In Southern Waters: Archaeological Manifestations of the War of 1812 along the seacoast of South Carolina

Summary

The War of 1812 along the South Carolina seacoast consisted of British Royal Navy attacks on American shipping plying coastal waters, plundering sea island plantations, and blockading the port cities of Georgetown, Charleston, and Beaufort. In an effort to protect American commerce and coastal populations from British depredations, United States naval forces patrolled coastal and offshore waters and engaged the enemy in ship-to-ship actions and in small boat skirmishes. As a result of these naval activities, a number of warships and merchant vessels were wrecked or destroyed in state waters. These shipwrecks include HMS Colibri and USS Ferret both victims of storms, the US Revenue Cutter Gallatin sunk by an on-board explosion, and a number of American merchant vessels ransacked and burned by the Royal Navy. This paper will present preliminary historical and archaeological research to document War of 1812 shipwrecks resting in the coastal waters of South Carolina.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014   •
• Case Studies in Maritime Archaeology

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-5,04