Fort Mitchel was built in 1862 as a part of the complex system of fortifications around the area. It was meant to interrupt the trade between the South and England, and wasn’t really for any military action. It was initially named Fort Gilmore after Major General Quincy A. Gillmore who helped accomplish the construction of the site. However, when Major General Ormesby McKnight Mitchel who arrived on the site just a month earlier to serve as the Commander of the Department of the South died in October 1862, the fort was renamed after him.

Today, Fort Mitchel Stands inside the Hilton Head Plantation. Visitors are required to get a pass from the fort guard at the entrance gate. From here, folks can already tour the magnificent Civil War site.