News Release

National Park Service awards $1.8 million to protect Revolutionary War and Civil War battlefields

This 1865 map depicts the Fort Johnson portion of the defenses of Charleston, South Carolina, land that is being preserved with the help of this grant.

Library of Congress

News Release Date: September 7, 2023

Contact: [e-mail]

WASHINGTON – The National Park Service (NPS) awarded $1,850,777 in Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants through the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) today to protect 3.3 acres, including two battlefields in South Carolina.

State and local governments spearhead the projects funded by ABPP grants to protect significant battlefield landscapes that are vital to the shared history of their communities and the nation. The Land and Water Conservation Fund, which reinvests revenue from offshore oil and natural gas leasing to help strengthen conservation and recreation opportunities across the nation, makes these awards possible.

“We are pleased to help these local governments and their preservation partners to protect the irreplaceable historic and cultural landscapes in their communities through local stewardship,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams.

On April 12, 1861, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard ordered that a mortar from Fort Johnson would fire a shell over Fort Sumter off the Charleston Harbor coast as the predetermined signal for all batteries to open fire. Exploding harmlessly in the air, the flash and rumble of this solitary shell began the bombardment of Union held Fort Sumter. In the hours after midnight on April 13, U.S. Major Robert Anderson and his men strike their colors and prepare to leave Fort Sumter. The bombardment of Fort Sumter was the opening engagement of the American Civil War.

This property and the site of Fort Johnson also has ties to the American Revolutionary War. In September of 1775, William Moultrie, commander of the 2nd South Carolina Regiment, was ordered to seize Fort Johnson. The capture of Fort Johnson was the first time that the blue and white crescent “Liberty Flag” was raised over a property previously controlled by the crown and is one reason the Liberty Flag was used as the basis for the South Carolina State flag in 1861.

Today’s awards are to:

• James Island Township ($1,772,130.00) for preservation of 1.58 acres at Charleston Harbor Battlefield in Charleston County, South Carolina.

• Kershaw County ($78,647.37) for the reservation of 1.72 acres at Hobkirk’s Hill Battlefield in Kershaw County, South Carolina.

The NPS ABPP’s Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants empower preservation partners nationwide to acquire and preserve threatened battlefields on American soil. In addition, the program administers three other grant programs: Preservation Planning, Battlefield Interpretation and Battlefield Restoration Grants. Financial and technical assistance support sustainable, community-driven stewardship of natural and historic resources at the state, Tribal and local levels.

Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants are available on a rolling basis. To learn more about how to apply, head to NPS ABPP’s website. For questions about NPS ABPP’s grants, contact the program at e-mail us.

www.nps.gov
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 425 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.