort was initially armed with twenty guns of various calibers and built to keep Union gunboats from approaching Charleston from the Stono River. Fort Pemberton also included two powder magazines and a hot-shot furnace. Some of the fort’s guns faced inland to defend a land assault as well. Once Battery Tynes and Pringle were constructed downstream in 1863, Fort Pemberton was of less strategic importance. In June 1864, Fort Pemberton was manned by Company B, 15th Battalion, South Carolina Heavy Artillery, commanded by Captain Guignard Richardson. Its armament at that time was two 32-pounder banded rifled guns and two 32-pounder smoothbore cannon. The fort was described in February 1865 by Union troops as “a large well-built work, heavily armed.” Fort Pemberton and the rest of Charleston’s defenses were evacuated on February 17, 1865.

Fort Pringle– Fort/Battery Pringle was constructed in 1863 by General P.G.T. Beauregard as part of Beauregard’s New Line. As the western terminus of this line, Fort Pringle commanded the Stono River, John’s Island and lower James Island. It was designed to prevent naval forces from ascending up the Stono River, as well as land forces from attacking across James Island or along the Stono River on John’s Island. Fort Pringle was named for Captain Pringle, Lucas Battalion South Carolina Regular Artillery, killed on Morris Island in 1863. In 1863 Fort Pringle became the site of some of the heaviest artillery attacks made by the Union fleet during the battle for James Island. Fort Pringle mounted nine heavy cannons at the war’s end. The earthwork itself is polygonal with the river face measuring approximately 360 feet, the right or upstream face 160 feet, the left or downstream face 400 feet and the rear face approximately 520 feet in length. The downstream and river front parapet ranges from 7.5 to 12.5 feet in height. The bombproof is approximately 15 feet high and the powder magazine about 12.5 feet tall. It was listed in the National Register on August 11, 1982.

Battery Tynes– Battery Tynes is located on the Dill Sanctuary. It is an earthen redan overlooking the Stono River at Newtown Creek. Battery Tynes has a combined face length of approximately 320 feet, a total depth of approximately 180 feet, and a rampart height of 10 to 20 feet. The parapet base is approximately 20 feet with a stepped parapet. The magazine and bombproof is approximately 15 feet high. Battery Tynes features five gun emplacements, although only four artillery pieces were mounted at the time of capture. It was constructed in 1863 to deny Union naval forces access to the upper Stono River. It also protected the bridge from James Island to John’s Island. As an element of the western James Island defenses Battery Tynes supplemented the capabilities of Fort Pemberton and prevented enfilading fire into nearby Fort Pringle.

Battery Leroy– Battery LeRoy was built in 1863 as part of General Beauregard’s New Line, which replaced the earlier defensive line of General Pemberton. Designed to protect lower James Island from land and naval attack as part of the siege line, it also protected Fort Pringle’s flank and was the scene of heavy fighting. Battery LeRoy was an important link in the lower James Island defensive line and mounted four guns at its capture in 1865. The earthen redan measures approximately 340 feet on its right face, 140 feet on the center face and 160 feet on the left face. The parapet is about 15 feet high with the magazine slightly higher. Battery LeRoy is about 400 yards east of Fort Pringle and 350 yards west of Battery Number 1. It was listed in the National Register on August 11, 1982.

Battery #1– Battery Number 1 is an earthen redan approximately 400 yards from Battery LeRoy on Beauregard’s New Line. This seven-gun battery is on the western portion of the line which runs from behind Secessionville on the east to Fort Pringle on the Stono River on the west. Battery Number 1 is about 15 feet high at the parapet with a powder magazine about 20 feet high. The right face is about 240 feet with the center face, or pan coupe, approximately 160 feet and the left face 280 feet in length. Both the right and left faces were connected to an indented line continuing to the next battery. In this case, the right continues to Battery LeRoy and the left to Battery Number 2, which has been destroyed. A large part of the line on each side of Battery Number 1 is intact. Battery Number 1 was constructed in 1863. Under the direction of General P. G. T. Beauregard, the New Line replaced the long, poorly designed defensive line created by General Pemberton. This position is important since it was a key in the defense of James Island and was the scene of heavy fighting. At the close of the war, Battery Number 1 was armed with five pieces of artillery.