Where The American Civil War Began

Approaching Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter Information

Fort Sumter is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired. Named after General Thomas Sumter, a Revolutionary War hero, Fort Sumter was built after the War of 1812, as one of a series of forts on the southern U.S. coast. Construction started in 1827, and was still unfinished in 1861, when the Civil War began. Seventy thousand tons of granite were imported from New England to build up a sand bar in the entrance to Charleston Harbor, which the site dominates. The fort was a five-sided brick structure, with walls five feet thick, standing 50 feet tall. The Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter on Friday, April 12th, 1861 at 4:30am. The battle continued overnight until Saturday.

Interesting

While walking around at the top of the fort, Melissa’s cousin Jeremy and I down and then at each other. We both thought about how that must have looked very similar back in 1861, when men would be walking around with guns. So we posed so our shadows looked like two men on guard, holding guns. Clever? I think so!

Fort Sumter Guards

note: there was no handrail back in 1861

Many of the original cannon’s are still inside the walls of Fort Sumter. In fact, they were barely touched. The tour guide told us that the cannon’s were the only of their kind, as they fired the cannonballs quite far. After photographing a bunch of the canon’s, I decided to go for a different view. What would the canon ball see as it is ejected from the gun?

Fort Sumter Cannons

Think about this…

View from the Cannonball

Thanks for reading and happy shooting,

Scott