Day 177 - April 8, 2013: Fort Sumter

Most people probably know Fort Sumter, located at the entrance to the port of Charleston, as the site of the first battle of the Civil War. This morning we took the Fort Sumter Tour boat out to see this historic site. On December 20, 1860, after the election of Abraham Lincoln, the South Carolina General Assembly voted to secede from the Union. Fort Sumter, which the U.S. started building after the War of 1812, was still unfinished and manned by a limited number of Union troops working to install the massive guns.

Confederate calls for the Union to give up the fort were ignored, and the Confederates knew a Union ship was coming south with troops and supplies to complete the fort. Fearing the Union would be able to control the port of Charleston, on April 12, 1861, Confederate troops opened fire for 34 straight hours on the fort. The Union, unable to mount any real defense, surrendered two days later and evacuated all personnel by ship.

Approaching Fort Sumter from Charleston

The Union made several attempts to retake the fort, with assaults by sea and land. Over the course of the war, the fort was bombarded with thousands of cannon rounds and the 50 foot high walls were reduced to piles of rubble. The Confederates never did surrender, but abandoned the fort on Feb 17, 1865, after which the Union reestablished control.

What remains of the 50 foot high walls

Restored cannon encasement

After a great lunch at SNOB (Slightly North of Broad), we toured The Old Exchange. Completed by the British in 1771, it was the first major building in Charleston and served as a customs location, exchange and prison. In 1791, while on a tour of the South, President George Washington was entertained in the third floor ballroom of the building. Today, the building has been restored, and the tour is very informative and recommended. We concluded this should have been our first stop after the Visitor Center, as it represents the earliest period of Charleston's history.

The Old Exchange (1771)

Tonight, two great teams played an incredibly good final game in the NCAA Championship Tournament.  Unfortunately, Michigan lost to Louisville. What a great run for the University of Michigan, and with such a young team, we will be back next year.