Fort Sumter is a
sea fort built on an
artificial island
An artificial island is an island that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means. Artificial islands may vary in size from small islets reclaimed solely to support a single pillar of a building or structure to those tha ...
protecting
Charleston,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
when
the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the
Battle of Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–13, 1861) was the bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina by the South Carolina militia. It ended with the surrender by the United States Army, beginning the American Civil War.
Follo ...
began the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. It was severely damaged during the war, left in ruins, and although there was some rebuilding, the fort as conceived was never completed.
Since the middle of the 20th century, Fort Sumter has been open to the public as part of the
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in Charleston County, in coastal South Carolina. It mainly protects Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, the Charleston Light and Liberty Square, ...
, operated by the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
.
The building of Fort Sumter
Named after
General Thomas Sumter, a
Revolutionary War hero, Fort Sumter was built after the 1814
Burning of Washington
The Burning of Washington was a British invasion of Washington City (now Washington, D.C.), the capital of the United States, during the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812. It is the only time since the American Revolutionary War that a ...
during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
as one of the
third system of U.S. fortifications, to protect American harbors from foreign invaders such as Britain. Built on an artificial island in the middle of the channel that provides Charleston with natural shelter, Fort Sumter would dominate the harbor, reinforcing the protection provided by the shore
batteries at
Fort Moultrie
Fort Moultrie is a series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, formerly named Fort Sullivan, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and n ...
,
Fort Wagner
Fort Wagner or Battery Wagner was a beachhead fortification on Morris Island, South Carolina, that covered the southern approach to Charleston Harbor. It was the site of two American Civil War battles in the campaign known as Operations Again ...
, and
Fort Gregg
Fort Gregg was a Confederate States of America, Confederate fort located near Petersburg, Virginia.
The battle for Fort Gregg occurred on April 2, 1865, as part of the Third Battle of Petersburg in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, Dinwiddie County nea ...
.
The island was originally a
sand bar. In 1827, engineers performed measurements of the depths (
depth sounding
Depth sounding, often simply called sounding, is measuring the depth of a body of water. Data taken from soundings are used in bathymetry to make maps of the floor of a body of water, such as the seabed topography.
Soundings were traditionally ...
) and concluded that it was a suitable location for a fort. Construction began in 1829. Seventy thousand tons of granite were transported from
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
to build up the artificial island. By 1834, a timber foundation that was several feet beneath the water had been laid. However, the decision was made to build a (stronger) brick fort. If completed, it would have been one of the strongest forts in the world.
The brick fort is five-sided, long, with walls thick, standing over the low tide mark. Although never completed, it was designed to house 650 men and 135 guns in three tiers of gun emplacements.
Construction dragged out because of
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
problems, then problems with funding such a large and technically challenging project. Unpleasant weather and disease made it worse. The exterior was finished but the interior and armaments were never completed.
Ownership
Early in the nineteenth century, South Carolina had owned multiple forts, namely
Fort Moultrie
Fort Moultrie is a series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, formerly named Fort Sullivan, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and n ...
,
Castle Pinckney
Castle Pinckney was a small masonry fortification constructed by the United States government, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina in 1810. It was used very briefly as a prisoner-of-war camp (six weeks) and artillery position during the A ...
, and
Fort Johnson
Fort Johnson was a U.S. Army post built on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in modern-day Warsaw, Illinois, during the War of 1812. The fort was established in September 1814 by Major Zachary Taylor, future 12th President of the United Sta ...
, but ceded them, along with sites for the future erection of forts, to the United States in 1805.
The forts were of questionable military value and costly to maintain, so when asked to cede them, the state complied.
[ This was not the last time that South Carolina would cede forts to the United States; on December 17, 1836, South Carolina officially ceded all "right, title and, claim" to the site of Fort Sumter to the United States.][
]
Civil War
Summary
Fort Sumter is notable for two battles, the first
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
of which began the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. It was one of a number of special forts planned after the War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, combining high walls and heavy masonry, and classified as Third System
Seacoast defense was a major concern for the United States from its independence until World War II. Before airplanes, many of America's enemies could only reach it from the sea, making coastal forts an economical alternative to standing armies ...
, as a grade of structural integrity. Work started in 1829, but was incomplete by 1861, when the Civil War began.
The attack on Fort Sumter is generally taken as the beginning of the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
—the first shots fired. Certainly it was so taken at the time—citizens of Charleston were celebrating. The First Battle of Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–13, 1861) was the bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina by the South Carolina militia. It ended with the surrender by the United States Army, beginning the American Civil War.
Follo ...
began on April 12, 1861, when South Carolina Militia artillery fired from shore on the Union garrison. These were, both sides agreed, the first shots of the war. The bombardment continued all day, watched by many happy civilians. The fort had been cut off from its supply line and surrendered the next day. Major Robert Anderson took the flag with him as they evacuated.
The Second Battle of Fort Sumter
The Second Battle of Fort Sumter was fought on September 8, 1863, in Charleston Harbor. Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard, who had commanded the defenses of Charleston and captured Fort Sumter in the first battle of the war, was in ov ...
(September 8, 1863) was a failed attempt by the Union to retake the fort, dogged by a rivalry between army and navy commanders. Although the fort was reduced to rubble, it remained in Confederate hands until it was evacuated as General Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...
marched through South Carolina in February 1865.
A widely announced "End of the War" celebration took place at Fort Sumter on April 14, 1865. The now-Major General Anderson, though ill and retired, came to the ceremony and raised the flag. The incident is forgotten today because President Lincoln was shot that evening.
Preparing for war
On December 26, 1860, only six days after South Carolina seceded from the Union, U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
Major Robert Anderson
Robert Anderson (June 14, 1805 – October 26, 1871) was a United States Army officer during the American Civil War. He was the Union commander in the first battle of the American Civil War at Fort Sumter in April 1861 when the Confederates bomb ...
abandoned the indefensible Fort Moultrie
Fort Moultrie is a series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, formerly named Fort Sullivan, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and n ...
, spiking its large guns, burning its gun carriages, and taking its smaller cannon with him. He secretly relocated companies E and H (127 men, 13 of them musicians) of the 1st U.S. Artillery to Fort Sumter on his own initiative, without orders from his superiors.[ He thought that providing a stronger defense would delay an attack by South Carolina militia. The fort was not yet complete at the time and fewer than half of the ]cannons
A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder dur ...
that should have been available were in place, due to military downsizing by President James Buchanan
James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...
.
In a letter delivered January 31, 1861, South Carolina Governor Pickens demanded of President Buchanan
James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...
that he surrender Fort Sumter because "I regard that possession is not consistent with the dignity or safety of the State of South Carolina." Over the next few months repeated calls for evacuation of Fort Sumter[ from the government of South Carolina and then from ]Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
P. G. T. Beauregard were ignored. Union attempts to resupply and reinforce the garrison were repulsed on January 9, 1861 when the first shots of the war, fired by cadets from the Citadel
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...
, prevented the steamer ''Star of the West
''Star of the West'' was an American merchant steamship that was launched in 1852 and scuttled by Confederate forces in 1863. In January 1861, the ship was hired by the government of the United States to transport military supplies and reinforc ...
'', hired to transport troops and supplies to Fort Sumter, from completing the task.
After realizing that Anderson's command would run out of food by April 15, 1861, President Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
ordered a fleet of ships, under the command of Gustavus V. Fox
Gustavus Vasa Fox (June 13, 1821 – October 29, 1883) was an officer of the United States Navy, who served during the Mexican–American War, and as Assistant Secretary of the Navy during the American Civil War, Civil War.
Life and career
Fox wa ...
, to attempt entry into Charleston Harbor and supply Fort Sumter. The ships assigned were the steam sloops-of-war USS ''Pawnee'' and USS ''Powhatan'', transporting motorized launches and about 300 sailors (secretly removed from the Charleston fleet to join in the forced reinforcement of Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens is a pentagonal historic United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. The fort was completed in 1834 and was one of the few ...
, Pensacola, FL), armed screw steamer USS ''Pocahontas'', Revenue Cutter
A cutter is a type of watercraft. The term has several meanings. It can apply to the rig (or sailplan) of a sailing vessel (but with regional differences in definition), to a governmental enforcement agency vessel (such as a coast guard or bor ...
USRC ''Harriet Lane'', steamer ''Baltic'' transporting about 200 troops, composed of companies C and D of the 2nd U.S. Artillery, and three hired tugboats with added protection against small arms fire to be used to tow troop and supply barges directly to Fort Sumter.[ By April 6, 1861, the first ships began to set sail for their rendezvous off the ]Charleston Bar Charleston Bar is a series of submerged shoals lying about eight miles southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
See also
* Battle of Sullivan's Island
The Battle of Sullivan's Island or the Battle of Fort Sullivan was fought o ...
. The first to arrive was ''Harriet Lane
Harriet Rebecca Lane Johnston (May 9, 1830 – July 3, 1903) acted as first lady of the United States during the administration of her uncle, lifelong bachelor President James Buchanan, from 1857 to 1861. She has been described as the first o ...
'', the evening of April 11, 1861.[
]
First Battle of Fort Sumter
On Thursday, April 11, 1861, Beauregard sent three aides, Colonel James Chesnut, Jr.
James Chesnut Jr. (January 18, 1815 – February 1, 1885) was an American lawyer and politician, and a Confederate functionary.
Chesnut, a lawyer prominent in South Carolina state politics, served as a Democratic senator in 1858–60, wher ...
, Captain Stephen D. Lee
Stephen Dill Lee (September 22, 1833 – May 28, 1908) was an American officer in the Confederate Army, politician and first president of Mississippi State University from 1880 to 1899. He served as lieutenant general of the Confederate ...
, and Lieutenant A. R. Chisolm to demand the surrender of the fort. Anderson declined, and the aides returned to report to Beauregard. After Beauregard had consulted the Confederate Secretary of War, Leroy Walker, he sent the aides back to the fort and authorized Chesnut to decide whether the fort should be taken by force. The aides waited for hours while Anderson considered his alternatives and played for time. At about 3:00 a.m., when Anderson finally announced his conditions, Colonel Chesnut, after conferring with the other aides, decided that they were "manifestly futile and not within the scope of the instructions verbally given to us." The aides then left the fort and proceeded to the nearby Fort Johnson. There, Chesnut ordered the fort to open fire on Fort Sumter.[
On Friday, April 12, 1861, at 4:30 a.m., Confederate batteries opened fire on the fort, firing for 34 straight hours. ]Edmund Ruffin
Edmund Ruffin III (January 5, 1794 – June 18, 1865) was a wealthy Virginia planter who served in the Virginia Senate from 1823 to 1827. In the last three decades before the American Civil War, his pro-slavery writings received more attention th ...
, noted Virginian agronomist and secessionist, claimed that he fired the first shot on Fort Sumter. His story has been widely believed, but Lieutenant Henry S. Farley, commanding a battery of two 10-inch siege mortars on James Island actually fired the first shot at 4:30 a.m. . No attempt was made to return the fire for more than two hours. The fort's supply of ammunition was not suited for the task; also, there were no fuses for their explosive shells, which means that they could not explode. Only solid iron balls could be used against the Confederate batteries. At about 7:00 a.m., Captain Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 – January 26, 1893) was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a p ...
, the fort's second in command, was given the honor of firing the Union's first shot, in defense of the fort. He missed, in part because Major Anderson did not use the guns mounted on the highest tier – the barbette tier, where the guns could engage the Confederate batteries better, but where the gunners would be more exposed to Confederate fire. The firing continued all day. The Union fired slowly to conserve ammunition. At night, the fire from the fort stopped, but the Confederates still lobbed an occasional shell into Sumter. On Saturday, April 13, the fort was surrendered and evacuated. During the attack, the Union colors fell. Lt. Norman J. Hall risked life and limb to put them back up, burning off his eyebrows permanently. A Confederate soldier bled to death having been wounded by a misfiring cannon. One Union soldier died and another was mortally wounded during the 47th shot of a 100-shot salute, allowed by the Confederacy. Afterward, the salute was shortened to 50 shots. Accounts, such as in the famous diary of Mary Chesnut
Mary Boykin Chesnut (née Miller) (March 31, 1823 – November 22, 1886) was an American author noted for a book published as her Civil War diary, a "vivid picture of a society in the throes of its life-and-death struggle."Woodward, C. Vann. "In ...
, describe Charleston residents along what is now known as The Battery, sitting on balconies and drinking salutes to the start of the hostilities.
File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 09 Page 046.jpg, opA photographic view of the Hot shot Furnace at right shoulder angle and a 10-in. columbard cannon pointing to Charleston; ottomExterior view of Gorge and Sally Port Ft Sumter April 1861 after its surrender
File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 09 Page 045.jpg, Views of Ft Sumter; ottomView of right angle
File:The Evacuation of Fort Sumter, April 1861 MET DP266511.jpg, Right angle gorge of Ft Sumter-Sally port at right
File:Fort Sumter the day after Anderson left, April 1861 (recto).jpg, View of the Gorge and Sally Port
File:The Evacuation of Fort Sumter, April 1861 MET DP266618.jpg, View of western part of Gorge
File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 09 Page 048.jpg, opView of gorge and Sally port; ottomLeft gorge Angle
File:Fort Sumter interior after bombardment (recto).jpg, View of Left gorge angle Sally Port would be at far left
File:Fort Sumter interior with flag staff after the bombardment (recto).jpg, View of Left flank
File:Fort Sumter, April 15, 1861.jpg, Panormanic View of Left shoulder Angle at left with a 2nd Hot Shot furnace and Left face at right; Ft Sumter 1861; flying the Confederate Flag
The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...
File:Salient with North-west Casemates, Fort Sumter MET DP266616.jpg, At Left North west castmates eft angle at right can be seen the start of the right angle
The Fort Sumter Flag
The Fort Sumter Flag is a historic United States flag with a distinctive, diamond-shaped pattern of 33 stars. When the main flagpole was felled by a shot during the bombardment of Fort Sumter by Confederate forces, Second Lieutenant Norman J. H ...
became a popular patriotic symbol after Major Anderson returned North with it. The flag is still displayed in the fort's museum. The ''Star of the West'' took all the garrison members to New York City. There they were welcomed and honored with a parade on Broadway.
Union siege of Fort Sumter
Union efforts to retake Charleston Harbor began on April 7, 1863, when Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
Samuel Francis Du Pont
Samuel Francis Du Pont (September 27, 1803 – June 23, 1865) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family. In the Mexican–American War, Du Pont captured San Diego, and was made commander of the Ca ...
, commander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron
The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading.
The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...
, led the ironclad frigate ''New Ironsides'', the tower ironclad ''Keokuk'', and the monitors
Monitor or monitor may refer to:
Places
* Monitor, Alberta
* Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States
* Monitor, Kentucky
* Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States
* Monitor, Washington
* Monitor, Logan County, West Vir ...
''Weehawken'', ''Passaic'', ''Montauk'', ''Patapsco'', ''Nantucket'', ''Catskill'', and ''Nahant'' in an attack on the harbor's defenses. (The 1863 Battle of Fort Sumter was the largest deployment of monitors in action up to that time.) The attack was unsuccessful: the Union's best ship, USS ''New Ironsides'' never effectively engaged, and the ironclads fired only 154 rounds, while receiving 2,209 from the Confederate defenders . Due to damage received in the attack, the USS ''Keokuk'' sank the next day, off the southern tip of Morris Island
Morris Island is an 840-acre (3.4 km²) uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. The ...
. Over the next month, working at night to avoid the attention of the Federal squadron, the Confederates salvaged ''Keokuk's'' two eleven-inch Dahlgren gun
Dahlgren guns were muzzle-loading naval artillery designed by Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren USN (November 13, 1809 – July 12, 1870), mostly used in the period of the American Civil War. Dahlgren's design philosophy evolved from an accidental e ...
s . One of the Dahlgren guns was promptly placed in Fort Sumter.
The Confederates, in the meantime, were strengthening Fort Sumter. A workforce of just under 500 enslaved Africans, under the supervision of Confederate army engineers, were filling casemate
A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which artillery, guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary
When referring to Ancient history, antiquity, th ...
s with sand, protecting the gorge wall with sandbags, and building new traverse,[Traverses]
Civil War Fortifications dictionary. blindages, and bombproofs. Some of Fort Sumter's artillery had been removed, but 40 pieces still were mounted. Fort Sumter's heaviest guns were mounted on the barbette, the fort's highest level, where they had wide angles of fire and could fire down on approaching ships. The barbette was also more exposed to enemy gunfire than the casemate
A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which artillery, guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary
When referring to Ancient history, antiquity, th ...
s in the two lower levels of the fort.
A special military decoration, known as the Gillmore Medal, was later issued to all Union service members who had performed duty at Fort Sumter under the command of Major-General Quincy Adams Gillmore
Quincy Adams Gillmore (February 28, 1825 – April 7, 1888) was an American civil engineer, author, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was noted for his actions in the Union victory at Fort Pulaski, where his m ...
.
File:East face of Fort Sumter, Charleston, S.C, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.jpg, East Face of Ft Sumter 1863
File:FortSumter1865.jpg, View of Confederate-held Fort Sumter, August 23, 1863
File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 01 Page 110.jpg, The first breach after the bombardment of Sept 8, 1863
File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 01 Page 109.jpg, Panoramic painting of Ft Sumter after Sept 1863 bombardment based on photographs
File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 01 Page 108.jpg, C.S. Cook picture of Ft Sumter after the bombardment Sept 28,1863 showing the "Hot shot" Furnace at left and the Barracks at right
File:The photographic history of the Civil War - thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities (1911) (14576140090).jpg, Interior View of Fort Sumter
File:Conrad Wise Chapman - The Flag of Sumter, Oct. 20, 1863.jpg, The Flag of Sumter, Oct. 20, 1863
File:Fort Sumter December 9th 1863 LCCN2003680529.jpg, Ft Sumter from the west angle December 9, 1863
File:Fort Sumter, December 9th 1863, View of entrance to Three Gun Bat'y LCCN2004661292.jpg, Ft Sumter View of entrance to Three Gun Bat'y December 9, 1863
File:Harper's weekly (1864) (14804711563).jpg, 1864 sketch of bombardment of Ft Sumter
File:Interior view of Fort Sumter, Charleston, S.C. taken by a Confederate photographer in 1864 (i.e. 1863) LCCN2013651649.jpg, Interior View of Fort Sumter, taken by a Confederate photographer, 1864863
__NOTOC__
Year 863 ( DCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Byzantine Empire
* September 3 – Battle of Lalakaon: A Byzantine army confronts ...
File:Interior view of Fort Sumter, S.C. showing effects of bombardment LCCN2013651629.jpg, Interior View of Fort Sumter, taken by a Confederate photographer
File:InteriorViewFtSumter1864.jpg, Interior View of Fort Sumter, taken by a Confederate photographer, 1864.
File:Interior view of Fort Sumter, S.C. in 1864 (showing debris) LCCN2003669879.jpg, Interior View of Fort Sumter 1864
File:Interior view of Fort Sumter, S.C. in 1864 (showing debris) LCCN2003669880.jpg, Interior View of Fort Sumter 1864
File:Interior view of Fort Sumter, S.C. in 1864 (showing debris) LCCN2003669881.jpg, Interior View of Fort Sumter 1864
File:Conrad Wise Chapman - Fort Sumter, Interior, Sunrise, Dec. 9, 1864.jpg, Interior View of Fort Sumter Dec 9.1864
File:ExteriorViewFtSumter1865.jpg, Exterior view of Fort Sumter, 1865. Banded rifle in the foreground
fraise
at the top.
File:SumterDamages1863.jpg, Exterior view of damage to Fort Sumter,
File:ViewFtSumterSandBar1865.jpg, View of Fort Sumter from the sandbar, 1865.
File:Fort Johnson battery. Ft. Sumpter (sic) in the distance, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.jpg, View of Battery Johnson with Ft Sumter in the background
File:Interior of Ft. Sumpter (sic) Charleston S. C., from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.jpg, Interior of Ft Sumter
File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 05 Page 217.jpg, Interior of Ft Sumter 1865
File:Interior views of Fort Sumter, in April, 1865 LCCN2014646432.tif, Interior of Ft Sumter 1865 showing the Hot Shot Furnace.
File:Fort Sumter, Showing the effects of the bombardment by the Artillery of the Army and Navy of the United States while occupied by the Rebels from April 1861 to Feb. 1865 (7901780748).jpg, Interior view of Ft Sumter in 1865; at left is the "Light house" of Ft Sumter
After the devastating bombardment, both Major General Quincy A. Gillmore
Quincy Adams Gillmore (February 28, 1825 – April 7, 1888) was an American civil engineer, author, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was noted for his actions in the Union victory at Fort Pulaski, where his mod ...
and Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
John A. Dahlgren, now commanding the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron
The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading.
The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...
, determined to launch a boat assault on Fort Sumter for the night of September 8–9, 1863. Cooperation between the Army and Navy was poor. Dahlgren refused to place his sailors and Marines
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
under the command of an army officer, so two flotillas set out towards Fort Sumter that night. The army flotilla was detained off Morris Island
Morris Island is an 840-acre (3.4 km²) uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. The ...
by the low tide. By the time they could proceed, the navy assault had already been defeated and the army flotilla returned to shore.
The Navy's assault involved 400 sailors and Marines in 25 boats. The operation was a fiasco from beginning to end. Poor reconnaissance, planning, and communication all characterized the operation. Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
Thomas H. Stevens, Jr., commanding the monitor
Monitor or monitor may refer to:
Places
* Monitor, Alberta
* Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States
* Monitor, Kentucky
* Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States
* Monitor, Washington
* Monitor, Logan County, West ...
''Patapsco'', was placed in charge of the assault. When Commander Stevens protested that he "knew nothing of he assault'sorganization " and "made some remonstrances on this grounds and others." Dahlgren replied, "There is nothing but a corporal's guard bout 6–10 men
Bout can mean:
People
*Viktor Bout, suspected arms dealer
* Jan Everts Bout, early settler to New Netherland
* Marcel Bout
Musical instruments
* The outward-facing round parts of the body shape of violins, guitars, and other stringed instrum ...
in the fort, and all we have to do is go and take possession." . This underestimation of the Confederate forces on Dahlgren's part may explain why he was hostile to a joint operation wishing to reserve the credit for the victory to the navy. Less than half of the boats landed. Most of the boats that did land landed on the right flank or right gorge angle, rather than on the gorge where there was a passable breach. The Union sailors and Marines who did land could not scale the wall. The Confederates fired upon the landing party and as well as throwing hand grenades
A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade ge ...
and loose bricks. The men in the boats that had not landed fired muskets and revolvers blindly at the fort, endangering the landing party more than the garrison. The landing party took shelter in shell holes in the wall of the fort. In response to a signal rocket fired by the garrison, Fort Johnson and the Confederate warship CSS ''Chicora'' opened fire upon the boats and landing party. A number of the boats withdrew under fire and the landing party surrendered. The Union casualties were 8 killed, 19 wounded, and 105 captured (including 15 of the wounded). The Confederates did not suffer any casualties in the assault.
After the unsuccessful boat assault, the bombardment recommenced and proceeded with the varying degree of intensity, doing more damage to Fort Sumter until the end of the war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
. The garrison continued to suffer casualties. The Confederates continued to salvage guns and other material from the ruins and harassed the Union batteries on Morris Island
Morris Island is an 840-acre (3.4 km²) uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. The ...
with sharpshooters
A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...
. The Confederates mounted four columbiad
The columbiad was a large-caliber, smoothbore, muzzle-loading cannon able to fire heavy projectiles at both high and low trajectories. This feature enabled the columbiad to fire solid shot or shell to long ranges, making it an excellent seacoas ...
s, one columbiad rifled, and two rifled 42-pounders, in the left face, bottom tier casemates.
Recovery of Fort Sumter
The last Confederate commander, Major Thomas A. Huguenin, a graduate of The Citadel
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...
, never surrendered Fort Sumter, but General William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...
's advance through South Carolina finally forced the Confederates to evacuate Charleston on February 17, 1865, and abandon Fort Sumter. The Federal government formally took possession of Fort Sumter on February 22, 1865.
Anderson, now a major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
, returned to Sumter with the flag he had been forced to lower four years earlier, and on April 14, 1865, raised it in triumph over the ruined fort. Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery trial. His r ...
was present and subsequently spoke at length about the occasion.
After the war
When the Civil War ended, Fort Sumter was in ruins. The U.S. Army worked to restore it as a useful military installation. The damaged walls were re-leveled to a lower height and partially rebuilt. The third tier of gun emplacements was removed. Eleven of the original first-tier gun rooms were restored with 100-pounder Parrott rifle
The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle-loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War.
Parrott rifle
The gun was invented by Captain Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He was an American soldier and inven ...
s.
From 1876 to 1897, Fort Sumter was used only as an unmanned lighthouse station. The start of the Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
prompted renewed interest in its military use and reconstruction commenced on the facilities that had further deteriorated over time. A new massive concrete blockhouse-style installation was built in 1898 inside the original walls, armed with two 12-inch M1888 guns, one on a disappearing carriage
A disappearing gun, a gun mounted on a ''disappearing carriage'', is an obsolete type of artillery which enabled a gun to hide from direct fire and observation. The overwhelming majority of carriage designs enabled the gun to rotate back ...
. Named "Battery Huger" in honor of Revolutionary War General Isaac Huger, it never saw combat. This battery was deactivated in 1947, and in 1948 the fort became Fort Sumter National Monument under the control of the National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
.[
One hundred and forty-seven years after it was sent, a rolled up telegraphic message was found in a trunk belonging to Col. Alexander Ramsay Thompson of New York and eventually given to a museum in Charleston, S.C. The telegram was dated April 14, 1861 from the Governor of South Carolina to ]Gazaway Bugg Lamar
Gazaway Bugg Lamar (1798–1874) was an American enslaver and merchant in cotton and shipping in Savannah, Georgia, and a steamboat pioneer. He was the first to use a prefabricated iron steamboat on local rivers, which was a commercial success. In ...
in New York, reading in part:
In 1966, the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. The Civil War Trust
The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization ( 501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 through acquisition of battlefield land. Th ...
(a division of the American Battlefield Trust
The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization ( 501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 through acquisition of battlefield land. Th ...
) and its partners have acquired and preserved of historic land related to the battles at Fort Sumter.
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in Charleston County, in coastal South Carolina. It mainly protects Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, the Charleston Light and Liberty Square, ...
encompasses three sites in Charleston: the original Fort Sumter, the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, and Fort Moultrie
Fort Moultrie is a series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, formerly named Fort Sullivan, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and n ...
on Sullivan's Island. Access to Fort Sumter itself is by a 30-minute ferry ride from the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center or Patriots Point. Access by private boat is no longer allowed.
The Visitor Education Center's museum features exhibits about the disagreements between the North and South that led to the incidents at Fort Sumter. The museum at Fort Sumter focuses on the activities at the fort, including its construction and role during the Civil War.
April 12, 2011, marked the 150th Anniversary of the start of the Civil War. There was a commemoration of the events by thousands of Civil War reenactors with encampments in the area. A United States stamp of Fort Sumter and a first-day cover were issued that day.
On June 28, 2015, in the aftermath of the events of June 17, 2015, when a Charleston church shooting, mass shooting took place at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, the five small flags that were arranged in a semi-circle around the large flagpole flying the 50-star United States flag at Fort Sumter were lowered so that the South Carolina flag could be flown at half staff. Those flown include a 33-star United States flag, a Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
First National Flag (Flags of the Confederate States of America#First flag: the "Stars and Bars" (1861–1863), Stars and Bars), a South Carolina State Flag, a Confederate Second National Flag (Stainless Banner), and a 35-star United States flag. This display was added to Fort Sumter National Monument in the 1970s. In August 2015, the flagpoles were removed to create a new exhibit. The four historic national flags now fly on the lower parade ground.
By December 2019, sea level rise led to a Park Service decision to move some of the large rocks "originally installed to protect the fort from the sea," farther from the fort's walls, in order to create a protective Breakwater (structure), breakwater and wetland.
File:FortsumterNM-welcome.jpg, Fort Sumter National Monument
File:Fort Sumter Aerial View.jpg, Aerial view of Fort Sumter National Monument
File:Overview of interior of Fort Sumter IMG 4543.JPG, The interior of Fort Sumter from the top of the fort
File:Tourists at Fort Sumter, SC IMG 4530.JPG, Tourists at Fort Sumter on a summer afternoon
File:Cannon display at Fort Sumter IMG 4528.JPG, Cannon displayed at Fort Sumter
See also
* Castle Pinckney
Castle Pinckney was a small masonry fortification constructed by the United States government, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina in 1810. It was used very briefly as a prisoner-of-war camp (six weeks) and artillery position during the A ...
* Fort Sumter Flag
The Fort Sumter Flag is a historic United States flag with a distinctive, diamond-shaped pattern of 33 stars. When the main flagpole was felled by a shot during the bombardment of Fort Sumter by Confederate forces, Second Lieutenant Norman J. H ...
Notes
References
* Allen, Kevin. "The Second Battle of Fort Sumter: The Debate over the Politics of Race and Historical Memory at the Opening of America's Civil War Centennial, 1961." ''The Public Historian'' (2011) 33#2 pp. 94–10
in JSTOR
*
* William J. Cooper, Jr., Cooper, William J. ''We Have the War Upon Us: The Onset of the Civil War, November 1860-April 1861'' (2012)
*
*
* Hendrix, M. Patrick. ''A History of Fort Sumter: Building a Civil War Landmark'' (The History Press, 2014)
*
* Silkenat, David. ''Raising the White Flag: How Surrender Defined the American Civil War''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2019. .
*
Primary sources
*
*
*
*
External links
Tulane University multimedia teaching tool on Fort Sumter
Library of Congress collection of photos of Fort Sumter
National Park Service's official website for Fort Sumter
* Specialized sites
*
Blue and Gray Trail Fort Sumter Web site
*
Civilwar.org Fort Sumter Web site
*
Fortwiki.com article on Fort Sumter
*
*
Charleston, SC Insider's Guide
Historic Charleston's Religious and Community Buildings, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary
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1947 disestablishments in South Carolina
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American Civil War museums in South Carolina
American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places
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Coastal fortifications
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Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina, Sumter
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Military installations established in 1829
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Military installations of the Confederate States of America, Sumter
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