ShareThisThe nation's bloodiest war started with a historic battle in which no one died.
The Civil War, our deadliest conflict, one that would end with some 620,000 fatalities, began here on April 12, 1861.
"Battle" may be too strong a word. It was actually a siege, and a short-lived one, but it turned what had been a war of words into a bloody four-year conflict that threatened the fabric of the United States -- a country yet to celebrate its centennial.
Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th president without a single electoral vote from a Southern state. To Southerners, it was a sure sign that their slave-holding rights were not long for this world.
Even before Lincoln was sworn in, South Carolina took the first step, seceding from the Union on Dec. 20, 1860.
By the time Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, 1861, the Confederate States of America had formed. South Carolina had been joined by Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Georgia.
Lincoln became commander in chief of an army that had already lost control of virtually every federal fort and naval yard in the South.
One that remained was Fort Sumter, where Maj. Robert Anderson had holed up with some 85 artillerymen, starting in late December 1860. Twice, once under President James Buchanan and then again under Lincoln, the government tried to resupply the isolated troops. The first attempt failed when shore batteries drove off the resupply ships. The second time was in early April 1961, and that's when the fort took its spot in the annals of U.S. history.
Early on the morning of April 11, Confederate artillery, after a warning had been given, opened fire. Federal troops were overmatched from the start. In short order, the Federals were down to just six cannons. On the morning of April 13, a Confederate shell ignited the officers' quarters. A few hours later, the flagstaff was blown away. Anderson sought a truce.
The "battle" lasted but 34 hours. On April 14, Anderson and his men marched out of Fort Sumter, boarded a Union ship and headed to New York.
That encounter may be the most famous, but there's more to the fort's history.
"Many people look at Fort Sumter's history as being limited to the events of April 12-14, 1861 (the bombardment that began the Civil War), but the fort's historical significance goes beyond that into 1863-64 when Confederate forces held Sumter despite difficult conditions and almost constant bombardment from Union forces on Morris Island," said Jennifer M. Zoebelein, a park guide at the Fort Sumter National Monument.
"While stationed at the fort, these men are never defeated and never surrendered, and in doing so helped strengthen the resolve of Southerners to keep up the fight."
The fort was modified during the brief Spanish-American War at the turn of the 20th century with Battery Huger being added. During World War I, Battery Huger was outfitted with 90mm antiaircraft guns. Today, the huge fortresslike Battery Huger dominates the inside of the fort and includes a small museum.
"In the slower months, I'll often take visitors around and point out items like the powder magazine, which has completely shifted off its foundation due to the explosion there in December 1863; or the outline of the set of stairs in the center stair tower once located at the point of the fort between the left and right face side," Zoebelein said.
"Little things like this give people an inside look at the fort and let them know that although Sumter is a ruin, there are still remnants of original features left to see."
The historic fort is situated in the middle of Charleston Harbor. It is only accessible by boat. The Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center is a new state-of-the-art facility located in Liberty Square in downtown Charleston. It is the main ferry departure site for those visiting the fort.
While admission to the fort and visitor center on the mainland is free, the only way to access the fort is via ferry. Tickets for the 25-30-minute ride are $15 for adults, $13.50 for seniors and $9 for children 6-11. Children under 6 are free.
Once at the fort, visitors have one hour to check out the ruins. Here's a tip: The only way on and off the ferry is from the top deck. Position yourself near the exit to get the most of your time at the fort.
For more information, visit www.nps.gov/fosu/. For information on the ferry, check out http://www.spiritlinecruises.com/sumter_overview.asp.
(Bill Wagner, as Babe Waxpak, also writes the weekly ASKBABE sports-collectibles column for Scripps Howard News Service.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
