 n the century after the war,
the area grew up in trees and brush and later became a preferred place
for young boys in the area to play war. Although it was known to be the
site of Fort Branch, there was little interest in any official
recognition.
Early Excavations
In the 1930’s, John Hines, a
local game warden with information from relatives and others who served
in the war, excavated part of the fort.
Following directions from the relatives he located a well and
uncovered a large quantity of ammunition and artifacts including a small
brass cannon. Although he
kept most of the artifacts, some were placed on display at the office of
the Enterprise Publishing Company, publishers of a local newspaper.
Interest Revived
Interest in the fort grew
during the celebration of the Civil War Centennial, 1961-1965.
The advent of inexpensive metal detectors and a good market for
war artifacts converged to cause problems at the fort.
In August, 1971, a group of U.S. Marines (on an unofficial
mission) equipped with rapelling rope, underwater lights, shovels, and a
metal detector uncovered numerous shells and other artifacts.
Photos of their exploits accompanied a feature article in the
camp newspaper.
Treasures
Discovered by the “Outside World”
New attention to the site’s
treasures was bound to bring problems. The following summer a relative
of one of the marines, along with four men from Alabama (including a
professional diver), conducted an underwater search for guns at the same
site. They located three
cannons and some other artifacts, which they raised onto a rented
salvage barge. On a July
morning in 1972, a Hamilton resident informed the Winslows that some men
were pulling cannons from the river.
The Winslows and others knew that they did not want Martin
County’s history taken but, was a law being broken?
They quickly consulted Superior Court Judge Elbert S. Peel, Jr. He determined that North Carolina’s antiquities law was
being violated and District Attorney William Griffin drew the necessary
papers to stop the action. By
the time the salvagers secured the guns on a truck at the landing in
Hamilton, Sheriff Raymond Rawls was there to serve the freshly drawn
papers. The case became a
test for North Carolina’s antiquities law and took two years to
resolve. Officially, the
guns belong to the State of North Carolina with the Department of
Archives and History being the custodian.
Many of the guns and artifacts are now on permanent loan to the Fort
Branch Battlefield Commission and displayed at the site.
Interest
Grows
Several factors converged to
make a successful start at restoring the fort:
the excitement of almost losing what so few were even aware that
we had, the celebration of the Civil War Centennial, and the commitment
of dedicated county residents to begin the fort’s restoration.
The Fort Branch Battlefield Commission was chartered with Dr.
James H. McCallum serving as its first chairman.
A $1,000 grant from the N.C. Confederate Centennial Commission
matched by local donations helped the group begin putting the site in
order.
Fort
Branch Today
The Fort Branch site is privately owned by the
Winslow family. Site maintenance, continuing projects and living history
programs are carried out by the non-profit Fort Branch Battlefield
Commission, Inc. and the 1st NC Volunteers/11th Regiment NC
Troops. The site is recognized by the state of North Carolina as a
regional historic site and is currently the only Martin County point of
interest noted on the official DOT map of the state.
Volunteers continue work to
restore the site to its original appearance. Eight of the twelve
original cannons as well as many other artifacts are on display at the
site. Fort Branch is believed to be the only earthwork fortification in
the South to have its original artillery in place.
The winter headquarters of the 1st
North Carolina Volunteers is located just outside the Fort proper
and is open to the public. Battle re-enactments and living history
programs are held each year in November and attract thousands of
spectators. A special Civil
War Christmas program is held each year, as well.
Donations of time and money are
vital to the goal of restoration. You can help by sending contributions
to the Fort Branch Battlefield Commission, PO Box 355, Hamilton,
NC 27840. Donations
are tax deductible.
To volunteer your time, write
to the same address or email a note to adjutant@fortbranchcivilwarsite.com
Photos
of damage from Hurricane Floyd, October 1999
|
Cannon Recovery
