Fort Mitchel is one of the four military forts on Hilton Head Island from the height of the Civil War.
Fort Mitchel is a classic example of a seacoast earth-works gun battery of the Civil War era. Before constructing the fort, all trees in the area were removed. The earthen walls were built atop palmetto logs, readily available and long known for their resistance to splintering when hit by exploding shells. The cannon were mounted on wooden platforms and surrounded by sandbags, forming embrasures through which they could be fired.
At Fort Mitchel there were at least five and possibly six cannon: three pointed downstream toward the present Byrnes Crossing; one pointed directly across Skull Creek toward Pinckney Island; and two pointed toward Port Royal Sound. The design of the fortification is a half-moon shape
called a lunette. It was open at the rear.
Fort Mitchel is located off of Skull Creek Drive, adjacent to the waterfront and a handful of resort communities. A gate pass is required to access the Hilton Head Plantation community where Fort Mitchel is located, but can be easily picked up on site at the small entrance guard station, free of charge. Visitors will want to park at a relatively expansive parking area that is shared with the former neighboring and aptly named Old Fort Pub.
