Fort Moultrie is 'Our Liberty Bell'

SULLIVAN'S ISLAND -- Ten soldiers from different periods in American history fired their weapons into the raw wind blowing Saturday morning through Fort Moultrie's storied ramparts, a fitting salute for the 200th birthday of one of the nation's most historical fortifications.

"This is our Statue of Liberty, our Liberty Bell," said Greg Deese, who was dressed in a Civil War-era uniform and is president of The Tramp Brigade, a South Carolina historical interpretation group. "This is a genesis point for South Carolina; it's where our symbols come from, our flag comes from."

Saturday marked the 200th year of what some call Fort Moultrie III, the third incarnation of the fort.

The first Fort Moultrie was the site of the first major Patriot victory of the American Revolution after its spongy palmetto logs withstood a British bombardment. The second fort was destroyed by a hurricane in 1804. The third one was finished Dec. 19, 1809.

"This is a treasure for the nation because it's so well preserved," said Pete Berezuk, an ex-Marine dressed in a 1840s-period uniform. "Those are the same walls that were there 200 years ago."

Fort Moultrie might best be known for its roles in the American Revolution and Civil War, but its thick walls bore witness to many other important periods of our country's history.

Berezuk said that in the 1840s, the 3rd U.S. Artillery regiment was garrisoned at the fort after fighting the Seminoles, which he described as an insurgency with parallels to Vietnam and Afghanistan. After "a break" at Fort Moultrie, the regiment was dispatched to fight in the Mexican-American War. After the Civil War, the federal government installed massive cannons, which eventually became obsolete in the 20th Century. "Fort Moultrie is one of the best examples of coastal artillery and its role," Berezuk said.

Deese added that history too often is viewed as a form of decorative wallpaper. "We have so much around here that we take it for granted, but sometimes you have to remind people that yes, these things really happened right here."