Piracy was one reason the Spanish first came to what is now Beaufort County in the 1500s. Walter Edgar, in “South Carolina: A History,” wrote that buccaneers, rival navies and hurricanes were the biggest threat to Spain’s treasure ships in the Caribbean and the Bahama Channel. The excellent harbor of Port Royal Sound was seen as a possible haven for the Spanish fleet and the end of a foreseen overland route for mule caravans carrying treasure from Mexico. for more click here
