Cockspur Island is an island in the south channel of the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the Southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and South Carolina. The river flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, ...

near Lazaretto Creek, northwest of Tybee Island,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, United States. Most of the island is within the boundaries of Fort Pulaski National Monument. The island was so named on account of its bent shape. It was originally called Pepper Island and is also called Long Island. Historic buildings on the island include Fort Pulaski (built in 1847) and the Cockspur Island Lighthouse (built in 1837–39), designed by John S. Norris, the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

architect.

History

The founder of

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...

landed at the island on February 6, 1736, and a monument marks the spot where Wesley conducted a service of thanksgiving. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, the Battle of Fort Pulaski was fought on the island, in which the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

captured the fort from the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

on April 11, 1862. Confederate soldiers were imprisoned in the fort. During the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, a coastal artillery battery, Battery Hambright, was built on the island; it was reactivated during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

.The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1. 1863, established that all enslaved people in Conferderate states in rebellion against the Union"shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." But for many enslaved people, emancipation took longer to take effect. There is a photo of enslaved people outside their quarters on a plantation on Cockspur Island, Georgia, circa 1863.

Photos

File:FtPulaskiFront.jpg, Fort Pulaski File:Cockspur Island Lighthouse, Chatham county, GA, US.jpg, Cockspur Island Lighthouse Image:Wesley Monument Cockspur Island.jpg, The monument erected on the island where

first landed in America. Image:OysterBed.jpg, Oyster bed on Cockspur Island File:Immortal Six Hundred memorial, Fort Pulaski, GA, US.jpg, Immortal Six Hundred memorial

References

Protected areas of Chatham County, Georgia Islands of Georgia (U.S. state) History of Methodism in the United States Georgia (U.S. state) Sea Islands Islands of Chatham County, Georgia {{ChathamCountyGA-geo-stub