July 8, 2019 Alan Shirey USACE, Charleston District 69A Hagood Avenue Charleston SC 29403 Re: Archaeological Testing at the Charleston Harbor South Jetty on Morris Island, Charleston County, South Carolina. Dear Mr. Shirey: Enclosed is a digital copy of the revised draft report of Archaeological Testing at the Charleston Harbor South Jetty on Morris Island, Charleston County, South Carolina. Please review the report; we will be happy to address any comments you may have. If you need additional hard copies, please do not hesitate to call. Please let me know if we can be of further assistance. Sincerely, Gwendolyn (Inna) Moore Senior Archaeologist Archaeological Testing at the Charleston Harbor South Jetty on Morris Island Charleston County, South Carolina July 2019 Archaeological Testing at the Charleston Harbor South Jetty on Morris Island Charleston County, South Carolina Revised Draft Report July 2019 Prepared for: U. S. Army Corps of Engineers-Charleston District Charleston, South Carolina Prepared by: David Baluha, RPA Archaeologist/Historian and Inna Moore, GISP, RPA Senior Archaeologist, GIS Specialist Atlanta • Charleston • Fort Collins • Jackson • Nashville • Savannah 1.0 INTRODUCTION The US Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District (USACE), is evaluating possible repairs to the existing south jetty of Charleston Harbor which is located on Morris Island. The terminus of the south jetty is eroding and requires stabilizing. Morris Island is a dynamic barrier island located between Folly Island, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Charleston Harbor in Charleston, South Carolina. Due to its location at the mouth of the Charleston Harbor, Morris Island played a key role in the Civil War providing Confederate troops with unique vantage points from which to defend Charleston. Confederate armies constructed small batteries and rifle pits along the entire shoreline, with Batteries Wagner and Gregg being the two largest fortifications. Both batteries were located near the northern tip of the island and were involved in many skirmishes throughout the war. Due to concerns that the south jetty may be located near Battery Wagner, the USACE requested archaeological testing in the proposed Area of Potential Effect (APE) for the stabilizing activities. The APE is a 90 x 22-meter rectangle around the jetty terminus on Morris Island. In addition to the APE, the USACE requested archaeological testing of an anomaly, possibly a portion of Battery Wagner identified by the USACE on LiDAR imagery. This area of investigation (study area) covers a 45 x 50-meter rectangular directly south of the APE. Figure 1 shows the location of the APE and study area on a 2018 aerial photograph. In April 2019, Brockington and Associates, Inc. (Brockington) conducted archaeological testing of the APE and study area. The testing attempted to: 1. Assess how far the current south jetty extends onto the island; 2. Assess the nature of the soils and the potential for deeply buried archaeological deposits within the proposed south jetty footprint; and 3. Assess the potential for intact, buried archaeological deposits associated with Battery Wagner. All phases of the study were conducted in accordance with the South Carolina Standards and Guidelines for Archaeological Investigations (Council of South Carolina Professional Archaeologists [COSCAPA], the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office [SHPO], and the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology [SCIAA] 2013), the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, and local ordinances and guidelines. A summary of each task follows. 2.0 METHODS OF INVESTIGATION The investigations include limited background research, shoreline analysis, and archaeological field investigations in the APE and the study area. Methods of investigation are summarized below. 2.1 Background Research The Principal Investigator utilized primary and secondary manuscripts and online resources to conduct background research for this project. On April 24, 2019, the Geographic Information System (GIS) specialist consulted the ArchSite program (http://www.scarchsite.org/) to determine if previously identified archaeological sites, previously identified historic architectural resources, and P - 4 historic properties lie in or near the APE and study area Figure 2 shows the locations of the project APE and nearby cultural resources on the United States Geological Survey ([USGS] 1983 Charleston, 1979 Fort Moultrie and James Island, SC quadrangle. The Principal Investigator searched primary materials at three repositories: the Charleston County Register of Mesne Conveyance Office (RMC) in Charleston; the Charleston County Probate Office in Charleston; and the South Carolina Room (SCR) at the Charleston County Public Library in Charleston. Online research was conducted at Accessible-Archives.com (http://www.accessible- archives.com/), Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/), Fold3.com (https://www.fold3.com/), and Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/) as needed. Brockington personnel also consulted secondary resources such as cultural resource management reports and dissertations and theses at Brockington’s office in Mt. Pleasant and at the SCR. Important secondary resources include Nichols’ (2000) examination of the shoreline and cultural resources on Morris Island, Wise’s (1994) discussion of the Civil War military actions around the Charleston Harbor, and cultural resource management reports by Bailey (2003), Poplin et al. (2000), Butler (1992), and TRC (2006). 2.2 Shoreline Analysis The senior GIS specialist at Brockington conducted a simple shoreline analysis of the northern portion of the Morris Island to determine the potential for any portion of Battery Wagner to be in the APE/study area or on any part of present-day Morris Island. GIS data, including historic shorelines (1854 – 2017), was provided by the USACE’s GIS specialist Mikala Randich. These data along with historic maps and nautical charts, previous research, and geological surveys were used in the shoreline analysis. 2.3 Field Investigations On April 30, 2019, Brockington conducted the archaeological testing of the APE and study area. Three tasks were performed during these investigations: archaeological testing (shovel tests and hand auger), metal detection, and GPR survey. Ms. Gwendolyn (Inna) Moore directed all phases of the GPR investigations and David Baluha directed all phases of the archaeological investigations. Field Technicians James Lefebre and Scott Kitchens conducted the metal detector survey, while Chevis Clark conducted the magnetic locator survey. Transportation to and from Morris Island was provided by a licensed captain from Adventure Harbor Tours. Figure 3 shows the locations of the field investigations inside the APE and study area on a current aerial photograph. 2.3.1 Archaeological Testing Prior to the field investigations, a 10-meter interval grid aligned parallel to the south jetty was projected using Geographic Information System (GIS) software across the APE and portions of the study area. The data was uploaded to a sub-meter-accurate, Global Positioning System (GPS), Trimble Pathfinder Pro receiver. In the field, we used the sub-meter accurate GPS to locate the grid. Shovel test locations were marked using pin flags. We excavated the shovel tests with a gas-powered auger or by hand. A total of eight shovel test locations were excavated with the auger. The auger was equipped with a 6-inch bit and an extension capable of reaching 120 centimeters (cm) below surface (bs). All auger tests were P - 5 excavated to 120 cm bs. A total of 27 shovel tests were hand-excavated (see Figure 3). These shovel tests measured approximately 30 cm diameter and extended to an average depth of 80 cm bs. All fill removed from each auger- or hand-excavated shovel test was screened through ¼-inch mesh hardware cloth. No cultural materials were recovered from any of the shovel tests. Information relating to each shovel test also was recorded in field notebooks. This information included the soil color, texture, and stratification of each test. 2.3.2 Metal Detection Brockington conducted a metal detection survey across all accessible areas of the APE and study area. It was not possible to examine areas under rocks or covered in dense vegetation (see Figure 3). Archaeologists used a Minelab CTX 3030 metal detector and Schonstedt Magnetic Locator. All finds were marked and individually numbered using plastic pin flags. Artifacts were identified and photographed in the field and returned to their original location. No artifacts suspected of being unexploded ordnance were investigated. The locations of the metal detector finds were mapped in field books and recorded using a sub-meter-accurate, Global Positioning System (GPS), Trimble Pathfinder Pro receiver. 2.3.3 Geophysical Survey The objective of the geophysical survey was to determine the extent of the existing south jetty and to identify any remnants of Battery Wagner. Tasks performed to accomplish this objective included a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey and GPR analysis. The GPR study covered approximately 3,000 square meters and was limited to all accessible portions of the APE and study area. Methods and results employed for each of these tasks are described below (see Figure 3). GPR Overview GPR is a non-invasive method of exploring the subsurface for archaeological features such as graves (both in prehistoric and in historic cemeteries); privies; and house, palisade,