Fort Watson

The current site of Fort Watson is the former Native American burial hill known as the Santee Hill Mount, located in the Santee National Wildlife Refuge near the Wrights Bluff Nature Trailhead. While there is no trace of the former British garrison, the significance of the site and the brief siege allows students and visitors to understand how vital the several outposts were to the British maintaining control over the Santee River Valley north of Charleston. It also tells the story of a siege tower, something we often associate with ancient warfare, as an effective tool of warfare in modern times. With Fort Watson being the first of these garrisons to fall in 1781, we now have a clear picture of the American movements to single-handedly remove these threats, many of which were carried out by the teamwork of Francis Marion and Henry Lee. Today, there are historical signs detailing the battle and the use of siege towers in the American Revolution.