With Morris Island now under Union control, they construct their own battery, and attack the city of Charleston. A parrot rifle, known as the “Swamp Angel” began shelling the city. Between August 1863, and February 1865, Fort Sumter would receive seven million pounds of Union armament fired at it. By late 1863, the fort was reduced down to rubble, with no defensive capability. Today, you can see the ruins of the officers quarters, and a leaning arch-way, caused by the explosion of the powder magazine. With the news of General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Union army heading toward South Carolina, Confederates abandoned Fort Sumter, and the city of Charleston. Today, Fort Sumter stands as a testament to one of the most brutal times in our nation's history.
Standards
- 3-4 The student will demonstrate an understanding of life in the antebellum period, the causes and effects of the Civil War, and the impact of Reconstruction in South Carolina.
- 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.
- 8-4 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the multiple events that led to the Civil War.
- This indicator was designed to encourage inquiry into the continuities and changes of the experiences of marginalized groups such as African Americans, Native Americans and women, as the U.S. expanded westward and grappled with the development of new states.