john william gerard de brahm, a german-born engineer who had overseen the repair of the fortifications of charleston, was tasked with designing the fort. de brahm and demeré constantly bickered over the fort's location and design. demeré favored a site selected earlier that year by a scout named john pearson, but de brahm rejected the site as too exposed. he favored a site further upstream that offered a commanding view of the river, but demeré disagreed, saying the site lacked suitable land for the garrison to grow crops. demeré reported that de brahm, incensed, took out his pistol and offered it to demeré to shoot him in the head. the two eventually agreed on the current site of the fort as a compromise.