Tensions rose in the area after South Carolina seceded from the Union. The Union forces led by Major Anderson left Fort Moultrie for For Sumter because it was more fortified but they began to run out of supplies. In April 1861 the Confederate General Beauregard demanded surrender and when Anderson refused, shots were fired. Almost out of food and ammunition and surrounded in the harbor by Confederate forces, Anderson had to surrender two days later, though no one died during the battle. The next day President Lincoln declared war on the newly formed Confederate states.
Battle flag:
The fort was built after the War of 1812 to defend the US coasts. It was one 50 built as part of the third wave of US forts. It is five-sided with low thick walls made of granite to hold heavy cannons and prevent damage from cannon balls.
The fort was used through World War II, when modern warfare rendered coastal forts obsolete. It was transferred to the National Park Service in 1948.
The bugs out here are pretty fierce- lots of hand waving going on in these photos!
On the boat trip:
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