Research Design of Fort Anderson

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to produce a research design for Fort Anderson, a State Historic Site on the west bank of the Cape Fear River in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The thesis opens with the history of Fort Anderson, starting with a history of the Colonial town Brunswick, to provide a context for the site. A specific history of the fort begins with discussing the importance of Wilmington and the defenses of the Cape Fear River. Following this overview there is a summary of the construction of and capture of Fort Anderson. The research design uses the historical and archaeological background to formulate site-specific archaeological questions and uses cases studies of Civil War archeology to ensure that research at Fort Anderson is within the context of Civil War archeology. This research touches upon the following areas: previous archaeological research, the archeology of fort construction, a survey of the site, the fort's hospital, and the archeology of camp life. This research is designed to provide future archaeologists and the site manager of Fort Anderson with ways to better interpret the fortification and enhance the preservation of earthworks.