Plotagraph: Sun Setting on Fort Moultrie

Sullivans Island and Charleston harbor are so peaceful it's hard to imagine the first shot of the Civil War was fired here when a shell fired from a 10-inch mortar burst just 100 feet above Fort Sumter, seen on the left of the horizon in this photograph.

The fort in the foreground is Fort Moultrie and the bridge in the background is the beautiful Ravenal Bridge.

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 2 drone with a GoPro Hero3+ Black and then converted to a Plotagraph. 

Outhouse with a View

Charleston's Fort Moultrie sits right on the beach, just outside of Charleston Harbor. I'm not sure what this little building, perched along the edge of the beach, was used for. It was probably a pillbox for observers or the entry to a supply tunnel.  I could Google it but I prefer to think it was a brick outhouse with a million dollar view. 

This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300. 

Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter

Congratulations to the Patriots after a hard-fought Super Bowl battle. This fort, on Sullivan's' Island, is named after a real American Patriot, General William Moultrie. As a 46-year-old colonel in 1776, Moultrie and his men fought off British forces intent on capturing Charleston. The British fled and didn't return to South Carolina until 1780. Moultrie later became Governor of South Carolina.

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.

Civil War Surveillance

If they had satellites or drones during the Civil War, the view above Fort Moultrie probably would not have been too different — at least from an architectural perspective. Missing from this photograph are the hundreds of troops and cannons who previously occupied the fort. 

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone. 

Fort Sumter Tours

We spent an afternoon boating around Charleston Harbor this summer and had a great time. Charleston will always be intertwined with the ocean so seeing it from the water just seems natural. This boat takes tours from the docks next to the South Carolina Aquarium to Fort Sumter and back. Pictured in the background is Castle Pinckney. Some day, I hope to get inside Castle Pinckney for a little photo tour. Its history is almost as fascinating as Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie, located just on the other side of the harbor. 

This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.

Ghosts of the Past

The old walls of Fort Sumter have been beaten by the wind and sea for over a century and they show it. But when the sun sets in front of the fort, they light up as if the fort is coming back to life, along with all of the stories that are buried inside. 

This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.

Alone

The Civil War started when a shot exploded above that little fortified island in the middle of this photograph. That island is Fort Sumter. You can see Charleston in the background and James Island to the left. 

Fort Sumter is a neat place to visit (you can only arrive by boat) but from a distance, once everybody has gone home for the day, it always strikes me as incredibly lonely. Especially on a stormy night like this. If any place in the world is haunted, Fort Sumter must make the top 10 list.  

This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7.

Fort Sumter Intel

The bombardment and subsequent surrender of Fort Sumter marked the start of the American Civil War. It's hard to imagine this peaceful place was home to the beginning of one of the darkest chapters in our history.

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone. 

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Fort Sumter I

Located in Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter is one of the most important and well-known forts in American history. Only accessible by boat, visiting is like taking a step back through time. I took off across the channel near Fort Moultrie on Sullivans Island and covered the mile or so by air, zipping past all of the boats entering the harbor. It's not quite the same as stepping foot on the hallowed ground that is Fort Sumter but I gained a different perspective and was able to do the round trip in 15 minutes, rather than the usual half-day boat excursion.

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.