Charleston Harbor

This is a picture taken from Fort Moultrie which overlooks Charlestown Harbor in South Carolina. It shows a cannon aimed toward Fort Sumter which is the island with the flagpoles directly ahead. Moultrie was one of the many forts that were used by the Confederates to bombard Sumter. This harbor has seen a lot of action not only during the Civil War, but during the entirety of American History. It is one of the largest ports in the entire United States. During the Revolutionary War, Charleston was actually captured by the British, and thousands of British soldiers first stepped on American soil on the banks of this harbor. After the Revolutionary War, multiple forts were constructed in the area by the U.S. Government in order to protect the East Coast. Among these forts was Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War would be fired. At 4:30 A.M. on April 12th, 1861, a mortar round burst directly above Fort Sumter, as a signal to start the firing. For hours, cannons rocked Sumter, and eventually the garrison surrendered. Not a single man was killed. Today, Charleston Harbor continues to be a major port, and a historical site. Multiple forts, such as Moultrie and Sumter have now been acquired by the National Park Service and stand as reminders of a different time.