A Walk Through Time: The Guns of Fort Moultrie
Nov 13
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Exploring the Evolution of American Coastal Artillery
The National Park Service at Fort Moultrie offers a unique journey through the evolution of coastal defense in America. By showcasing 20 historical artillery pieces, visitors can witness first-hand how American coastal artillery has developed over two and a half centuries since the nation's founding.
Two of the fort’s guns are replicas, but all the others are original pieces representing different eras of Fort Moultrie’s artillery history. The guns at and around the fort cover a wide range of dates, sizes, compositions, and capabilities. Beginning in the Visitor Center and continuing through Fort Moultrie and Cannon Row, visitors can take this walk through time at their own pace.
Curiously, the oldest and newest artillery pieces in the fort are both British guns. The Visitor Center houses a cast iron, muzzle-loading British 12-pounder dating from the late 17th century. A steel-barreled British Armstrong 4.7-inch rapid-fire breechloader from 1898 sits in Battery Bingham, just below the WWII tower known as the “HECP” or Harbor Entrance Command Post. All of the other displayed guns are American-made.
Note that prior to the Civil War, cannons were identified by the weight of the projectile they fired. A 6-pounder (usually written as 6-pdr) fired a projectile weighing 6 pounds. Around the time of the war, however, American ordnance and artillery personnel began identifying guns by the diameter of the bore. Thus, designations such as 7-inch guns and 11-inch guns became the standard.
Part One: The Visitor Center and the Earliest Cannons at Fort Moultrie
In the Fort Moultrie Visitor Center, visitors will find the following guns, marking the beginnings of Fort Moultrie’s artillery history:
British 12-pounder (1670s): This gun sits just under the large mural inside the front door. It is a cast iron smoothbore weighing just over 3,000 pounds and is 8 feet 11 inches in length. Previously located at the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida, the gun was sent to Fort Moultrie as being more appropriate for what had been an English colony.
Confederate-made 12-pounder "Napoleon" (1863): Exhibited in the theater, this cannon is of a type commonly called a "Napoleon" because the design was based on a French model. Manufactured in 1863, it is 6 feet long, weighs 1,218 pounds, and had an effective range of about a mile.
Part Two: Exploring the Interior of Fort Moultrie – A Journey Through American Coastal Artillery
Once entering the fort itself, visitors should walk through the long entrance tunnel, then turn right and walk past the flagpole to the rectangular mound marking the foundation of the enlisted men's barracks. Sitting on the ground just beyond it is a Model 1819, 24-pounder cast iron gun. Just over 10 feet long, it weighs 5,400 pounds. This gun was long obsolete by the time of the Civil War but remains a significant piece in the evolution of coastal defense. Next, walk up the stairs next to the brick powder magazine with the sloped, tile-covered roof. On the rampart or “terreplein” above the magazine are two cast iron 32-pounders dating from 1830, but of a type that was in service when the fort opened in December 1809. These are 10 feet 4 inches in length and weigh 7,500 pounds. They had an effective range of one mile and were state-of-the-art coastal defense artillery pieces for their day. Although obsolete by the time of the Civil War, these and similar guns continued to be used by the Confederates.
From there, follow the terreplein sidewalk past two historical signs to a larger cannon. This is a 10-inch gun manufactured in 1862 at the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia, and sent to Fort Moultrie as part of the Confederate defenses of Charleston Harbor. It is 10 feet 3 inches long, weighs 13,360 pounds, and could fire a 128-pound ball accurately to about 1.5 miles.
The next gun on display is an 8-inch Columbiad manufactured in 1857. “Columbiad” was a general term used at the time for several types of large artillery pieces. Originally a smoothbore, this gun was rifled by the Confederates and the breech strengthened by the addition of two reinforcing bands. This increased the effective range to just over two miles. The barrel is 10 feet 3 inches long and weighs approximately 9,000 pounds.
Continue around the large earthen mound. Such mounds were placed between guns so that, should a gun be destroyed by enemy fire, the crews at the adjacent guns would remain safe.
You will now see the two largest guns at Fort Moultrie. Known as Rodman guns after their inventor, Thomas J. Rodman, these were brought to the fort in 1872. This type of gun served as America’s primary coastal defense weapon after the Civil War until the 1890s. Each one is 16 feet long and weighs 50,000 pounds. These big cast iron Rodmans were designed to throw a 450-pound solid cannonball some 4.5 miles accurately and were the finest coastal defense artillery pieces of their day. Considered more dependable than many large rifled cannons, they were eventually replaced by steel-barreled, breech-loading rifles of large caliber as the evolution of coastal defense continued.
In the mid-1880s, the army began a modernization project as America's coastal defense capabilities had become outmoded by technological advances in artillery. The War Department organized the “Endicott Board,” headed by Secretary of War William Endicott, to study the problem. By 1890, the solution was being implemented. This involved constructing new concrete batteries to replace the old brick forts. Since the country was usually not at war, the brick forts could still be used for training or storage, so the newer structures were often placed inside the older ones. These new batteries were coated with a mix of tar and linseed oil to waterproof the concrete, hence the black color. One of their primary functions was to protect minefields used to prevent enemy ships from entering Charleston Harbor. By the beginning of World War I, American coastal defense had been modernized and could have effectively defended our shores if necessary.
Battery McCorkle, named for 1st Lt. Henry McCorkle of the 25th U.S. Infantry who was killed at the Battle of El Caney in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, was built in 1901. It mounted two 3-inch rapid-fire guns. Today, a “dummy” gun from 1912, used by soldiers for drill purposes only, is mounted there.
To the left of Battery McCorkle is Battery Bingham, built in 1899 and named for 2nd Lt. Horatio S. Bingham of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry, who was killed in 1866 in action against the Sioux Indians in the Dakota Territory. In one of its gun pits is a British-made 4.7-inch Armstrong gun dating from 1898, which fired a 45-pound projectile to a range of just over six miles. This addition highlights the international aspects of the evolution of coastal defense at Fort Moultrie.
Part Three: Cannon Row – A Showcase of Civil War Artillery
Visitors walking around historic Fort Moultrie often pass Cannon Row on their way to the beach without appreciating the incredible display of Civil War heavy artillery assembled there. In one location, they can examine a large-caliber mortar, smoothbore cannons, and rifled guns used by both sides in the conflict. In all, eight pieces make up the display—five are Union-made, and three were either manufactured or modified by the Confederacy. These cast-iron pieces range in caliber from 8 inches to 13 inches, offering a comprehensive look into Fort Moultrie’s Civil War artillery history.
The first artillery piece in Cannon Row is a 13-inch mortar. These were particularly effective against fortifications because they are designed to fire in a high arc to reach over exterior walls. The shells could be timed to burst in the air or crash into interior structures like wrecking balls. The first shots of the Civil War were fired from Fort Johnson on James Island by 10-inch seacoast mortars aimed at Fort Sumter. The 13-inch mortar seen on Cannon Row is a larger version of the same type.
Moving leftward from the large mortar, you will see two 10-inch Rodmans, smaller versions of the 15-inch Rodmans inside the fort. These guns weigh 15,000 pounds and can throw a 125-pound ball over three miles.
Next comes an unusual piece: a U.S.-made 10-inch smoothbore Columbiad manufactured in 1846 and taken from Fort Sumter early in the war. Damaged in the initial bombardment of Fort Sumter, it was modified by the Confederates by being rifled and the breech banded with wrought iron for additional strength. Around the reinforcing band is another band made of bronze, used to secure the weight-bearing trunnions to the sides of the gun. This 15,000-pound gun would have fired a projectile weighing over 200 pounds to a range of just over three miles.
Next in line is a Confederate-made 10-inch gun that outwardly resembles a Rodman but was manufactured differently and was not as effective as the Union version. Weighing just over 13,000 pounds, this gun dates from 1862.
Following that is an 8-inch (200-pounder) Parrott rifle. This powerful gun, designed by the well-known Robert P. Parrott, weighs 16,500 pounds and could hurl its heavy projectile some 4–5 miles accurately. The breech is reinforced with a wrought iron band.
A 10-inch (300-pounder) Parrott rifle comes next. Over 10,000 pounds heavier than its smaller counterpart, this gun had a similar effective range.
Finally, you will see a truly rare artillery piece. This Confederate-made gun is a 7-inch, triple-banded, Brooke rifle. Designed by Confederate naval officer John Mercer Brooke and weighing 21,300 pounds with an effective range of five miles, this is an example of the best heavy artillery pieces manufactured by the Confederacy. Brooke followed Robert Parrott’s example and used wrought iron bands to reinforce the breech. Only three Brookes of this size were manufactured, one of which is the piece here in Cannon Row. This rare cannon adds significant value to the Cannon at Fort Moultrie collection.
Part Four: The Beach Side of Fort Moultrie – Revolutionary War-era Cannons
Along the sidewalk outside the fort on the beach side is a replica of a Revolutionary War-era British 18-pounder. It is 9 feet 4 inches in length and weighs 4,760 pounds. Several British and French guns were mounted inside the first Fort Moultrie during the June 28, 1776, Battle of Sullivan’s Island, marking a pivotal moment in American coastal artillery history.
Conclusion
Anyone interested in the evolution of coastal defense will be impressed by the span of weapons exhibited at Fort Moultrie. From the earliest cannons to the massive Rodman guns and rare Confederate pieces, the fort provides an immersive experience into Fort Moultrie artillery history and the broader narrative of American coastal artillery.
For additional information on Fort Moultrie’s artillery, please see the National Park Service publication below.
Mike Ryan, "The Historic Guns of Forts Sumter and Moultrie," May 1997
