The gunboat "Planter," seized by an African-American crew and the daring African-American harbor pilot Robert Smalls, did manage to break the federal blockade of the city in May of 1862. Smalls deceived the guard at Fort Sumter into believing he was the gunboat's captain, got by the Confederate forces, then surrendered to the blockading Union warships, and finally steamed triumphantly to Port Royal. (On Smalls' subsequent career, see Robert Smalls) From "Harper's Weekly," May 1862.
Courtesy of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
Standards
- This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into the continuities and changes experienced by Americans of various genders, positions, races, and social status during the Civil War.
- This indicator was designed to encourage inquiry into the Civil War focusing on the impacts of military strategies and major turning points on South Carolina and the U.S.
