Fort Sumter: Anvil of War / Fort Sumter National Monument, South Carolina

Handbook 127
Fort Sumter National Monument South Carolina
Produced by the Division of Publications National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. 1984
Early on the morning of April 12, 1861, a mortar shell fired from Fort Johnson in Charleston Harbor burst almost directly over Fort Sumter, inaugurating the tragic American Civil War. Two years later, Fort Sumter, now in Confederate hands, became the focus of a gallant defense in which determined Confederate soldiers kept Federal land and naval forces at bay for 587 days. The “first shot” of 1861 and the Confederate defense of 1863-65 are the subjects of the following pages. The narrative is based on an earlier work by Frank Barnes, onetime historian at Fort Sumter National Monument.
National Park handbooks, compact introductions to the natural and historical places administered by the National Park Service, are designed to promote public understanding and enjoyment of the parks. Each handbook is intended to be informative reading and a useful guide to park features. More than 100 titles are in print. They are sold at parks and can be purchased by mail from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data : Fort Sumter: anvil of war Bibliography: p. Supt. of Docs. no.: I 29.9/5:127 1. Fort Sumter (Charleston, S.C.)—History. 2. Charleston, (S.C.)—History—Civil War, 1861-1865. 3. Charleston, (S.C.)—Fortifications, military installations, etc. 4. Fort Sumter National Monument Charleston, (S.C.) I. United States. National Park Service. Division of Publications. F279.C48F684 1984 975.7’915 84-600248 ISBN 0-912627-24-7
Kentucky-born Maj. Robert Anderson had never seen Fort Sumter before November 1860, when he was sent to command the Federal forts in Charleston Harbor as the secession crisis mounted. His honorable defense of Fort Sumter in April 1861 made him a national celebrity and linked his name more closely to the place than anyone else’s, including those who planned and spent so many years building it. The painting shows Anderson inside Fort Moultrie, where he was headquartered upon his arrival in Charleston. Fort Sumter lies in the distance.