During the Civil War, there were two entrances to the Cape Fear River, Old Inlet and New Inlet, that made it extremely hard to blockade. As such, Wilmington became a favorite port for blockade-runners, most of which used New Inlet.
New Inlet was formed by a hurricane earlier in the 19th century. The Confederacy built the huge Fort Fisher to protect New Inlet and keep the blockaders well off shore. Battery Buchanan was built right at New Inlet for further defense.
However, after the war, the existence of New Inlet started causing the Cape Fear River to get too shallow for deep water ships, so the Army Corps of Engineers decided to block it.
Henry Bacon, Sr., a civil engineer, was chosen to lead the job and brought south from Watseka, Illinois, to the Wilmington Office of US Engineer Department. The project was named the New Inlet Dam and Swash Defense Dam. Because of its appearance. it became known as "The Rocks," a name that is still used.
A Rocky Affair. --Old B-Runner
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