The Siege of Charleston During the Civil War
By Patricia Gregory. Published in Gateway to Historic Charleston
The central role of Charleston during the Civil War* has been captured in fiction from books to movies. But none are more dramatic than the true account. It was here that the first shots were fired, the most successful blockade runners operated, and a determined defense over four years gained the respect of even the enemy. In his annual report of 1865, U. S. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles called it “the most invulnerable and best-protected city on the coast, whose defenses had cost immense treasure and labor.”
The distinguished engineer, Dr. Johnson, summarized the historic significance of this ‘modern’ defense. “The military operations by land and water before Charleston, South Carolina, especially from the spring of 1863 to the close of the Civil War in 1865, engaged the attention of the world to a more than ordinary degree. They were characterized by an attack involving two novel elements of warfare—the use of armored vessels and of breaching rifles, and by a defense peculiar in respect of harbor obstruction with torpedo devices, active and passive.”
The move for secession began during the National Democratic Convention held in Charleston in April of 1860. December 20th of that year, South Carolina became the first state to formally pass an Ordinance of Secession. Word spread quickly throughout the city. The Charleston Mercury had its now famous extra edition on the street within fifteen minutes of passage. The first hostile shots were fired by South Carolina troops in January of 1861 to warn off the “Star of the West” as it attempted to reinforce Fort Sumter then held by Union forces. But most historians trace the beginning of the war to April 12th, 1861 when Confederate troops fired on the fort. Hostilities almost began twice before that. During the “Star of the West” incident, one Union wife had to be forcibly restrained from returning fire from Fort Sumter herself. During the early months of 1861, local troops had prepared and threatened by firing blanks toward Fort Sumter. On one occasion, a ‘live’ round was fired. A Citadel cadet questioned about the incident said he was just trying to break the boredom. Apologies were sent to Major Anderson.
A young girl, Emma Holmes, described the first day’s battle in her diary of April 12th. “Beauregard went a second time last night at ten to urge the surrender but Anderson refused. The first time Anderson said if the fort was not battered he would have to surrender in three days for want of food. All last night the troops were under arms and at half past four this morning the heavy booming of cannon woke the city from its slumbers. The Battery was soon thronged with anxious hearts, and all day long they have continued—a dense, quiet, orderly mass—but not a sign of fear or anguish is seen. Everybody seems relieved that what has been so long dreaded has come at last, and so confident of victory that they seem not to think of the danger to their friends. Everybody seems calm and grave.”
Most of the battles of the war took place in Charleston’s harbor and on surrounding islands, including land battles on James Island. Sec. Welles marveled that Confederates were able to rebuild Fort Sumter under fire after it had been completely demolished and then held the fort for twelve more months. Shelling of the fort was extensive; some 27,000 projectiles were fired on the fort between August of 1862 and the end of 1863; 19,808 struck their target. Amazingly, only 38 men had been killed at the fort during that period. Another 142 were wounded.
Early in the war, the federal government attempted to thwart the successful blockade runners by clogging the harbor with the “Stone Fleet.” Twenty-five hulks of former whaling vessels loaded with 6,000 tons of stone were sunk in Charleston’s harbor to block the channels. The project was a dismal failure, as the wrecks only served to deepen the channels and actually improved the harbor. The action won the condemnation of both England and France, countries which had once maintained a brisk trade with Charleston and hoped to again.
Some of the worst damage to the peninsula city was sustained in August of 1863 when a two-hundred-pound Parrot Rifle, dubbed the “Swamp Angel,” fired shot and combustible liquid on the city from Morris Island, beginning at one o’clock in the morning. The bombardment continued for two days when the gun misfired and burst.
On James and Related Sea Islands, author James P. Hayes describes one of the most daring feats of Charleston’s defense, the salvage of two large turret guns from the wreck of the U.S.S. Keokuk, an ironclad sunk off the shores of Morris Island. The work was completed within sight of Union ships working against tides and exhaustion. These two guns were a welcome addition to the Confederate arsenal, always short of weapons. One was used at Fort Sumter and later destroyed when Confederate troops abandoned the fort. The second was used on Sullivan’s Island at Battery Bee. It was moved to the Battery as a monument in 1899.
The city was never actually taken by Union forces. It was evacuated on February 17th, 1865, only after Confederate troops were called to make a united stand against the advancing forces of General William T. Sherman. Some people will tell you that the local population never has surrendered.