From the Sept. 17, 2012 Maritime Executive "USC Archaeologists Complete Survey of Charleston Harbor Civil War Naval Battlefield."
Charleston's blockade was in the shape of an arc stretching from Dewee's Inlet by the north end of the Isle of Palms (then called Long Island) down to Stono Inlet, south of Folly Beach, considered Charleston's backdoor if one went up the Stono River.
Between the two inlets were five channels, north to south: Maffitt's, North, Swash, Main Ship and Lanford.
Fortified points included: closest to the city Castle Pinckney and a sand island turned into Fort Ripley; in the mouth was Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie on Sullivans Island and farther out Battery Marshall to the north of the Isle of Palms and Battery Wagner on Morris Island, now under water.
Throughout the harbor, there was a variety of obstructions including framed torpedoes and mine fields.
Shipwrecks discovered from the period include the First Stone Fleet which was sunk to block the Main Ship Channel and Maffitt's Channel, the two most-favored by blockade-runners.
More to Come. --Old B-Runner
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