Military Sites and Museums
South Carolina's Military Sites and Museums honor those men and women who lived and fought during the troubled birth of a young nation and those who have sacrified for freedom and liberty throughout the world. From Revolutionary War rebels to modern-day soldiers, South Carolina's military sites and museums feature historic forts, sites and battlegrounds of the American Revolution to the Civil War to the war in Iraq. Soldiers once trodded the grounds of South Carolina's state parks like Musgrove Mill and Rivers Bridge state historic sites, leaving a path of history that visitors now travel.
From the shores of Charleston to the Upstate mountains, visitors can learn more about the important roles South Carolinians had in many of America's major conflicts. The NEW Military Heritage Trail spans 14 counties, has more than 20 sites and covers history from the founding of the colony of Carolina to the Second World War. The trail celebrates the bravery of South Carolinians who risked their lives to defend their state and union.
Scroll through the listings below to locate South Carolina Military Sites and Museums. Click on the name of an attraction for more information on the site. Use the tool bar to the right of the listings to add a location to your South Carolina Trip Planner.
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Fishdam Ford was the site of the battle on November 9, 1780, in which Gen. Thomas Sumter's men repelled a night assault by Maj. James Wemyss and the British 63rd Regiment. Gen. Sumter had camped at Fishdam Ford in order to draw off troops from Lord Charles Cornwallis's headquarters at Winnsboro. The battle site, which is designated by a small granite marker and an official state historical marker, is on the east bank of Broad River, north of SC 121/72 at the border of Chester and Union counties. The Indian fish dam from which the name is derived can be seen during low water upriver from the highway bridge.
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 Chester |
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Learning of the disaster at Camden, Patriot Gen. Thomas Sumter pulled his troops northward and camped at Fishing Creek near Great Falls. Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton's mounted troops riding double caught up with Sumter's men on August 18, 1780 and overran the camp. Sumter barely escaped. Any organized force in SC was lost.
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Chester |
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Florence National Cemetery was established in 1865 in Florence just south of one of the largest Confederate Civil War prisoners of war camps. Early graves for the dead from the POW camp were originally marked by headboards, properly lettered, and later replaced by upright marble headstones. The cemetery is listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 and includes the remains of veterans from every war and branch of the military who have served our country since the Civil War.
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 Florence |
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A historical marker defines this site where, from September 1864 through February 1865 approximately 16,000 Union soldiers were held captive in Florence. A stockade was constructed here to accommodate prisoners, previously incarcerated at Andersonville and other prisons in south Georgia. These prisoners were moved as a result of Gen. William T. Sherman's Union Forces heading to Savannah in the now famous "March to the Sea." Approximately 2,802 Union soldiers died and many are buried as "unknowns" in the adjacent Florence National Cemetery. The Friends of the Florence Stockade held an official public opening on May 31, 2008. The site now includes parking area, and offers an interpretive gazebo and guided walking trail with interpretation about the history of the stockade.
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Florence |
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By 1863, Fort Bull, the earthwork defense erected by slave labor around the Bee's Ferry /Ashley River Road intersection, was in place, no doubt in remembrance of the fact that the British had successfully crossed the Ashley and staged their capture of Charleston in 1780 from this same spot. Ft. Bull probably was empty when the defenses of Charleston were abandoned to the Union and the city evacuated on February 17, 1865. Six days later, on February 22nd and 23rd the troops of the 56th New York Volunteers looted and burned Middleton Place, beginning or continuing the destruction of the great homes along the Ashley River Road as the Union pushed through the state toward the culmination of the conflict in North Carolina and Virginia. Flames consumed nineteen of the great houses along the road, including Ashley Hall, and Magnolia. Only Drayton Hall survived. Today, the Fort Bull Confederate Earthworks are hidden behind the tall trees lining the Ashley River Road.
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 Charleston |
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The museum is located on the largest US Army training facility in the country. The fort is named in honor of President Andrew Jackson, a native of SC. The museum's exhibits recount the history of training the American soldier from 1917 when it first opened to present day. Military equipment from past wars is displayed outside the museum. Tours are self-guided.
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 Fort Jackson |
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Documented as the second most important Civil War site in the state, this fort was the locale of a fierce engagement known as the Battle of Secessionville in which a Confederate force of 1,250 defeated 3,500 Union troops on June 16, 1862. This is one of the few land battle sites fought in the state. Brochures and self guided hiking trails can be found at the preserve.
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Charleston |
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The original Palmetto log fort was begun in 1776 and only partially completed when attacked by a squadron of British warships. Col. William Moultrie and his men staved off the assault in the Battle of Sullivan's Island.
The current structure was completed in 1809. Union soldiers abandoned the fort in December 1860 for the stronger Fort Sumter. Following the surrender of Fort Sumter, Confederate forces fortified Moultrie as one of a string of batteries and forts protecting Charleston's harbor. In February 1865, Confederates evacuated the city leaving the fort behind, hidden under a band of sand that protected its walls from federal shells. The interior of the fort has been restored to reflect the story of American seacoast defense through World War II, and a visitor center is located near the fort. The National Park Service administers the fort. School groups admitted free.
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Sullivans Island |
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This site covers the 1562 French settlement known as Charlesfort and the 1566-1587 Spanish village of Santa Elena. Remains of the Spanish forts San Felipe and San Marcos are still visible. Exhibits, a nature overlook and a nature/history trail also are on site.
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 Parris Island |
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This state-of-the-art center is the primary ferry departure facility for visiting Fort Sumter. Located in Liberty Square, the center offers interpretive and visual exhibits on the events leading up to the start of the Civil War with the bombardment of Fort Sumter. National Park Service rangers and volunteers will answer questions and help you achieve a better understanding of the causes of the Civil War, why it began at Fort Sumter and what happened during the war. National Park Passport cancellations are available in the bookstore.
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Charleston |
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