The Star Fort

The Star Fort (HM78Z)

Location: Ninety Six, SC 29666 Greenwood County
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Country: United States of America
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N 34° 8.753', W 82° 1.107'

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Inscription
On assuming command of Ninety Six in 1780, Lieutenant Colonel Cruger set out to fortify the town in the event of a Patriot attack. The Star Fort was the center of his defense and today offers a rare view of original British military field fortifications from the 1700s. It is one of the best-preserved Revolutionary War earthworks in the nation. Imagine the high walls, now eroded, steep outer ditch, and protruding fraises, or sharpened stakes, driven into the ramparts (walls of the fort), that rose before the Patriots huddled in the trenches.

The eight-pointed fort was erected by slaves, who struggled along with British soldiers to fashion it from the heavy red soil. To out eyes, the interior hardly seems adequate space for 200 Loyalists — and their artillery — trapped here during the weeks of the 1781 siege. In the hot South Carolina spring, with limited provisions and difficult access to water, the Loyalists withing must have questioned their survival. Notice the ridge in the center. It is a traverse, of fallback provision, in case the Patriots breached the walls.

The ingenious design of the Star Fort permitted soldiers to fire from its many angles. Attackers from any direction were immediately caught in the crossfire. This defense proved fatal to many of the Forlorn Hope during Greene's final assault in June 18.
Details
HM NumberHM78Z
Tags
Year Placed2009
Placed ByNational Park Service
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 at 12:52pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 406107 N 3778799
Decimal Degrees34.14588333, -82.01845000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 34° 8.753', W 82° 1.107'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds34° 8' 45.18" N, 82° 1' 6.42" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)864
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 14701-14799 Star Fort, Ninety Six SC 29666, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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Nearby Markersshow on map
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Second Approach Trench
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Second Parallel
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Ninety Six
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