The last couple of days we have spent in Charleston, SC. This town is known for many things, but is probably most well known for the fact that the first shots of the Civil War were fired here at Fort Sumter. At 4:10 am on April 12, 1861, the Confederates opened fire on the fort commanded by Union Major Robert Anderson. (Anderson's second in command was a man by the name of Abner Doubleday. Abner has been credited with creating the game of baseball. This claim has never been substantiated but that’s what I always heard.) 34 hours later, after significant bombardment, Major Anderson surrendered the fort and was allowed to return to the North with his troops. The fort stayed in Confederate hands until February 17, 1865! During this time, it is estimated that the Union forces hurled seven MILLION pounds of metal into the fort and it resulted in only 52 killed and 267 wounded. The fort was in and out of service as a military installation until 1948, when it was transferred to the National Park Service.
The fort stands on a man-made island at the mouth of the inlet into Charleston. You have to take a shuttle boat out to the island. The trick to this is, the boat is operated under the National Park Service vendor and you board at the Visitors Center. You take the trip out, have 1 hour to explore the Fort, visit the small museum, and take in the sights, then you have to get back on the boat and return to the Visitor’s Center. We got there in the middle of the week, in mid April (no spring break, or holiday, or any other reason for mass quantities of tourists). There were at least a hundred folks waiting in line to buy tickets to the shuttle! My hints on how best to see the fort if you’re interested.... You can book your shuttle online. DO IT THAT WAY! You can sign up the night before and be assured of a reservation. Next, select the 9:30 shuttle. It is the first one of the morning. You have to drive into the heart of Charleston and the traffic is not the easiest to negotiate. If you get there early in the morning, you can use the metered spots along the road outside of the visitors center ($ 0.25/20 minutes) or use the garage nearby. Take the printed confirmation of your online reservation to the window for your tickets. For extra fun, wait until 9:00 or so, when they announce that the 9:30 shuttle is full, then smile as you walk past all those poor unfortunate souls who didn’t reserve online, on up to the ticket booth and get your ticket and go on in.
The US Custom House down the street from the Visitors Center.
Ft. Sumter on the approach.
Along the way, you may get lucky enough to be led by some playful dolphins.
The Fort itself used to stand 55 feet above the water in three stories. Time, and Union bombardment have reduced it to its current form.
One of the many gun emplacements.
There are some places where cannonballs are still lodged in the wall!
Charleston in the distance as seen from atop the Fort.
Near the Visitors Center is the Ravenel Bridge. An impressive structure. The Aircraft Carrier USS Yorktown is berthed and on display on the right.
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