Wilmington NC & The Cape Fear Basin

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March 20th 2012

Published: March 23rd 2012

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Peace And Quiet

Carolina Beach State Park - Carolina Beach NC

Most of the drive on US 17 from Charleston SC to Wilmington NC was inland from the coast, again due to the swampy nature of the low country. The first leg of the drive was through the Francis Marion National Forest. I had considered camping at the Buck Hall Campground but had decided against so because of the distance to Charleston. I’m sure glad I did – it was about a 45 minute drive. Georgetown SC was an interesting-looking town, and the area around nearby Myrtle Beach was enticing. That area will go on my list for the future. Carolina Beach State Park, my destination, lies on a peninsula about 15 miles south of downtown Wilmington. It’s much more designed for tent camping than RVs in that there are no electric or water hook-ups – nothing the trusty generator couldn’t handle. I had been told by one of the private campground owners when I was making my reservations that all the campgrounds for fifty miles around were full because of a nuclear power plant overhaul. Knowing of the two-week stay limit in government campgrounds, I pulled my ace and played it. I was just glad the state park was here for

Old Waterfront Warehouse

Wilmington Railroad Museum - Wilmington NC

me to use.

Wilmington, 25 miles from the mouth of the Cape Fear River, was a major shipping port in the 1800s, and shipping remains a significant part of the city’s economy today. The Wilmington Visitors Bureau and the Wilmington Railroad Museum share an old warehouse building on the riverfront in the historic district. The outside display at the railroad museum is limited and only has a steam locomotive with tender, a box car with a hobo diorama and a caboose. Inside, however, is the best model train layout I have seen in my travels. Wilmington is home to a very active model railroad club and, on April 23, 2011,set the Guinness World Record for the longest model train. It measured 925’ 6” and was made up of 31 locomotives and 1,563 cars. The HO scale train would have been 15.27 miles long in the real world. One of the club members told me the greatest logistical obstacle was to get all of the locomotives, which were placed intermittently throughout the length of the train, to operate at the same speed. Congratulations and a toot of the whistle to the club – which is also responsible for the incredible

Notice The Wrought Iron Fence

Historic District - Wilmington NC

layout.

I next hopped on the trolley for a tour and an overview of the historic district and to get some background on the history of Wilmington. The trolley is nice and the tour was informative; however, the narration was of the monotone, memorized variety instead of the interactive, impromptu kind I have experienced on other tours. After getting my historical bearings, I set off on foot to more closely admire the beautiful architecture of this city. As far as the quality of historic buildings is concerned, Wilmington ranks right there with Savannah GA and Charleston SC. The riverfront is opposite businesses (mostly restaurants with patio seating) and the plaza is great. FYI: For all-day parking, there is an economical surface lot right next to the city parking deck on the riverfront.

Thursday I set out for the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport. Knowing that Southport, a.k.a. Smithville before 1886, was across the Cape Fear Inlet from Carolina Beach, I was expecting to turn left from the state park. (Informational) Irene told me to turn right. I decided to see what she had in store for me, so I turned right. Nearing the end of the peninsula,

Catching A Free Ride

Fort Fisher to Southport Ferry NC

Irene says, “Board ferry in one-half mile.” I had seen the signs so I wasn’t surprised by the existence of the ferry, but I was surprised that Irene knew of it. As the ferry was preparing to dock, Irene says, “Leave ferry.” Pretty sharp gal, she is!

North Carolina has several maritime museums and aquaria along the coast. One of each is in the south Wilmington area. Let’s go see! The themes of this museum are the early lighthouses of Cape Fear, the era of ironclads, the maritime history of Wilmington and Southport and; of course, pirates. One display gives a brief synopsis of four area historical lighthouses - Oak Island (open Memorial Day to Labor Day), Bald Head (accessible only by boat), Price’s Creek (now abandoned and on private property) and Frying Pan Shoals (no longer exists). No stairs to climb this week.

Growing up, I never really thought too much about the pirate lifestyle or culture. Much of what I read makes sense – the pirate’s biggest weapon was his reputation of savagery and ruthlessness which not only intimidated his victims but kept a boisterous crew in line. Pirates would rather conquer without a fight to

Rifles - Claimed By The Sea

North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport NC

save precious gunpowder, trained crew members and an already outfitted ship. Surely, pirates didn’t want to sink the prey but to disable it, save the booty would sink with the ship. Booty consisted of much more than gold and jewels but the commodities necessary for the colonists to survive – agricultural implements, gunpowder and slaves. Pirate ships were generally small so they could maneuver into shallow inlets where naval ships could not pursue. I’m sure I’ll learn more about pirates when I reach the other maritime museums along the way. The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport is definitely worth the drive from Wilmington. The museum is small but very well done.

I walked from the museum down to the beckoning waterfront (about a block) and strolled along until I found a local who directed me to the waterfront Yacht Basin Eatery where I had a fantastic crab cake sandwich for lunch. After walking off lunch in this picturesque village, I opted for the road less travelled to take me back to Wilmington. What a great choice. I saw a sign commanding that the truck turn in the direction of the Brunswick Town Site/Ft. Anderson State Historic Site. This

Waterfront Park From The End Of The Pier

Southport NC

unplanned detour is exactly what the great adventure is all about. I was aware of this attraction, but, had put it on the “C” list because the description indicated it is primarily of archeological interest. Old foundations from the town and mounds from the fort are not exactly my cup of coffee, but I’m here, why not. I knew there was a visitor center, but the museum exceeded my expectations.

Brunswick was a major pre-Revolutionary port on the Cape Fear River that was razed by British troops in 1776 and never rebuilt. During the Civil War, Fort Anderson was constructed along the Cape Fear River atop the old village site and served as part of the Confederate defense of Wilmington. A spectacular glass mosaic mural welcomes visitors. It was completed by Wilmington artist Claude Howell in 1967 and depicts the September 4, 1748 Spanish attack on Brunswick. Additionally, a cannon is on display that all evidence indicates is from the Spanish ship Fortuna which was sunk during the 1748 engagement. Other artifacts from the colonial and Civil War eras are well displayed.

One particularly interesting artifact is a Confederate flag that had flown over Fort Anderson.

Changed President Lincoln's Fate?

Brunswick Town Site-Ft. Anderson State Historic Site - Winnabow NC

When the Federals entered the fort on Feb 19, 1865; an Indiana soldier found the rolled up flag lying on the ground as though it might have fallen off a wagon during the Rebels’ hasty exit. Four weeks later, in Washington D.C., the flag was presented to the Governor of Indiana by the Federal forces commander. President Lincoln had been scheduled to attend a stage performance at a hospital that day but altered his plans so he could attend the ceremony and show the Governor his appreciation for the loyal support of Indiana during the War. Ironically, John Wilkes Booth was planning to kidnap the President at the hospital performance. With the President’s change of plans, Booth changed his plans for Lincoln as well.

Outside, things are much as I had imagined, except that the site is a beautiful park in its own rite. The only above ground structural remnant is the old St. Philips Church which is, indeed, interesting. Several foundations from the Brunswick town site have been excavated and have placards indicating their origins. The state historic site does not merit a long detour but is definitely worth an hour or two of your time if you’re

Loyalist Approach To The Bridge

Moores Creek National Battlefield - Currie NC

already nearby. Even if it’s raining, the visitor center is worth seeing.

On Friday, my drive to the Moores Creek National (Revolutionary War) Battlefield in Currie NC, about 20 miles northwest of Wilmington, was under overcast skies. The quick, decisive Battle of Moores Creek Bridge took place in the early morning hours of February 27, 1776. According to my in-costume, NPS ranger/tour guide, North Carolinians in the mid-1700s were about equally split between loyalists (to the crown), patriots (to the colonies) and those with no preference. Sounds like today’s politic! Even so, the political and economic issues with Great Britain that had led to the skirmishes at Concord and Lexington almost a year earlier had raised tensions even higher in North Carolina. The Royal Governor had fled to the safety of a British warship in July 1775 and was making plans to re-take North Carolina. The plan dictated that loyalist troops would assemble at Cross Creek (Fayetteville today), advance along the Cape Fear River to the coast, reunite with the Royal Navy and re-establish British control over the colony.

In August and September 1775, the patriots had raised units of minutemen and militia to respond to the loyalists.

Across The Bridge And Approaching The Gauntlet

Moores Creek National Battlefield - Currie NC

Patriot leaders knew that a combined loyalist force of army and navy would be difficult to defeat so it was imperative they stop the push to the coast by the loyalist army. They also knew that the only way to get to the Cape Fear River from Cross Creek was to traverse Moores Creek from the west. Patriot forces constructed earthworks for protection and established a small decoy encampment on the west side of the creek. When loyalist forces neared the bridge, a messenger was sent to give the patriots an ultimatum and, of course, to survey patriot strength. The messenger reported the force was small and had its means of retreat blocked by the creek. The small patriot force then withdrew to the east side of the creek to join the main force – only after leaving evidence of a hasty departure and sabotaging the bridge by removing the deck planking and coating the girders with grease.

When the loyalist force reached the bogus encampment, the commander thought he had the patriot force outnumbered and on the run and, just before dawn, directed his troops to storm the bridge in pursuit. As the lead elements reached about 30

A Patriot Turkey Shoot

Moores Creek National Battlefield - Currie NC

paces from the earthwork, the patriots opened fire with muskets and two cannon. Loyalists who had crossed Moores Creek tried to get back and those who had not yet crossed retreated. Over 30 loyalists were killed and over 40 were wounded with one patriot killed and one wounded. By some accounts, the battle lasted only three minutes but its implications were enormous. Only speculation can address the possible fate of the revolution if British army and naval forces had been allowed to unite.

The Moores Creek National Battlefield is the first Revolutionary War battlefield I have visited so it’s hard to compare. All that remained of the actual earthworks were small, eroded ridges which told historians where to reconstruct the earthworks, but nobody is sure of the height of the original structures. The movie and displays in the visitor center are superb and the signage along the walkway paints a vivid picture of the events of the day. The NPS ranger gave a great presentation in spite of his cold and allergies, the marginal weather and a small (one person) tour group. The site also hosts two extremely unique memorials – one is to the loyalist forces who gave

Recovered Artifacts

Fort Fisher State Historic Site - Kure Beach NC

their lives for the Crown and who “were heroes who did their duty as they saw it” and the other is “to the honored memory of the heroic women of the lower Cape Fear during the American Revolution.”

As recently as Friday, the weather forecast for Saturday was 50% scattered thundershowers so I planned two indoor activities. Naturally, it was a beautiful morning so I headed for the Fort Fisher State Historic Site - the only remaining outdoor activity I had on the “A list.” At the outset of the Civil War, the South was almost completely agrarian and lacked much capacity to manufacture farm implements, transportation items, household goods or the materials of war. The order by President Lincoln to blockade southern ports resulted in the construction of several Confederate forts to keep Union ships at bay and to give the blockade runners an opportunity to succeed. One of these forts was Fort Fisher.

Fort Fisher, located on Federal Point (yes, the name was changed for a few years in the mid-1800s) where the Cape Fear River empties into the Atlantic Ocean, became one of the largest and most important earthwork fortifications in the South. Wilmington, about

Artillery Emplacement And Powder Magazine

Fort Fisher State Historic Site - Kure Beach NC

20 miles north of Federal Point, was seen by many as the most important southern port to keep open because there was a railroad that could take supplies from Wilmington directly to the Virginia battleground of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Union forces made two attacks on Fort Fisher. The first attack, December 24-27, 1864, was repelled; but the second, January 13-16, succeeded. The Gibraltar of the South had fallen, and the blockade was enforced. Without beans or bullets, war could no longer be waged. Some three months later, the Civil War was over.

Today, most of the earthen mounds on the Atlantic side of Fort Fisher have been eroded by the ocean and by hurricanes; however a half dozen or so former artillery batteries remain. Those remnants along with a video, brochures and a guided tour make for easy visualization of the fort in its day. The visitor center is nice and has numerous artifacts that have been excavated from the site. BUT… The Fort Fisher visitor center is not as impressive as the visitor center at Brunswick Town Site/Ft. Anderson; HOWEVER, the visualization of the fort in its day is easier at Fort Fisher. If you have the

Should Have Named Him/Her Whitey!

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher - Kure Beach NC

time, visit both. If not, Fort Fisher is close to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (see below); whereas, Brunswick Town Site/Ft. Anderson is closer to the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport. That might help you decide.

My next stop (about ½ mile further down the road) was the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. It’s been quite some time since I have been to an aquarium - fish hatcheries, yes; aquaria, no. This facility is probably small compared to the Smithsonian or Shedd Aquarium in Chicago but what a little jewel. Speaking of jewels, the centerpiece of this facility has to be (drum roll, please) the albino alligator. It is in the Cape Fear Basin section of the building (main entrance) along with numerous fresh water aquatic specimens and a few snakes found locally. Other areas hold a wide variety of salt water fish and invertebrates – including a huge lobster. Several species of jellyfish are displayed along with sea horses, various kinds of crabs, rays, eels, and turtles. This is a great change of pace from history, and the albino alligator is worth the price of admission. It’s definitely a “must see” in my opinion.

A Glowing Personality

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher - Kure Beach NC

Sunday was a “threatening to rain” kind of day, so I worked on the blog and photos. Monday, I headed for the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science and the Cape Fear Serpentarium. Both were closed. Alas, winter hours strike again. Next time, I’ll check the hours of operation more closely. Since both are in the historic district, I took the “I’m already here” opportunity to drive some of the side streets and check out more of the beautiful houses. Wilmington is a great little city. I hope to return during the “in” season to visit the two aforementioned, the lighthouses I missed on this trip and, perhaps, the EUE/Screen Gems Studio. Allegedly, only Los Angeles and New York surpass Wilmington in movie production. I think I know why!

Additional photos below

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