Also known as: siege of Charleston.
| Location | Charleston, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Defenses | Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, Battery Wagner, Fort Johnson, and supporting batteries |
| Siege | Prolonged Federal operations, 1863-1865 |
| Notable gun | The Swamp Angel, a heavy Parrott rifle that shelled the city |
A ring of guns
Charleston's defenses formed one of the strongest concentrations of coastal artillery in the Confederacy, with Fort Sumter at the center supported by Fort Moultrie, Battery Wagner, Fort Johnson, and numerous other works and batteries. Federal forces besieging the harbor from 1863 answered with heavy rifled siege artillery emplaced on the surrounding islands.
Among these guns was the Swamp Angel, a large Parrott rifle mounted in the marsh that shelled the city itself at long range before it burst. The prolonged bombardments reduced Fort Sumter to rubble, yet Charleston held until early 1865.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington: GPO, 1880-1901.
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: fort and battlefield references, manuals, and reports.