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Morris Island, South Carolina
July 18 - September 7, 1863
Morris Island, located outside Charleston Harbor
just a few hundred yards from Fort Sumter, was the
scene of some of the most brutal fighting during the
siege of Charleston. It was here that the charge of
the famed African-American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts,
occurred. The event was immortalized in the 1990 film,
Glory.
Current Status: More than a century of beach
erosion has dramatically changed the contours of Morris
Island. Many of the earthworks built by the armies
that fought on the island have gradually succumbed
to the sea. However, key elements of Fort Wagner and
the Union batteries arrayed against Charleston remain
to tell the story of the dramatic events that occurred
on the island. Sadly, plans are moving forward to
develop the most historically sensitive part of the
island. Last year, a Greenville, S.C. developer applied
for a permit to build 20 luxury houses on the island
- ten times the density allowed under current zoning.
The developer recently put the island up for sale
on eBay with a price tag of $12.5 million.
Morris Island is classified as a Priority IV, Class
B battlefield.
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