​History with ‘Hud’: How several forts protected the Cape Fear for centuries

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The remains of major forts along the Cape Fear coast are big-time tourist attractions today. But they once served as vital lines of defense for local residents.

The oldest of those is Fort Johnson, which began construction in Smithville (now Southport) in 1748, three years after Governor Gabriel Johnston ordered the structure be built at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. It was meant to serve as protection for the lower Cape Fear and the town of Brunswick. But the fort wasn’t fully completed until 1764, and missed out on its main purpose of protecting from Spanish and French forces, which were no longer present.

Fort Johnston fell into disrepair in the decades to follow, but George Washington and his congress supported rebuilding the landmark. By 1795 enough work had been done to allow Southport’s citizens to use it as a meeting place for their first documented Fourth of July celebration.

In 1810, the Fort saw more extensive renovations, including the construction of the present day Garrison House. During this time, the Fort was occasionally called Fort Branch and Fort Pender, but Fort Johnston would be the only name that stuck. When the Civil War ended, so did the life of the fort as a seacoast defense.

The federal government transferred the property to the City of Southport in 2006. The Garrison House of the Fort is the only surviving structure and is now home to the Fort Johnston-Southport Museum and Visitors’ Center.

Down the coast of Brunswick County stands the partial remains of what was once the prominent Fort Caswell.

Following the War of 1812, Congress set aside more than $800,000 in 1816 for the construction of a new seacoast defensive system. Fort Caswell was completed in 1826, and named for North Carolina’s first governor, Richard Caswell.

The fort wasn’t fully armed until the Civil War when it became the main Confederate defenses of the Cape Fear River. The Confederates strengthened it by constructing a massive earthwork defense around the fort and on top of the main work to accommodate 29 heavy guns. While its guns occasionally fired on Union warships in the ocean blockading the Cape Fear entrance, it was never officially attacked.

After the Civil War, the fort fell into ruin until money was appropriated for its reconstruction in 1896. By 1916 Fort Caswell was rebuilt and was considered a very important military post for the East Coast. Fort Caswell served as a training camp for World War I. After that, Fort Caswell was abandoned, and in 1946, the federal government designated Fort Caswell as war surplus and it was therefore assigned for disposal.

In 1949 the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina purchased the 250-acre property from the federal government for $86,000. The North Carolina Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell now uses the site as a religious retreat convention center.

Another important Civil War defensive fort was Fort Anderson, which was built on top of Brunswick Town. The village was damaged by British troops in 1776 and never rebuilt.

In 1861 the Confederate States of America decided to take advantage of the high bluffs overlooking the river by building a large fort at the site as part of the river defense of Wilmington.

In January of 1865, Union forces captured Fort Fisher then turned their attention to Fort Anderson. On February 17, 1865, Union forces, in a combined land and sea attack, pelted the fort continuously for three days until Confederate forces retreated to Town Creek. The Union Army occupied Fort Anderson on February 19, being assaulted with gunfire from their own navy who were unaware that Confederates had abandoned the fort.  Union infantry waved sheets to signal to their navy to halt the friendly fire.

More than 100 years later, in April 1967, the visitor center opened. Its purpose was to inform everyone of the decades of history on the site.

One of the most well-known forts in the Cape Fear is Fort Fisher, which served an important purpose during the Civil War. It was constructed in 1861, like Fort Anderson had been, to protect the Port of Wilmington.

Until the last few months of the Civil War, Fort Fisher kept the mouth of the Cape Fear River open to blockade-runners supplying necessary goods to Confederate armies inland. By 1865, the supply line through Wilmington was the last remaining supply route open to Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. When Fort Fisher fell after a massive Federal amphibious assault on January 15, 1865, its defeat helped seal the fate of the Confederacy.

There have thankfully been no need for forts in the Cape Fear since the end of the Civil War. However, the sites they once defended still serve as importance pieces of local history.

Meteorologist Matthew Huddleston (‘Hud’) has always had two major loves – weather and history. While you can watch him talk about weather each evening on WWAY, he looks forward to bringing you a little piece of history each Thursday on WWAY’s website.

To read other History with ‘Hud’ segments, click HERE.