Charleston, South Carolina, USA
1854 - Charleston

Charleston, a port of entry, capital of a district of its own name, and the largest city of Sooth Carolina, is situated on a tongue of land between the rivers Ashley and Cooper, which unite immediately below the town, and form a spacious harbour, communicating with the ocean at Sullivan's island, 7 miles below. It is 118 miles N. E. from Savannah, 580 S. W. from Baltimore, and 540 from Washington. Lat. 32° 46', N. Lon. 79° 67' W. Cooper and Ashley rivers are from 30 to 40 feet deep, the former 1400, and the latter 2100 yards wide. The ground on which the city is built is elevated 8 or 9 feet above the level of the harbor at high tide, which rises about six feet, flowing by the city with a strong cur rent, thus contributing to its salubrity. A sandbar extends across the mouth of the harbor, affording, however, two entrances, of which the deepest, near Sullivan's island, has 10 feet of water at low tide. The harbor is defended by Fort Pinckney and Fort John son, each on an island, the former two and the latter four miles below the city, and also by Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan's island...

History. — The city of Charleston is one of the most ancient in the United States, its foundations having been laid in 1672. Some fifteen years afterwards, a company of French refugees, exiled from their native country on account of their religious faith, settled in South Carolina, a part of them at .Charleston. From this noble stock, the French Huguenots, have sprung some of the first families of Charleston. In 1731 the city contained 600 houses and 5 churches, and in 1744, 230 vessels were laden at its wharves. It was incorporated in 1783. On the 28th of June, 1776, the garrison on Sullivan's island, consisting of 400 men, under the command of Colonel Moultrie, sustained an assault from a British squadron of nine ships of war, and triumphantly repulsed them, losing only 32 men killed and wounded, while the enemy's loss amounted to nearly 200. Charleston was afterwards besieged by the British under Sir Henry Clinton, from the 1st April, 1780, until May 12th, when it was surrendered by General Lincoln. It was held by the enemy until May, 1782. Charles ton has suffered greater disasters by fire than almost any city in the United States. In 1778, 252 houses were consumed, and in 1796 nearly a third part of the city, involving a destruction of property to the amount of $2,500,000. Again, at the great fire in 1838, the loss was estimated at $5,000,000. Population in 1800, 18,711; 1810, 24,711; 1820, 24,780; 1830, 30,289; 1840, 29,261; 1850, 42,958, of which 14,092 wore slaves.

A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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