Charleston, and the Fall of Ft. Sumter

(Naval Weapons Station, Charleston, SC) Hi 75 Lo 58 - We got up early enough to get a good breakfast and do our morning routine before heading to Charleston. It was a beautiful day, with sunny skies and a slightly cool breeze. Rather than take the interstate (I-26) into town we took the "scenic" route on US 52. I can't say it was very scenic through North Charleston. Old, run down, and very industrial. But as we made our way into Charleston itself, the surroundings became much more attractive. We wound our way through town to the waterfront pier next to the SC Aquarium, where we were to catch the noon ferry to Ft. Sumter. (Click on photos to enlarge)

Our visit to Charleston this week ended up being very timely. Today is the 150th anniversary of the surrender of Ft. Sumter, and there was to be a commemoration and re-enactment of the surrender when we got to the fort. This gentleman greeted us at the visitor's center prior to boarding the ferry.

It turns out he's a full time RV'er who volunteers at various Civil War National Sites in exchange for free camping. Nice guy.

The trip across Charleston Harbor took about 35 minutes, and it was a beautiful trip. We passed by the huge bridge over the Cooper River.

Ft. Sumter sits on an island in the middle of the inlet.

As we were guided to the parade ground in the center of the fort, we saw the Union troops lined up on one side...

And the Confederate troops lined up across from them.

Confederate forces fired on Ft. Sumter on the morning of April 12, 1861. It was the first shot fired in the Civil War. The Union troops were out-numbered, and after just over 30 hours of fighting they surrendered. Up until that time the American flag (consisting of 33 stars) flew over the fort. (Note the colorful sundog that happened to make an appearance at the perfect time.)

The American flag was lowered and the new flag of the Confederate States of America was raised over the fort.

There was no provisions made for taking prisoners of war at that time, so the Union soldiers were permitted to take their flag and board a ship for New York City.

Here are some views of the fort. About 90% of the bricks are original, as are many of the cannons.

This area outside the fort was where the reenactors spent their down time between shows. We talked to a few of them and they said they even ate the same foods they ate back in the 1860's.

We spent about an hour at the fort, and it was a very moving experience. It was amazing to think that the war that claimed over 600,000 American lives started on this site!

We boarded the ferry and returned to Charleston. We were really hungry, so we drove a short ways to Gilligan's Seafood Restaurant for "linner" (a late lunch/early dinner). The food was excellent, but a bit pricey. Oh well, we're kind of on vacation anyway. :)

After our wonderful meal we drove to the Battery area on the southern tip of the Charleston peninsula. That part of Charleston is beautiful, with very large southern plantation-style homes all lined up facing the harbor. We walked along a raised sidewalk right on the water and just marveled at the beautiful homes.

Battery Park is in that same area, with some of the cannons that were used to defend Charleston during the Civil War.

The rest of the park was beautiful, with many tree-lined lanes.

Jim couldn't leave Charleston without seeing the campus of The Citadel. It's a very exclusive military school that was in the news some years ago for resisting the pressure to admit women. The buildings on the campus are all very similar, and their architecture looks a little like old European castles.

We saw many cadets (including women) walking around in uniform. There were also three who were running in combat gear with packs and rifles, and when they got to a grass area they would crawl on their hands and knees. Jim thinks they were being punished for something they did wrong. It was amusing to watch.

I mentioned above the sun dog we saw while at the fort. At the same time we saw this other type of sun dog, which was a ring around the sun. That sometimes means bad weather coming.  We'll see...

So ended our first day's visit to Charleston. It was very enjoyable, and also very informative. Tomorrow we're making another visit. I'll leave you with this clue as to what we'll be seeing.

Be sure to check back tomorrow!