Near Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Swamp Angel

During the Bombardment

— April 12-14, 1861 —

Swamp Angel Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, May 3, 2010

1. Swamp Angel Marker

Inscription. In 1863 Union forces built a battery about two miles away in the marsh on lower Morris Island (in front of you). They mounted an eight-inch Parrott rifle called the Swamp Angel. This huge gun fired 150-pound shells and was aimed at the city of Charleston five miles away.

The Swamp Angel's first shot at 1:30 a.m. on August 22 caused panic in Charleston. This deliberate bombardment of a civilian population shattered the city's security. The Swamp Angel's brief career ended abruptly the following day when the overcharged gun burst while firing its 36th round. Other guns soon took its place, and the bombardment of Charleston continued intermittently for the next 18 months.

Erected 1932 by Fort Sumter National Monument - South Carolina - National Park Service - U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1863.

Location. 32° 45.117′ N, 79° 52.481′ W. Marker is near Charleston, South Carolina, in Charleston County. It can be reached from the Fort Sumter Ferry Terminal. 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.

Regionally, this marker is in Historic Charleston

and in the Lowcountry.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers.

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fort Sumter Bombarded (a few steps from this marker); Mountain Howitzer (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Morris Island (within shouting distance of this marker); Night Attack (within shouting distance of this marker); Major Robert Anderson (within shouting distance of this marker); Flags of the Fort (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Johnson (within shouting distance of this marker); Star of the West (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charleston.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Morris Island (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

More about this marker. The marker displays a wartime photo showing, After bursting, the Swamp Angel's barrel lies dismounted on the parapet.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 4, 2013

2. Swamp Angel Marker

Markers at the Southwest Corner of Fort Sumter image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, May 3, 2010

3. Markers at the Southwest Corner of Fort Sumter

Marsh Behind Morris Island image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, May 3, 2010

4. Marsh Behind Morris Island

Looking from the fort in the direction of the battery location. The site today is entirely surrounded by marsh.

Swamp Angel Today image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, February 27, 2010

5. Swamp Angel Today

After the Civil War, the Swamp Angel was purchased for scrap iron by the Phoenix Iron Works in Trenton, N.J., but was saved before it could be melted down. It was placed in Cadwalader Park in Trenton on April 12, 1961, the 100th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

The Swamp Angel in Cadwalader Park, Trenton, NJ. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, February 27, 2010

6. The Swamp Angel in Cadwalader Park, Trenton, NJ.

Swamp Angel Artillery Sighting Level and Quadrant image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 9, 2013

7. Swamp Angel Artillery Sighting Level and Quadrant

These artifacts from the Swamp Angel can be viewed at the Confederate Relic Room in Columbia, SC.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 4, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 3,587 times since then and 103 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 4, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on August 4, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3, 4. submitted on May 4, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 5, 6. submitted on May 11, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 7. submitted on August 24, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.