Hilton Head
June 6, 2011
As we sailed past the resort on Hilton Head the other day, it occurred to me that this must have been a contested place over the centuries. Port Royal Sound is a natural place to occupy and defend due to the geography. It was known to be occupied 10,000 years ago by some avid golfers and surfers who piled their trash in a huge ring of shells. Only twenty such rings are known today. Methinks it must have been the first tee box. Europeans found it a bit later in 1521 but did not bring their clubs so they really did not appreciate it. Then in 1663, Captain William Hilton found and named the place after making sure he could live within the deed restrictions, of which there were many. The place was the site of a major Revolutionary War battle and one really huge Civil War battle.
Port Royal Sound had forts guarding the entrance in 1861. It was the jewel of the Confederate Navy bases with forts Walker and Beauregard on the north and south of the entrance. The Feds saw fit to dispatch a huge force and take it away from the Rebs, which they did. But it was not easy. The battle in November 1861 saw an example of brother versus brother. General Thomas Drayton commanded the earthwork fort on Hilton Head Island. His brother, Captain Percival Drayton commanded the Union gunboat Pocahontas. The family plantation was nearby and both vowed to win. They both survived. A link to the narrative is: http://www.glswrk-auction.com/contest-9.htm.
Today, we sail for Charleston, a city that could easily be a second home for us. We have taken enough time getting this far north that the steamy weather has caught up with us. That makes it about right. We look forward to spending a few more days there before moving beyond our northernmost port of call so far in our cruise. We won’t let the city anchor capture us the way it did last year. We first saw Charleston on July 19, 2010 and did not leave that place until December 2, 2010. How’s that for not finding a reason to leave?