Once a formidable coastal defense, Battery Capron now exists only in memory. It was part of the Harbor Defense of Charleston. Today, this area is a community park. Locals call it “the mound”.
Let’s journey back to the late 19th century. Imagine rising tensions between the United States and Spain. The U.S. feared increasing European naval power. President Grover Cleveland initiated the “Endicott System” in 1885. This led to the construction of seven artillery batteries on Sullivan’s Island. Battery Capron was the first of these batteries. It housed sixteen twelve-inch coastal mortars.
Construction began in 1896. The battery was completed and transferred to Fort Moultrie on June 28, 1898. This was during the Spanish-American War. Battery Capron was originally named for Captain Allyn K. Capron. He died in Cuba during that conflict. Later, it was divided into two sections. One part was renamed for Colonel Pierce Butler. He died in the Mexican War of 1847.
Battery Capron’s construction involved significant engineering feats. Period photographs show a narrow-gauge railway. It transported fill sand. This created the distinctive hill-like appearance. That’s how it earned the local nickname “the mound.” The battery consisted of four mortar pits. Each pit contained four massive twelve-inch mortars.
Originally, Battery Capron had sixteen 12-inch M1886 mortars. They were mounted on M1891 mortar carriages. The battery was divided into four mortar pits. Each pit had four mortars. After reconfigurations and mortar replacements, Battery Capron changed. After World War I, it had two mortar pits. Each pit had two M1890MI mortars. These were mounted on M1896MI mortar carriages.
The U.S. entry into World War I had consequences. Large caliber coastal defense gun tubes were removed for service in Europe. Many mortars were sent to arsenals. They were modified and mounted on mobile carriages. Most removed gun tubes never made it to Europe. They remained at the arsenals until needed. None of the mortars at Battery Capron were involved in this redistribution.
However, all mortars and carriages were caught in the 1920 Disarmament Program. They were ordered scrapped on May 26, 1920. Four newer mortars arrived to replace the salvaged eight. They were placed in the two front emplacements of each pit. The two rear emplacements in each pit were filled with sand. They were capped with six inches of concrete. This reduction improved efficiency. It reduced manpower without significantly reducing the rate of fire.
Battery Capron remained an active part of Charleston’s harbor defenses until 1942. It was deactivated, and its guns were removed. This was part of the evolving strategies of World War II. All four remaining mortars and carriages were ordered salvaged on December 6, 1942.
Interestingly, the battery found a new purpose after the war. During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, it served as a potential fallout shelter. This shows how military installations can be repurposed. Today, Battery Capron is destroyed. Only “the mound” remains as a testament to its existence. It serves as a reminder of the coastal defense. Battery Capron played a crucial role in Charleston’s history.