Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Fort Ocracoke

A marker commemorating Beacon Island and Fort Ocracoke, a Civil War fort in Ocracoke Inlet, is located near the NPS Visitors Center, not far from Pamlico Sound.
















The marker reads:

"The remnants of Fort Ocracoke are submerged in Ocracoke Inlet, 2 miles to the west-southwest. toward Portsmouth Island. The last of possibly four forts on Beacon Island, the mostly earthen Fort Ocracoke was constructed by mainland confederate volunteers, beginning on may 20, 1861, the day North Carolina seceded from the union and joined the confederacy.

"After union victories on Hatteras Island in August, 1861, the confederates partly destroyed the fort and abandoned it without a fight. Mainland union forces completed the destruction in September, 1861. Beacon Island was consumed by the waters of Ocracoke Inlet in the first half of the 20th century. The fort's remains were discovered and identified by members of Surface Interval Diving in August, 1998, acting on a tip from Ocracoke charter boat captain, Donald Austin."

On the other side of the marker are lists veterans from Ocracoke & Portsmouth who served in the Confederate and the Union armies. 
















Our most recent Ocracoke Newsletter is a compilation of humorous stories told by or about islanders. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092113.htm

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:37 AM

    interesting, thank GOD the Union won, ya'll

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  2. Anonymous1:46 PM

    is the government shutdown having an effect on the island? I figured the NPS visitor center would be closed but wasn't sure about anything else. Thought about the bathrooms up the island at beach access but wasn't sure. Nay news would be greatly appreciated.

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    Replies
    1. I will be posting links with information about this on tomorrow's blog....but here they are now:

      http://www.ocracokecurrent.com/73441

      http://www.ocracokecurrent.com/73432

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    2. Anonymous3:07 PM

      Thanks for the info. Is this something they will be actively enforcing? We are coming on the 12th and are just trying to plan accordingly.

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    3. This is just a guess -- as long as you don't take down signs, cut chains, drive your vehicle on the beach, or destroy property, the one or two rangers still working will probably not do anything but ask you to obey the rule and leave the beach...that is, if they are even patrolling the beach regularly. Again, this is just a guess. I don't know what is being actively enforced.

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  3. Anonymous3:06 PM

    READ THE ISLANDFREEPRESS.ORG IT HAS INFO ON WHAT'S BEING EFFECTED AND EHATS CLOSED

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