Near Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Fort Johnson
Photographed By Craig Swain, May 3, 2010
1. Fort Johnson Marker
Across the harbor directly in front of you lies Fort Johnson. From Fort Johnson came the shot that began the Civil War.
If a Union soldier at Fort Sumter looked toward Fort Johnson at 4:30 a.m., April 12, 1861, he would have seen an ominous flash as a mortar fired. The shell arched high across the sky, and upon reaching Fort Sumter, burst almost directly overhead. That mortar shot from Fort Johnson was the signal for Confederate batteries around Charleston Harbor to open fire on Fort Sumter. The Civil War had begun.
(Caption under Illustration at Right):
South Carolina troops man batteries at Fort Johnson, April 12, 1861. After Fort Johnson's opening shot at 4:30 a.m., all the Confederate batteries opened fire and bombarded Fort Sumter for 34 hours, firing more than 3,000 shells. Fort Sumter fired back with little effect.
The Union commander, Major Robert Anderson, would not risk his men on Sumter's open parapet to man the largest guns. On April 13, Confederate shelling endangered Fort Sumter's powder magazine and Anderson surrendered.
Erected by Fort Sumter National Monument, South Carolina - National Park Service - U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles
this page online
Location. 32° 45.139′ N, 79° 52.483′ W. Marker is near Charleston, South Carolina, in Charleston County. Marker is located at Fort Sumter National Monument and only reached by boat. See links below for more information about access to the site. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Charleston SC 29412, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Charleston Besieged (here, next to this marker); Morris Island (a few steps from this marker); Fort Moultrie (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Morris Island (a few steps from this marker); Flags of the Fort (a few steps from this marker); Battery Huger (a few steps from this marker); Fort Sumter 1861-65 (a few steps from this marker); Fort Sumter Today (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charleston.
More about this marker. On the right side of the marker is an illustration depicting the bombardment of Fort Sumter in 1861. On the left is a photo taken at the end of the war. Fort Johnson, 1865. Fort Sumter is visible in the distance, 1.3 miles away. The Confederates held Fort Johnson throughout the Civil War.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 4, 2013
2. Fort Johnson Marker
Photographed By Craig Swain
3. Markers Overlooking Charleston Harbor
Photographed By Craig Swain, May 4, 2010
4. Fort Sumter Seen from Fort Johnson Today
Confederates placed several large caliber cannons at Fort Johnson to both support Fort Sumter and further command the harbor entrance. The wartime photo on the marker shows many of those weapons at the end of the war, intact but with damaged carriages.
Photographed By Craig Swain, May 3, 2010
5. First Shot
Diorama in the Fort Sumter museum depicting the first shot of the Civil War.
Photographed By Brandon Fletcher
6. Fort Johnson
[Charleston, S.C. Battery of Confederate Fort Johnson; Fort Sumter in distance]
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Credits. This page was last revised on October 27, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 17, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,617 times since then and 72 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 17, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on August 18, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3. submitted on May 16, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 4, 5. submitted on May 17, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 6. submitted on August 10, 2015, by Brandon Fletcher of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
