Santee National Wildlife Refuge
This land...
inhabited by Native Americans.
This site, once occupied by Native Americans, was a major ceremonial
center for the surrounding area. The Santee Indian mound is typical of
pyramidal, flat-topped mounds that are widely distributed throughout
the eastern United States. The mound served as an earthern
platform for a temple constructed of upright posts and woven sticks,
then plastered with mud. Roofs were thatched with straw.
The temples were usually the central features of ceremonial centers
that may have included smaller but similar mounds with secondary
temples or mortuary houses and round burial mounds. Historical
documents and archaeological investigations indicate that these
ceremonial centers often served as major religious and political centers,
with villages and farmsteads spreading many miles from the center.
Through archeological digs, evidence indicates that the mound was
also used for burials.
Archaeologists suspect construction of this ceremonial center on the
Santee River was begun sometime between 1200 AD and 1400 AD, and
that it represents the eastern extension of the mound building culture.
The importance of this ceremonial center is greater than just one site.
The mound complex, the largest ceremonial center yet discovered on
the coastal plain, represents a hub of late prehistoric activity in the area.
Through research here and at other sites, we may be able to one day
outline the features of an entire culture.
[ Included 2 - 16th Century John White Native American Drawings]
(Center Text)
...outpost for the British.
Fort Watson was a small British outpost strategically located near the
Santee River and the overland roads connecting the coast to the interior
of the state. The location provided protection for British supply routes
from Charleston to their fortifications at Camden. Built on top of the
Indian mound, the fort was constructed by British Colonel John W.T.
Watson and occupied between December, 1780 and April, 1781.
The American General Francis Marion, [ Picture included] the famous
"Swamp Fox, and Colonel "Light Horse" Harry Lee were directed to
"occupy all the passes of the rivers" and take control of the British
supply lines. The American patriots arrived at Fort Watson on April 15, 1781,
and immediately cut off the fort from in-coming supplies. The British,
caught off guard, had more than one hundred twenty men trapped in the
small fort without provisions.
With neither the Americans nor the British having artillery power, the
battle was a stalemate for several days. Frustrated at attempts to force
the ememy to surrender, Major Hezekiah Maham of Marion's forces
suggested a log tower to be constructed from which riflemen could
fire down into the fort and force British soldiers to abandon their positions.
Construction of "Maham's Tower" was begun on April 21 and
completed in two days. At this point in the battle the fort was
vulnerable to the concentrated attack by the Americans at any time.
With their defenses breached and on the verge of being stormed by the
enemy, the British Garrison Commander, Lieutenant James McKay,
surrendered on the afternoon of April 23, ending the eight day siege.
[Included picture: Harry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee]
Even though the action at Fort Watson lasted only eight days, it was
however, an important American victory. The loss of this post made
the already tenuous British supply lines to the upcountry less
defensible. The fall of Fort Watson was an important link in the chain of
events that made the British authorities abandon the back country
of South Carolina.
(Right text)
... dedicated to wildness.
The Santee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1942 and is
located in Clarendon County, South Carolina. This 15,000 acre refuge
lies within the Atlantic Coastal Plain and consists of mixed hardwoods,
mixed pine-hardwoods, pine plantations, marsh, croplands, old fields,
ponds and open water. This tremendous diversity of habitat supports
many kinds of wildlife. The four management units of the refuge stretch
over 18 miles along the northern side of Santee Cooper's Lake Marion.
A myriad of wildlife species inhabit the varied landscape of Santee.
During the winter months, the bald eagle and occasionally the
endangered peregrine falcon can be seen. From November through
February migrating waterfowl such as mallards, pintails, teal, wood
ducks and Canada geeese [sketch included] may be seen.Throughout
the year red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks can be viewed soaring
overhead, as can a variety of songbirds in the trees.
The refuge provides a home for white-tailed deer and other woodland
creatures such as raccoons,squirrels and bobcats. The ponds and
marches are haven for alligators plus a number of other reptiles and
amphibians.
Santee offers a variety of outdoor activities for the refuge visitor.
Information on activities may be obtained from the Santee Visitor
Center. The Center provides an excellent opportunity for the visitor
to become acquainted with the refuge before venturing out.
Santee National Wildlife Refuge is one of over 500 refuges in the
National Wildlife Refuge System. The mission of the system is to
preserve a national network of lands and waters for the conservation
and management of fish, wildlife and plant resources of the United
States for the benefit of present and future generations. The
Refuge System encompasses over 92 million acres administered
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the Department
of the Interior.
Marker is on Fort Watson Road (South Carolina Route 14-803), in the median.
Courtesy hmdb.org
