What was so significant of the Port Royal Sound and the Beaufort area during the Civil War?

Battle of Port Royal, 7 November 1861. A major Union victory early in the American Civil War that demonstrated how difficult it would be for the Confederacy to defend its coastline. Port Royal is one of the best natural harbours on the Atlantic coast of America. The entrance to the bay was protected by two forts

Explanation:

The Port Royal Experiment was a program begun during the American Civil War in which former slaves successfully worked on the land abandoned by planters. In 1861 the Union captured the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and their main harbor, Port Royal.

Port Royal Sound is a coastal sound, or inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the Sea Islands region, in Beaufort County in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the estuary of several rivers, the largest of which is the Broad River.

On this day in 1692, a massive earthquake devastates the infamous town of Port Royal in Jamaica, killing thousands. The strong tremors, soil liquefaction and a tsunami brought on by the earthquake combined to destroy the entire town. ... A large tsunami hit soon after, putting half of Port Royal under 40 feet of water.

The sound was guarded by two forts on opposite sides of the entrance, Fort Walker on Hilton Head Island to the south and Fort Beauregard on Phillip's Island to the north. A small force of four gunboats supported the forts, but did not materially affect the battle.

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