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

Fort Sumter Bombarded

Photographed by Craig Swain, May 3, 2010

1. Fort Sumter Bombarded Marker

Inscription. The lighthouse in the distance marks the southern tip of Morris Island. In July,1863, Union troops landed there and advanced two-thirds of the way up the island to a Confederate stronghold known as Battery Wagner. Unable to capture the battery by direct assault, they brought up heavy guns, and after two months drove the defenders out. Union artillerists then set up powerful siege batteries at Cummings Point (directly ahead of you) and from there shelled Fort Sumter at point-blank range, reducing its once proud walls to a mere pile of rubble. Ironically, the more they damaged the walls the stronger they became. Slaves piled up the debris into huge breastworks, twenty feet thick, and reinforced them with cotton bales, sandbags, and other material, rendering the fort impregnable to artillery.

Erected 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 July 1863.

Location. 32° 45.121′ N, 79° 52.489′ 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

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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. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Swamp Angel (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Morris Island (within shouting distance of this marker); The Garrison Defending Fort Sumter (within shouting distance of this marker); Gorge Wall (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Johnson (within shouting distance of this marker); Charleston Besieged (within shouting distance of this marker); Flags of the Fort (within shouting distance of this marker); Major Robert Anderson (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 drawing of Fort Sumter, made in 1861, and compares to a photograph of the fort taken in 1863.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 4, 2013

2. Fort Sumter Bombarded Marker

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

Photographed by Craig Swain

3. Markers at the Southwest Corner of Fort Sumter

Cummings Point image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, May 3, 2010

4. Cummings Point

Morris Island, including the portion where Battery Wagner was sited, has eroded away since the Civil War. The day this photo was taken a storm was blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean, and the lighthouse was barely visible, just right of center, in the far distance.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 5, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,366 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 5, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on August 4, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3. submitted on May 4, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 4. submitted on May 5, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.