Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-08-11
OLD CHARLES FORT
Ruins Are Still Visible Near Town OF
Beaufort.
BUILT BY JEAN RIBAULT In 1862
Marks Spot on Which Huguenots
Landed-South Carolina Should Set
= MennnriaI 70 Marx Snot

Courier.
Around Port Royal, s.. c., centers
more early American history than OBJ
tains in any other section Of the Unit
ed States. The great powers Of France
and Spain and England were from
time to time, for. something over 200
years, contending between themselves
for this amazingly fair land. Those
were days full of. blood and bitterness.
Spain, noted at that time above all
other nations for her cruelties, did
some OF her most atrocious work on
what is known as st. Helena Island and
if the three or four old forts now In
ruins and situated in the section or
Port Royal, S. c., all evidences OF
these ancient times, were only in
Massachusetts, every one OF them
would today be famous through wide
publicity and every one would be as
much or more Of a national shrine than
those shrines visited so largely each
year at Concord, Lexington and Ply
mouth. AS a fact, our national his
torians practically make no mention of
these old landings and these old wars
down in Beaufort land.
Spanish Land in 1920. ns
To get true perspective Of these old
historic DAYS at Port Royal let me cite
the following: In 1907 the English ef-
fected a settlement in Virginia; in 1908
the French settled in Canada; In 1865
the Spaniards laid foundation in st.
Augustine, Fla, in 1920 the English
landed in Plymouth. Now as important
chronologically as were these above
landings, there were three landings In
tho Port Royal section that antedated
all OF the above. In 1920 Spanish ex-
pedition-that of Yalasqez de Ayllon--
landed on st. Helena Island and named
it and claimed it for Spain. These
Spanish were the first white men to
land on these Atlantic shores and 1t
all happened some fifty years before
the French put in there. In 1898
another Spanish expedition Of 600 men
also landed on st. Helena Island. The
Spanish did not colonize on St Hell
ena. They acted simply as slave
drivers, attempting to carry back
American Indians to Spain-the In
dians, however, dying in transit But
since they made the first landings Spain
claimed this section as her own and for
200 years bloody wars were fought
over these lands
These Spanish reports about st.
Helena reached France and in 1852 O.
French Huguenot Protestant party sail
ed from France in two ships, Jean RI
bault being in command. 1t was so
notable body of mobiles and gentle-
men that a French historian said OF
them: "They had the means to achieve
some notable thing and worthy or
eternal memory" On May 27, 1862, we
find, that Ribault anchored in ten
fathoms Of water off what is known
today as Paris Island, just few
miles from Port Royal.
What hibauIt Saw.
Let me quote here a charming pas
sage from William J. Rivers "Harly
History of South Carolina" a book
printed in 1856:
Here on the 9th Of May, 1852, ne
cast anchor in a depth of ten fathoms
of water, at the opening Of spacious
bay, which from cape to cape was three
leagues wide and formed the entrance
to a noble river. The name of Port
Royal was given to this river on ac-
count Of it's size and beautiful scenery
around It, The harbor he esteemed
one of the best and fairest in the world
and it was said that the largest ships
of France, yes, the argosies of Venice
could enter in there.
Having moored his vessels, Ribauit
and his soldiers went on shore and.
were equally delighted with the state
ly palms, the wide spreading live oaks
and fragrant shrubs While they walk
ed though the forest fiocks of wild tur-
key flew above their heads, and around
they beheld partridges and stays ana
lHldSllltu liIeAL lilCS SA'S
divers other sorts Of beasts unknown.
On return to the ships they cast their
nets in the bay and caught fishes In
numbers so wonderful that two
draughts of the net supplied enough
for days food for the crews of both
ships"
Builds Charles Fort.
Ribault explored the surrounding
country and discovered what is known
as Broad river and Port Royal river
and he thoroughly explored Paris Is
land, now used as large marine sta
ton by the government. In the name
of his king, Ribault took possession OF
this remarkable country. He went
back to France to report his great dis
covery, but first he built a fort on
Paris Island on Pilot creek, large
creek leading into Port Royal river.
This fort was called Charles fort. Re-
mains Of it are in evidence today He
left in this fort a garrison Of twenty
six men. Not returning quickly on