Bulls Island is off the shore of Awendaw, South Carolina. It is part of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Rescue and accessible by either private boat or a commercial ferry (link). During the war the island and bay were the site of blockade running, a secret “inland passage” to move goods from the Santee River to Charleston, the site of salt making facilities, a Union foraging expedition gone wrong, and the destruction of a fort as outlined in the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies. In February of 1865 Union infantry landed on the mainland at Awendaw as part of a feint during Sherman’s march through South Carolina. A modern map of the island is shown below.

The first report of Federal Naval activity appears from February 13, 1862, in the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies (Volume 12, page 546 link). In it Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Edward Conroy of the US Bark Restless describes two contrabands, Harry Reed and William Maxwell, who commandeered a small boat and escaped from the Theodore Stoney to the Union vessel. The slaves described a secret “inland passage”, whereby about 25 schooners were transporting rice from Santee River plantations to Charleston inside the bar of the bay. Lieutenant Conroy observed first hand ships moving along the shallow creeks and bays from his location outside the bar. He requests from his superiors several shallow draft vessels to disrupt the trade route. The Restless was assigned blockade duty at Bull’s Bay.

A few days later on February 15, 1862, he describes the capture of several of the schooners in the “inland passage” (Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies, Volume 12, pages 547-548 link). The Edisto, Wandoo, Elizabeth and Theodore Stoney all laden with rice and headed for Charleston were captured and destroyed.

The capture of the blockade runner Scotia. October 24, 1862, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies, Volume 13, pages 409-411.

The next report from the Restless was filed on November 5, 1862 (Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies, Volume 13, pages 431-432). Acting Master’s Mate James J. Russell was sent ashore with two contrabands to capture the postman on his route between Charleston and Santee. He was successful in his mission and returned unharmed.

Men from the US Bark Restless took two smaller boats into the marshes to destroy saltworks in back of Harbor Creek. After some initial difficulty finding their target in the bay’s complicated creek system they destroyed nine boilers and their associated brick masonry (December 10, 1862 Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies Volume 13 pages 474-475 Link). Despite coming under heavy fire on their return to the Restless they suffered no casualties.

December 27, 1862, Destruction of a fort on Bull’s Island (Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies Volume 13 page 490-491 Link).

From North American Forts and the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies- Ruins still remain of a circular stone fort, located on Old Fort Road at the mouth of Jacks Creek at Bull Harbor. Bulls Bay was once a haven for pirates in the early 1700s. The SC colonial militia had a lookout posted here in 1707 against pirate activity, one of six such posts on the outlying barrier islands during this time, and was intermittently garrisoned for several decades. The island was later used as a supply base by the British Navy during the American Revolution. The stone fort was probably built, or at least used by, the Confederates in the Civil War. The Union Navy destroyed the Confederate fort and magazine here in December 1862. The Restless sent two boats with 23 armed men and 70 pounds of powder to destroy the fort on Bull’s Island, in concert with a company from the Flambeau. Messrs. Eason and Russell were in command. They destroyed the fort, and its associated magazine and shell room. The island became part of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge in 1936. The fort ruins are about a 2.5-mile hike from the dock on the island.

Images of the fort are shown below in the google satellite view. All that is left is the circle of the tabby foundation.

A foraging expedition gone wrong (January 31- February 3, 1863, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies Volume 13, pages 573-576). On the morning of January 3lst Acting Master William Sheldon and Acting First Assistant A.G. Pemble landed on Bull’s Island on a foraging expedition with clerk, Mr. d’Estimauville, and a contraband. During the expedition Sheldon and Pemble were captured. A search for the men that evening failed to locate them. The next day a rescue party was sent out under Lieutenant Smith. The party was ambushed and Alexander Cushman was killed and Acting Ensign G. Cottrell was wounded in the left arm and right thigh. Pemble took the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy and was last seen in Augusta, Georgia.

February 1865- Sherman’s Carolinas Campaign. Feint Toward Charleston.

Union Rear Admiral John Dahlgren was asked to prepare a demonstration at Charleston to draw Confederate troops away from Major General William Tecumseh Sherman’s march through the state. Orders were given to mark obstructions in the harbour’s channel. During that process the USS Patapsco struck a torpedo and sank, killing 64 officers and men, over half her crew. The loss of the Patapsco led Dahlgren to change the target of his demonstration to Bull’s Bay.

The USS Pawnee, Sonoma, Ottawa, Winona, Potomska, Wando, J.S. Chambers and their launches and transports supported a Federal Army’s landing at Bull’s Bay. The Shenandoah, Georgia, Juniata, and Canandaigua remained outside the channel. Several days were spent searching for a suitable landing point. Originally the plan was to land near Andersonville. Andersonville does not appear on any map I could locate. I believe Andersonville was located at the Andersonville mound located on a bluff at Anderson Creek where the modern-day Romain Retreat gated community is located. The Indian mound here was destroyed when the complex was constructed.

Romain Retreat Andersonville Mound, pictures taken from the gate- 32.9587381, -79.6474232

A Confederate battery was located on the bluff here which put up considerable resistance. As a result the Federals ultimately landed at or near Awendaw Creek after driving off a Confederate battery on Graham’s Point. A naval landing party from the fleet joined about 750 infantry under Brigadier General Edward E. Potter. They landed without incident and marched toward Andersonville and Mount Pleasant.

Awendaw Creek from the Boat Landing looking east- 33.0300236, -79.6028996

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies Volume 16 page 238 Link

February 19, 2025. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies Volume 16 pages 239-244 Link

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies Volume 16 pages 262-264 Link

February 26, 1865, Destruction of salt works on Palmetto Point (Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies, Volume 16, page 269). The expedition headed by Acting Master William Bowers from the James S. Chambers led to the destruction of three salt works. A total of 200 pans and boilers, two windmill pumps, numerous sheds and outbuildings, and a large amount of salt.