Near Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Charleston Besieged
Fort Sumter National Monument
South Carolina
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Craig Swain, May 3, 2010
1. Charleston Besieged Marker
In 1861 the port of Charleston prospered. Keeping the city open to trade was crucial for Confederate survival. Confederate forts in Charleston Harbor - including Fort Sumter - protected Charleston throughout the war despite Union blockade, warship attack, and two years of bombardment and siege.
Despite military conflict in the harbor, relative peace prevailed in the city until 1863, when Union forces captured nearby Morris Island and began shelling Charleston. This was a deliberate bombardment of civilians; the North hated Charleston for leading the secessionist movement and firing the first shots of the war. The Union bombardment, along with a devastating fire in 1861 and other fires set by evacuating Southern forces in February 1865, destroyed much of the lower city.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1865.
Location. 32° 45.14′ N, 79° 52.482′ 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
this page online
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: Fort Johnson (here, next to this marker); Fort Moultrie (a few steps from this marker); Flags of the Fort (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Morris Island (a few steps from this marker); Fort Sumter Today (a few steps from this marker); Fort Sumter 1861-65 (a few steps from this marker); Battery Huger (a few steps from this marker); Major Robert Anderson (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charleston.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Morris Island (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
More about this marker. In the lower half of the marker is a contemporary sketch showing the Citizens of Charleston watch as ironclad Union warships attack Fort Sumter on April 7, 1863. In the upper right is a photo of Charleston shortly after the 1865 evacuation. February 1865, looking south down Meeting Street: "A city of ruins, of desolation, of vacant houses, of widowed women, of rotting wharves, of deserted warehouses, of wee-wild gardens, of miles of grass-grown streets, of acres
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 4, 2013
2. Charleston Besieged Marker
Photographed by Craig Swain, May 3, 2010
3. Markers Overlooking Charleston Harbor
Photographed by Craig Swain, May 3, 2010
4. Charleston's Waterfront
Looking from the ferry-boat returning from Fort Sumter. Charleston's storied downtown area survived the war, and revived afterwords to once again become a thriving seaport.
Photographed by Brandon Fletcher, February 18, 2010
5. Charleston in Distance
Credits. This page was last revised on May 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 16, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,489 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 16, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on August 18, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3, 4. submitted on May 16, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 5. submitted on August 10, 2015, by Brandon Fletcher of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
