Summation #3 - Fort Sumter National Monument: Where the Civil War Began

The book Fort Sumter National Monument: Where the Civil War Began tells the story of how the historically important Fort Sumter came into existence, its time in service, its importance, and its transformation into a historical monument for present day. The fort was conceived during a series of fortification projects set up during the revolutionary war to prevent attacks on the coast by the British. The fort was named after Revolutionary War General, Thomas Sumter who had defended American soil during many major attacks by the British. After its completion it was one of three major forts located in the Charleston SC area.

After South Carolina declared its secession in 1860, Major Robert Anderson, who was loyal to the Union pulled his troops out of the local Charleston fort of Fort Moultrie and relocated his troops without orders to Fort Sumter in order to keep a footing in the Charleston area. Anderson feared with the secession of South Carolina that union support would soon crumble to and he and his men would no longer be safe in South Carolina. The South Carolina government asked multiple times for Union forces to evacuate the Fort over the course of the next few months, to which the response was always a respectful no. Lincoln sees what is happening at Fort Sumter and agrees it is important to support Anderson in his defense there and sends ships to aid him in defending Fort Sumter. As the ships arrive in South Carolina, Charleston Confederate forces decide that the time for waiting is over and begin their bombardment of Fort Sumter from the surrounding forts and beaches. After about three days of bombardment the Fort has suffered sustainable damage, most damage being caused by fires breaking out within the fort and burning up most of the supplies, munitions, and buildings. These fires were caused by special cannon fire known as hotshots which were heated cannonballs that started fire when coming into contact with wood or fire burning surfaces. This causes Anderson to finally relinquish the fort to Confederate forces on the agreement that there be a canon salute in honor of the battle and that all of Andersons men go unharmed to join the already stationed Union ships in the harbor. With the surrender of the fort this becomes the first major confrontation of the Civil War which surprisingly has no casualties except for one accidental death during the cannon salute at the surrender of the fort.

By 1868 the fort had sustained large amounts of damage to the outer and inner walls. This year was the beginning of the reconstruction and preservation of the fort into the national monument it has become today.

Works Cited
Bostick, Douglas W. Fort Sumter National Monument: Where the Civil War Began. Charleston: Charleston Postcard, 2011. Print.