Documenting the American South

Doc South header logo Home
Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
Commemorative Landscapes banner

Source: Fort Ocracoke Monument, Ocracoke

  • Monument Name

    Fort Ocracoke Monument, Ocracoke

  • Type

    War Memorial

  • Subjects

    Civil War

  • City

    Ocracoke

  • County

    Hyde

  • Description

    Large black granite monument commemorating Fort Ocracoke and the Confederate soldiers who fought there.

  • Inscription

    “THE REMNANTS OF FORT OCRACOKE ARE SUBMERGED IN OCRACOKE INLET, 2 MILES TO THE WEST-SOUTHWEST, TOWARDS 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 CO. IN AUGUST, 1998, ACTING ON A TIP FROM OCRACOKE CHARTER BOAT CAPTAIN, DONALD AUSTIN”

    Back: “IN MEMORY OF VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR FROM OCRACOKE & PORTSMOUTH ISLANDS

    On left: OCRACOKE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS of the 17th, 19th, 32nd & 33rd NC INF & Other Units / Holloway Ballance / William Redding Ballance / William B. Bragg / Fabius Fenilton Dailey / Isaac Littleton Farrow / Wilson Tilmon Farrow, Jr. / Josephus Fulcher, Jr. / Benjamin Joseph Garrish, Sr. / Robert W. Gaskill, Sr. / William B. Gaskill / George Jansen Gaskins / Robert C. Gaskins / Alonzo Howard / James Hatton Howard / Robert Howard / Thomas G. Howard / * George W. Jackson / Henderson Francis Jackson / James G. Jackson / Benjamin F. O’Neal / Christopher Thomas O’Neal, III / Christopher Thomas O’Neal, Jr. / Francis W. O’Neal / Tilmon W. O’Neal, Sr. / Simon H. O’Neal / John C.(R) Simpson / William Joseph Simpson / Andrew Somers Spencer, Sr. / Elijah Styron / Dallas Wahab / James Howard Wahab, Sr. / George W. Williams / Tilmond Farrow Williams / * George W. Jackson / John F. O’Neal / Alpheus W. Simpson / Note: * - different people

  • Dedication Date

    July 9, 2000

  • Decade

    2000s

  • Geographic Coordinates

    35.106180 , -75.968590

  • Supporting Sources

      No related materials.

  • Public Site

    Yes

  • Materials & Techniques

    Black Granite

  • Subject Notes

    This marker commemorates Fort Ocracoke, the remnants of which are submerged in the Ocracoke Inlet. Fort Ocracoke was built by volunteers beginning on May 20, 1861, the day North Carolina seceded from the Union to join the Confederacy. One side of the marker lists the men from Ocracoke and Portsmouth islands who served in the Civil War. The other side of the marker describes the importance of Fort Ocracoke.

  • Orientation

    The monument is located on a grassy patch behind the National Park Service Visitor Center next to the boat ramp.

Know anything else about this monument that isn't mentioned here? If you have additional information on this or any other monument in our collection fill out the form at the Contact Us link in the footer. Thank you.