Evening journal., 1899-09-29
CASTLE PINcKNEY
FAMOUS LANDMARK IN CHARLES
TON HARBOR TO BE DEMOL.

| iON hANDOfN ~ DE- OEhOA<-
ISHED.
Columbus. S. c.. Sept. 2s-South
ICarolinians will have no objection to
loid Castle Pinckney, situated on a spot
of land at the mouth of the Cooper
river, Charleston harbor, being demol-
ished and the site occupied by a buoy
depot for the Sixth lighthouse district.
But the courtesy of Secretary Root in
a communication on the subject to Gov
ernor Mcsweeney is generally appreci-
ated
The secretary explains that the old
fort, the property Of the government,
was transferred to the Treasury De-
lpartment by the War Department in
ISIS, to be returned to the War De-
lpartment when called for, and that the
secretaryof hetreasury asks for the site
of the fort to build a supply depot for
lighthouses. Major Ruffner, Of the en-
gineers, also urged the request on the
secretary of war, saying;
"The Castle itself is practically a
wreck and useless for further purposes
of defense"
In considering the subject" writes
Secretary Root to the governor, 1T has
occurred to me that possibly by reason
of historical associations the demoli-
ton Of the Castle as proposed might be
viewed with some disfavor by the peo-
pie Of your state and I, therefore, write
to inquire whether in your judgment
the demolition proposed and use Of the
material, as desired by the lighthouse
board, would be in harmony with the
general sentiment Of your people"
While a little over ZOE years old, Cas-
tie Pinckney has been overshadowed by
more historic and more effective forts
in the harbor-Sumter and Moultrie-
in the hearts Of the people. Yet it is
not generally known that while the
first hostile gun of the civil war was
fired on Major Anderson in Sumter, the
first act of hostility was enacted at
castle Pinckney. and there the first
United States soldier, Lieutenant r. X.
Meade, was told to surrender. This
was on December 27, 1860, the day it
was discovered by Governor Pickens
that Major Anderson had moved his
garrison by night from Fort Moultrie
to the more defensible Fort Sumter
u On Major Anderson refusing to rec
ognize the authority Of the governor
when asked through Colonel Pettigrew
to return to Moultrie, the governor or
dered that the other forts be seized.
Colonel Pettigrew, with the Washing
ton Light Infantry, Carolina Light In
lfantry and the Meagher Guards, pro-
ceeded to take possession Of Castle
Pinckney. There was small garrison
of United States soldiers in the fort
and the gates were closed and barred.
A party of Carolina militia, headed by
Colonel Pettigrew, scaled the walls
with ladders brought for the purpose.
AS he stepped on the parapet, Colonel
Pettigrew was met by Lieutenant
Meade and stated to him that he had
been commanded to take charge Of the
fort in the name of the state. Lieu
tenant Meade replied that he did not
recognize the authority of the state
government to take possession Of the
work. He refused to give his parole,
as he did not consider himself a pris-
oner Of war. Subsequently he was per-
mitted to leave the fort and join Ma
jor Anderson in Fort Sumter.
Castle Pinckney at that time had
twenty-five cannon mounted on the
= parapet
The fort was built OF brick and was
named in honor of General Charles
? yICotesworth Pinclzney, of Charleston,
who few years later, when sent as
ambassador to France, where the
5 French directory refused to receive
= him, gave utterance to the famous pa
t-iotic declaration, Millions for de-
|, fense, but not a cent for tribute" Cen
eral Pincl1ney declined from President
Washington the posts of secretary of
war and secretary Of state.
. AS the architecture resembles the
> castles Of the feudal days, the fort was
e designated Castle" The massive
foundation and walls are still standing,
/ but are no defense against modern
g guns. Some of the bricks in the walls
were brought from England. It is pro-
! posed to level the walls down to a uni
form height Of ten feet, fill in the fort
e and on this erect depot to cost $685.
t 600.