An English Rose embarks on a historical journey in Georgia: A Discovery of Fort Sumter
The picturesque southern city of Charleston recently played host to Georgia-based English native, Lesley, and her friend Sarah, for one of their distinctive travel adventures. Going beyond the confines of the increasingly bustling and costly downtown Charleston, the avid explorers lodged at Mount Pleasant, offering proximity to their main attraction, the renowned Fort Sumter.
The Historic Significance of Fort Sumter
Best known as the site where the Civil War’s first shots were fired at the Federal forces by Confederate forces on April 12, 1861, at 4:30 a.m, Fort Sumter holds an impressive firmament in American history. However, its roots dig deeper, dating back to 1829 when its construction began as a coastal garrison following the War of 1812 against Britain, a conflict that emphasized the USA’s lack of efficient coastal defenses. It was a part of approximately 50 forts established under the program initiated by Congress in 1817. Named after Revolutionary War general and South Carolina’s own, Thomas Sumter, it was designed to safeguard the crucial Charleston Harbor.
The Making of Fort Sumter
Envisioned as a ‘a pentagonal, three-tiered, masonry fort with truncated angles,’ the construction of Fort Sumter was a labor of vast proportions, which was accomplished on shallow shoals extending from James Island. The challenging build saw more than 109,000 tons of rock dumped at the location to create a stable artificial island in order to establish the fort, a task that proved both, time-consuming and costly.
The Battle of Fort Sumter
Though Fort Sumter’s outer fortifications were entire by 1860, fiscal deficits saw the interiors and armaments remain incomplete at the commencement of the Civil War. After South Carolina’s succession from the Union in December of that year, US Major Robert Anderson occupied the fort. The fort’s blockade sparked the infamous 34-hour artillery fire exchange, Battle of Fort Sumter, after which Anderson and 86 soldiers surrendered the fort on April 13. For the following four years, Confederate forces occupied Fort Sumter before evacuating it ahead of William T. Sherman’s capture of Charleston in February 1865. Remarkably, no casualties occurred during the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter, yet an unplanned explosion during a scheduled 100-gun salute led to the demise of two Union soldiers.
Fort Sumter’s Legacy
Depleted to ruins after the Civil War, Fort Sumter served as a lighthouse station till 1897. The Spanish-American War in 1898, however, rekindled interest in the piece of history, culminating in new construction notably an artillery battery. During both World War I and II, the fort was home to a small garrison. The Department of Defense transferred Fort Sumter to the National Park Service in 1948, and in 1966 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, further consolidating its value as a time-honored American relic.
The evolution of Fort Sumter, from its establishment in response to America’s coastal defense needs to its playing host to one of the most significant battles in American history, provides a vivid account of the fort’s importance in American history.
In Conclusion
Fort Sumter is not merely a historical fixture, rather it is a standing monument that reminds us that sometimes a place can embody the essence of a nation’s complex history. As such, the visit of the English Rose in Georgia to the historic fort served as an immersive plunge into America’s rich history and the diverse narratives that have shaped the nation.
