— Ch. 1 · Granite On The Sand —
Fort Sumter.
~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 5
Construction began in 1829 on an artificial island created from a sand bar in Charleston Harbor. Seventy thousand tons of granite arrived from New England to build up the foundation. By 1834, engineers had laid a timber foundation several feet beneath the water line. The decision to switch from stone to brick construction complicated the timeline significantly. Unpleasant weather and disease slowed progress further during these early years. Title disputes over the land caused additional delays that stretched into the late 1850s. Funding issues prevented the completion of interior walls and armaments despite the exterior being finished. The fort was designed to house 650 men and 135 guns across three tiers of gun emplacements. It stood as a five-sided structure with walls thick enough to withstand naval bombardment. Yet by 1861, less than half of the cannon that should have been available were actually installed.
The First Shot Fired
Major Robert Anderson secretly relocated his command of 127 men to Fort Sumter on the 26th of December 1860. He abandoned Fort Moultrie just six days after South Carolina seceded from the Union. Confederate Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard demanded surrender on the 11th of April 1861 at about 3:00 a.m. Colonel James Chesnut Jr. delivered the ultimatum but found Anderson's conditions manifestly futile. At 4:30 a.m. on Friday, the 12th of April 1861, Confederate batteries opened fire for 34 straight hours. Edmund Ruffin claimed he fired the first shot though Lieutenant Henry S. Farley actually did so from James Island. Captain Abner Doubleday fired the Union's first defensive shot at 7:00 a.m. The fort surrendered on Saturday, the 13th of April 1861 after running out of ammunition and fuses. Major Anderson took the flag with him as they evacuated the ruined structure. Mary Chesnut described Charleston residents drinking salutes from balconies along what is now known as The Battery.