Fort Johnston (North Carolina) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fort Johnston
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | Moore Street Southport, North Carolina |
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| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001327 |
| Added to NRHP | 7 June 1974 |
Fort Johnston was an important fort in Brunswick County, North Carolina. It was first built by the British, then used by the United States Army. The fort is located on the west bank of the Cape Fear River, about four miles from where the river meets the ocean.
Contents
Building the Fort: Colonial Times
Before Fort Johnston, British towns along the Carolina coast had no strong defenses. This made them easy targets for pirates and Spanish attackers. To fix this, Governor Gabriel Johnston decided in 1744 to build a fort. He chose a spot near the mouth of the Cape Fear River.
France declared war on Britain in 1744, making the need for a fort even greater. South Carolina even lent ten small cannons for the new fort. In April 1745, North Carolina's government approved building "Johnston's Fort." Construction finally began in spring 1748.
Spanish Attacks and Fort Construction
In summer 1748, two Spanish pirate ships tried to capture enslaved people working on the fort. They found no one there. So, they sailed upriver and attacked Brunswick, North Carolina. They looted the town and took people hostage for two days.
Local fighters pushed the raiders back to their ships. But the Spanish kept firing cannons at the town for a third day. Finally, one pirate ship exploded by accident and sank. The rest of the Spanish ships then left the area.
Governor Johnston said the fort was finished in April 1749. But work on this first fort in North Carolina continued into the 1750s. The fort had a small group of soldiers. It was used to protect the coast and as a place to check ships for diseases.
Fort Johnston During the American Revolution
On April 24, 1775, American patriots attacked the home of Josiah Martin. He was the British royal governor of North Carolina. Governor Martin then moved his family to New York. He set up his headquarters at Fort Johnston on June 2, 1775.
Patriots Take Control
Governor Martin tried to arm enslaved people against the patriots. When patriots found out, John Ashe led a group to attack Fort Johnston in July 1775. Governor Martin and his supporters quickly removed most military supplies. They also took the cannons off their mounts.
Martin and his group then fled onto a British warship called Cruiser. It was waiting in the Cape Fear River. American patriots took control of Fort Johnston. They burned and destroyed it, including the commander's home. Governor Martin then gathered loyal British supporters from his ship.
British Plans and Battles
In winter 1775-1776, the British army sent many soldiers to the Cape Fear area. They hoped to get loyal colonists to fight for Governor Martin. But Colonel James Moore defeated a larger group of Scottish Highlanders. This happened at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge on February 27, 1776. After this, the British gave up their plan.
The British navy still controlled parts of the region for a few more years. In 1778, North Carolina's government set aside money to rebuild Fort Johnston. Captain Robert Ellis was put in charge of the fort.
When British Major James Henry Craig arrived on January 25, 1781, Captain Ellis left Fort Johnston. Major Craig likely destroyed the fort again. He wanted to create a supply base for General Charles Cornwallis. General Cornwallis later surrendered to American General George Washington in October 1781. American troops then moved towards Wilmington. British Major Craig withdrew from the area.
Fort Johnston After the Revolution
After the American Revolutionary War, there was peace. Fort Johnston slowly fell apart. The town of Smithville, which later became Southport, North Carolina, grew up around the fort.
Rebuilding Efforts
In March 1794, Congress set aside money to build defenses for sixteen important ports. This was because war was happening in Europe. North Carolina quickly gave the land for the fort to the U.S. government.
Reconstruction of Fort Johnston began in July 1794. But work moved very slowly for many years. Major Joseph Gardner Swift visited the fort in 1810. He described it as "dilapidated," meaning it was in bad shape.
The fort likely had a seawall, a place for cannons, and buildings for soldiers. It also had a gunpowder storage building and a bakery. The U.S. Army built new homes for officers around 1810.
War of 1812 and Beyond
In spring 1812, a new group called the "Sea Fencibles" was formed. These were river pilots who agreed to serve on land and sea. Governor William Hawkins sent four groups of local soldiers to Fort Johnston. This was to strengthen defenses during the War of 1812. Many locals worried the fort wasn't strong enough. But the British did not attack the area during the war.
After the War of 1812, Fort Johnston sometimes had only one soldier in charge. The Army even left it completely at times to send soldiers elsewhere. In the 1820s, the fort's doctor started recording weather observations.
The fort's soldiers left to fight in the Second Seminole War in 1836. Fort Caswell, a new fort two miles away, was finished in 1838. This made Fort Johnston less important. The Fort Johnston soldiers left again to fight in the Mexican–American War in 1846.
Soldiers at Fort Johnston got along well with the people of Smithville. This made it a good place to be stationed. In January 1861, people from Wilmington asked Governor John Willis Ellis to let them take Fort Johnston from the Union. But he said no.
Fort Johnston During the American Civil War
Local rebels did not wait for North Carolina to leave the Union. They demanded that the only soldier at Fort Johnston surrender on January 8, 1861. The Union soldier knew he couldn't fight alone. He gave in and told his leaders in Washington.
But Governor Ellis made the rebels leave the fort. He returned it to Union control. After Fort Sumter fell in South Carolina, Governor Ellis ordered the fort to be taken again. The Union soldier in charge surrendered it once more. North Carolina left the Union on May 20, 1861. It joined the Confederate States of America.
Confederate Stronghold
Early in the American Civil War, Fort Johnston became a place for Confederate soldiers to join and train. It also stored and gave out many military supplies. The Confederacy greatly improved the defenses of the area. This included Fort Johnston, Fort Caswell, and Fort Fisher. Hundreds of enslaved people and Native Americans were forced to work on these huge construction projects.
The Confederacy relied on "blockade runners" to get supplies. These ships tried to sneak past the Union Navy. The Cape Fear River was perfect for this. It had two entrances and dangerous sandbars that Union ships didn't know about. Fort Johnston helped organize these runs and protected Confederate ships.
The first Confederate ship to break the Union blockade arrived in Wilmington in December 1861. Trade through Wilmington grew in 1862. This was especially true after the Union Navy closed Charleston, South Carolina. About one ship a day successfully ran the blockade in 1863 and 1864. The fort protected the river with weapons and supplies from other countries. These supplies were then sent by train to Richmond, Virginia. They were vital for Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his army.
Renaming the Fort
In late 1862, the Confederacy renamed Fort Johnston as Fort Branch. This honored Confederate General Lawrence O'Bryan Branch, who died in battle. In 1863, it was renamed again as Fort Pender. This honored Confederate Major General William Dorsey Pender, who died from battle wounds.
The Fall of the Fort
In late 1864, President Abraham Lincoln wanted to stop the Confederacy's supply line. He planned to end the blockade running from the Cape Fear River. On December 24, 1864, Union warships began attacking nearby Fort Fisher. Union forces captured Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865.
Brigadier General Louis Jagger Hébert then commanded Fort Pender. Facing thousands of Union troops, the Confederate soldiers in the area left for Wilmington. Union forces took Fort Pender without a fight on January 17-18, 1865.
Union Naval Lieutenant William B. Cushing led the first Union soldiers into Smithville (Southport). He took 44 sick or wounded Confederate soldiers as prisoners. He met with citizens and demanded they surrender all private weapons. He then raised the Flag of the United States. Union troops used Fort Pender as a base. They then advanced against Fort Anderson (North Carolina) and into Wilmington. Wilmington fell on February 22, 1865. The Confederacy surrendered in spring 1865. The fort's name went back to Fort Johnston.
Fort Johnston After the Civil War
After the American Civil War, the U.S. Army generally reduced the number of forts and soldiers. But Fort Johnston continued to have soldiers during the Reconstruction period. In December 1880, the Army moved the soldiers from Fort Johnston to Washington, D.C. On February 21, 1881, the government officially ended Fort Johnston's role in coastal defense.
Later Uses
In June 1881, the Signal Corps (United States Army) took over the fort. Later, the facility was used by the Weather Bureau, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the Surveying Corps.
The United Service Organizations used the fort during World War II. In the early 1950s, Fort Johnston housed officers from an air rescue unit.
Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point opened in 1955 and used Fort Johnston. From the 1950s, the fort had homes for military families and one single soldier. The commanding officer's family usually lived in the main building.
Fort Johnston was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Brunswick County, North Carolina on June 7, 1974.
Fort Johnston Today
After 2004, the Army said Fort Johnston was no longer needed. They stopped using it. The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport opened on the land where the fort once stood.
