A group of volunteers including SCV Fort Sumter Camp members, archaeologists and others spent Saturday, March 30, cleaning up Castle Pinckney in Charleston Harbor. Five volunteer boat captains transported the group from the Charleston waterfront to the small island shortly after 9 a.m.

“The SCV Fort Sumter Camp conducts multiple work days at Castle Pinckney between September and May,” said Matthew Locke, a member of the SCV Fort Sumter Camp and Fort Sumter Guardian, who volunteers to protect the site.  “Our camp’s goal is to keep the site clean and to control the growth of plants and grass that quickly covers much of the fort during the year.”

“Happy Easter from Castle Pinckney” shouted volunteers midway through the cleanup on March 30.

Hundreds if Pelicans joined by gulls and other birds flew from the fort’s interior as the volunteers landed on the island and walked to the fort’s entrance. Some of the birds walked along walls of the fort during the day, but most perched on the walls and rocks surrounding the small fort as the volunteers toiled.

Some volunteers used weed cutters, shovels and other tools to clear the thick covering of plants, mostly weeds, that had grown over the structure during the past year. Others used saws and shears to prune dead fonds from about a dozen Palmetto Trees in the fort. A few, wearing gloves, removed weeds by hand.

Boaters cruising by Castle Pinckney saw several flags lowered and raised over the fort during the day. The Flag of Ireland, which has flown over Castle Pinckney since it was raised to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day March 7, was lowered and replaced by the Confederacy’s Second National Flag, called the “Stainless.”

“We flew the Confederacy’s Second National Flag over Castle Pinckney for the day while we worked because we plan to auction off the flag when the SCV National Convention is held in Charleston from July 16 to 21,” Locke said. “We then replaced the Irish Flag with the Ukrainian Flag at the end of the day to show our support for the people of Ukraine as we did when we flew the Israeli Flag for the people of Israel earlier this year.”

Volunteers completed their work and left by boat shortly after 2 p.m. As Castle Pinckney fell silent once again, the displaced Pelicans, gulls and other birds quickly returned to their posts within the historic fort’s walls.

Before, During and After Photos …