Expedition Team: Dave Miller
Date: November 23, 2025
The historical fort was the site of the opening shots of the Civil War fired on April 12, 1861. Originally, the fort was built in 1829, one of a series of coastal fortifications built by the US after the War of 1812. A mortar shell fired from Fort Johnson in Charleston burst over Fort Sumter igniting the conflict. After a 34-hour fight with no fatalities, the Union troops agreed to terms of evacuation. During Union bombardment of the fort in 1964 & 1865, 52 Confederate soldiers were killed in the fort…