Vol. 4, Issue 2
2014
The Brunswick Belle
The Official Newsletter of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site
The Spanish are Coming!
The Spanish are Coming!
The 266th Anniversary of the Spanish
Attack on Brunswick
What names come to mind when you think “pirates”?
Blackbeard? Stede Bonnett? What about Vincent Lopez
and Joseph Leon Muños? Probably not — but they
were actual pirates who terrorized the lower Cape Fear
in September of 1748.
Join us at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State
Historic Site on Saturday, September 6 from 10am4pm, and relive the harrowing attack on the town of
Brunswick. At 11:00am and 2:00pm the two sides will
gather to reenact the Spanish raid and militia counterattack. Visitors will have the opportunity to step back in
time and stroll through period campsites with costumed
interpreters who will portray both the local militia and
the Spanish privateers.
For more information contact
event coordinator Shannon
Walker at (910) 371-6613 or
email
[email protected]
Manager’s Note
On June 3, 1725, Maurice Moore was granted 1500 acres and his brother Roger was granted
640 adjoining acres. This was the beginning of the town of Brunswick and Orton Plantation.
These brothers came from Goose Creek, SC. The town and plantation that they developed in the
18th century are still alive today as two prominent historic properties in the Lower Cape Fear.
As you know, Maurice’s town is a state historic site with about 119 acres, Brunswick Town/
Fort Anderson. Orton had grown to 12, 000 acres since the 18th century and just recently Roger
Moore’s blood line descendent, Mr. Louis Moore Bacon, bought 8500 and of that acreage. Mr.
Bacon’s family has long resided in Wilmington and Raleigh, North Carolina. His grandfather,
Louis Toomer Moore, was a local pioneer in Wilmington. Mr. Moore contributed greatly in the
1920’s and 30’s to industry and tourism. In the 1940’s to the 1960’s he continued with research,
promotion and protection of the historical integrity and natural beauty of Wilmington.
Mr. Bacon is carrying on the legacy of his grandfather by doing the same at Orton. After
purchasing Orton in 2010 big changes began to occur, all positive. He hired historic building
architects, landscape architects, wildlife experts and foresters to come and bring back the
historical integrity of Orton. Major work has been taking place on the 18th century rice fields as
well as the thousands of acreage of woodlands. For his land conservation accomplishments that
spanned more than two decades, including the restoring of Long Leaf Pine at Orton (they were
almost completely destroyed) Mr. Bacon was honored by the NFWF (National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation).
Yes it looks very different, especially to someone like me that has been here 30 years, but I
embrace all that he has accomplished and know that sometimes it looks like things are being
destroyed when in fact they are being rebuilt. Even though the grounds may never publically
open again, Orton has already been used as an educational tool for land conservators and
foresters. Mr. Bacon’s foresight is a great example of how to protect and preserve North
Carolina’s precious early history. I look forward in watching future development at our
neighboring historic site.
A New Interpretation for the Spanish Attack
By Jim McKee
For several years BTFA staff have been keeping a watch on the waterfront, specifically the two
colonial wharves on the central part of the waterfront. The northern-most wharf has been designated Roger Moore’s Wharf due to its location on property owned by Roger Moore and deeded
to George Moore. The southern wharf is designated William Dry’s Wharf due to its location on
property owned by William Dry II and III.
The current focus is on Dry’s Wharf since it is the most exposed and is releasing the most artifacts. According to accounts found in the Boston Gazette (Oct. 18, 1748) and Maryland Gazette
(Nov. 23, 1748):
“The Spaniards were on Mr. Dry’s Wharf, about 80 or more packing Beef, &c.
very secure and negligent, which Schenking Moore and the Negroes observing,
having crept pretty close, the Negroes partly forced him to fire: they began the
attack with less than 20 men, and did considerable execution; the Spaniards returned their fire in great confusion….”
Based on this description and the archaeological record; we are able to come up with an interpretation of the minutes before and after the militia began their attack.
Nov. 23, 1748 account of the militia counterattack at Brunswick
Dry’s Wharf was twenty feet wide and at least 160 feet long. With eighty Spaniards packed on
it with supplies it had to be a crowded place. When the militia opened fire there almost had to
be some sort of panic that ensued, and as a result a number of men probably fell off the wharf
into the shallow water. The artifact pattern gives us the clues as to what happened: Parts of at
least five shoes, a kitted wool cap, a leather apron, part of a coat with button holes, and a coat
facing with sewn button holes and almost maroon in color have been recovered in an area about
a small area within six feet of the southern side of the wharf.
The water at that portion of the wharf would have been shallow, waist to neck deep. Anyone
falling in would have sunk into the spilt tar and mud on the bottom and thus losing their shoes
in the muck. When they reached the surface and began to swim, the weight of their coats would
have weighted them down and they would have shed them where they would have sunk into the
muck to be partially preserved. The same would go for the apron. The knitted cap probably was
in a pocket because it was found neatly folded up.
The Queen Anne’s Revenge
By Brenda Bryant
Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge has sailed to Brunswick Town, not really!!!
The QAR traveling exhibit came in August and is here until September 13th. The exhibit has
traveled around the Division of Historic Sites for almost two years. The QAR Project began in
1996 after the ship was located in Beaufort Inlet. So far over 400,000 artifacts have been
recovered, some on display and some still in conservation. The traveling exhibit has four cases
of artifacts, four displays of text, two interactive stations, two pirates and DVD. Billy Ray
Morris, QAR Project Director, will revisit Brunswick Town on August 30th with two more
presentations about the project.
Opening Day on August 2nd was a huge hit—with over 500 visitors in attendance!
Educational Programming at
Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson
State Historic Site
Looking for a way to enhance your
students’ educational experience? The staff
at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson will be
more than happy to provide you with a
customized program focusing on 18th
century, Civil War, or archaeology at
absolutely NO COST. We will even come
to your school!
For more information contact Shannon
Walker at [email protected] or
(910) 371-6613.
Mark Your Calendars for Colonial
Day!
One of site’s most memorable events returns
this fall. Join us on November 1 for
Colonial Day at Brunswick. Living
historians, dressed in 18th century attire, will
demonstrate what life was once like in this
early port town on the lower Cape Fear.
This free public event will be held from 10
a.m. until 4 p.m.
Visitors will have the opportunity to try
their hand at the militia drill with the Fort
Dobbs Garrison, visit with the colonial dentist, take a turn in the stocks and pillory, dip
their own beeswax candle, and much, much
more! We can’t wait, and we hope to see
you here!
The Tale of the CSS Raleigh
By Jim Mckee
The Battle of Hampton Roads was a lesson to Confederate Naval authorities which showed the
advantages and limitations of ironclad warfare. The result of the engagement created a new
ironclad design that would become the first attempt to standardize construction in other parts of
the South. These new ships would be members of the RICHMOND-class, and six would be
completed.
North Carolina and Raleigh were constructed at Wilmington shipyards located across the river
from each other. They were built by the same design, and their resources should have been
similar but their abilities and qualities were markedly different. Both were laid down during
Spring 1862, North Carolina at Beery & Brothers on Eagles Island while Raleigh was constructed at J.L. Cassidy & Sons at the foot of Church St. in Wilmington. There is evidence that
Raleigh may have been launched January or February 1863, but she was not completed until
April 1864.
Her completion was delayed due to outbreaks of yellow fever and measles during the summer
of 1863 and there were wage strikes at various times. During these times as few as 30 laborers
may have been at work. Another problem was the fact that 2-3 other ironclads were under construction at the same time and all were competing for material.
The Raleigh obtained new direct-acting horizontal type engines, designed by James Bullock in
Sept. 1862 from Richmond. The first attempt for engines was to take the engine from the
wrecked blockade runner Modern Greece but that failed. It is known that the boilers were made
in Richmond [and only parts of the engines were recovered]. They were direct-acting horizontal
type, described by James Bullock in Sept. 1862. This was the good luck for the Raleigh. During
her May 6, 1864 deployment out New Inlet to engage the Federal fleet she was observed to be
making 6-7 knots. Unfortunately she could not keep up with the federal vessels and they were
able to stand out of range of her guns.
Raleigh was commissioned in early April and by April 20th she was anchored in the river near
North Carolina at Fort Anderson. For nearly two weeks her gun crews drilled and work was
done to try and lighten the ship in preparation for her attack on the Federal blockade fleet. Time
does allow to go into detail about Raleigh’s foray out of New Inlet May 6-7, 1864, but suffice
to say other than her fine handling and the temporary scattering of the Federal blockading fleet,
she accomplished very little. Her return to the river was timed to coincide with high tide. As she
entered New Inlet, Fort Fisher honored her with a nine-gun salute. Not long after this the Raleigh came to a sudden halt when she grounded on the rip just inside the river: Raleigh had
grounded amidships at high tide. The crew spent the next six hours trying to remove as much
weight as they could, but to no accord, as the tide fell she began to hog and finally she broke in
two.
A conjecture of the CSS Raleigh as she appeared in May of 1864.
Her casemate was supposedly painted dark blue.
From The Friends of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson
By Paul Shivers, President
Hello All!
As of July, I’ve taken on the role of President of the Board of the Friends of Brunswick Town/
Fort Anderson and it is a role I take humbly. For those that don’t know me, I’m a licensed Professional Engineer working for Highfill Infastructure Engineering, PC. Highfill is a water resources engineering consulting firm in Wilmington, NC. In my spare time I am an amateur military historian who developed a passion for military history when my Grandfather took me on
my first walk through the Chickamauga Battlefield in north Georgia. It’s this interesting combination of engineering and military history that has led me to my current role.
I’ve also been led to my current role due to my passion for Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson. I
truly believe this is the best State Historic Site in North Carolina because it offers the public
multiple time periods that have many layers. Whether someone has an interest in the colonial
time period, the American Revolution or the American Civil War, there is plenty hear to peak
some interest in all who visit.
As President of the Board, I would like to let you know some of the Board’s current and projected projects. We are striving, and nearing the final steps, to complete the 32-pdr gun emplacement on the southern battery. We will continue to offer quarterly behind the scenes tours
to give the Friends a first glance at some of the new discoveries being made regarding the design and construction of Fort Anderson. The Board is continuing to support the site staff in
many ways and we are always looking for new ways to enhance the experience of all visitors,
young and old. And as President, I will continue to strive to find new and exciting ways to show
off what I consider the best Historic Site in North Carolina.
Paul (left), pictured with historians Ed Bearss (right), and Dr. Chris E. Fonvielle (center)
exploring the western works of Fort Anderson.
A Friends Members Only Opportunity!
By Paul Shivers, President
With help from multiple people, including site staff, private property owners and my friend
Dave Edwards, who is licensed professional surveyor, we have nearly completed a modern detailed topographical survey of all of Fort Anderson. And it is this survey, along with the study
of fortification design as it was taught at West Point during the middle of the 19th century that
led to some very interesting discoveries with regard to the design and construction of Fort
Anderson. Some questions we feel have been answered. Why were there traverses in an infantry
line where we know there was no artillery? Why were the large curtain walls built between the
southern and northern batteries near the river?
These are a few of the questions that have been answered and were presented in the first two
quarterly behind the scenes tours given exclusively to Friends members. But there are many
more questions to be answered. Unfortunately, we do not have the original design drawings.
But as I’ve indicated to those on the previous tours, every shovel full of sand had a purpose.
And I have been focused on trying to determine the purpose for all of the features of the fortification that you may have seen, but never really noticed.
So if you have an interest in learning something new about Fort Anderson, or are interested in
looking at Fort Anderson from a different perspective, don’t miss the next two quarterly behind
the scenes tours. The next tour will be A Wall of Ship Destroying Guns – The Northern River
Battery on Saturday August 30, 2014 (10am and 2pm). In this tour we will discuss some of the
distinctive features of the northern battery including the reason for the layout, the differences
between the northern and southern battery, and how it was constructed.
The final behind the scenes tour of 2014 will be The Wall That Stings – The Whitworth Battery
on Saturday 11/15/14 (10am and 2pm). In this tour we’ll discuss the features of this wall including the original purpose and the modified purpose. We’ll discuss the traverses and how they
may not have been constructed in the typical fashion.
Don’t miss out on these exciting new discoveries and information. Come join us for these
remaining tours. But if you can’t make the remaining tours this year, keep an eye out for a
quarterly fortification tours next year where we will continue to share all that we have learned
from the new survey and study of 19th century military engineering.
These special tours are one of the many exclusive perks of becoming a Friend of
Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson, and are only available to current members.
Join the Friends today!
Friends of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson, Inc.
Membership Form
Name:
____________________________________________________________________________
Address:
____________________________________________________________________________
City: __________________________ State: _________________ Zip: __________________
Preferred Telephone: __________________________________________________________
Email: ______________________________________________________________________
Membership Levels
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Student $10
Benefactor $50 to $99
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Individual $25
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Family $40
Patriot $100 to $499
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Citizen $500 and above
All members receive a membership card, the Brunswick Belle newsletter, and a 10 % discount in the Gift Shop.
Membership levels of $40.00 or more will receive a free copy of Stanley South’s
Archaeology At Colonial Brunswick.
Memberships are good for one year. Please make your tax deductible donation to:
The Friends of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson
8884 St. Philips Rd. SE
Winnabow, NC 28479
Volunteer Opportunities at BT/FA!
Have a love of working in the outdoors, history,
and beautiful waterfront settings? We are in need
of able bodied individuals to assist with site
clean-up and maintenance. We are especially in
need of volunteers to assist with mowing and
grooming our site grounds.
If you are interested, please contact Shannon
Walker at [email protected] or (910)
371-6613.
Brunswick Town/Ft. Anderson is a State Historic Site
under the NC Department of Cultural Resources,
Division of Archives and History. Admission to the
site is free. The site covers two distinct periods of
history, colonial and Civil War. The ruins of colonial
Brunswick , founded in 1726, are all that remains of
what was once the Official Port of Entry of the Cape
Fear and county seat of New Hanover, and later
Brunswick County. The impressive earthworks of
Fort Anderson, built in 1862 as part of the Cape Fear
River Defense System, are testament to the presence
of the Civil War in the Cape Fear Region. Visitors
can take a self-guided tour of the grounds, watch a
brief film about the site’s history, explore the diverse
artifacts recovered on site in our museum, and
browse our gift shop. Group tours and programs are
available by reservation.
Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson
State Historic Site
8884 St. Philips Rd. SE
Winnabow, NC 28479
(910) 371-6613
9:00am-5:00pm
Tuesday - Saturday
Site Staff
Brenda Bryant, Site Manager
Jim McKee, Historic Interpreter
Shannon Walker, Historic Interpreter
Kent Snyder, Maintenance
Chris Jackson, Site Assistant
Marvin Johnson, Part-Time Staff
The Spanish Attack on Brunswick
September 6, 2014
10:00 am—4:00 pm
Colonial Day at Brunswick
November 1, 2014
10:00 am— 4:00 pm
An 18th Century Christmas
December 14, 2014
1:00 pm—5:30 pm
Last Stand on the Cape Fear:
The 150th Anniversary of the Fall of Fort
Anderson
February 14 & 15, 2015