Fort Sumter

Forget about the first shot of the Civil War, the first 34 hours of continuous shooting were fired at Fort Sumter.

painting of Ft. Sumter under fire 1861

Photo: Library of Congress // Currier & Ives Bombardment of Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, April 12 and 13, 1861 Hand-colored lithograph, ca. 1861 Prints & Photographs Division Copyright deposit, ca. 1861 (42B.1) LC-USZC4-528

It was early morning on April 12, 1861.  Colonel James Chesnut, Jr. gave the order to fire from Fort Johnson on James Island.

Read more about Fort Sumter at Wikipedia.

Visit the National Park Service’s Fort Sumter website.

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