• Currier & Ives lithograph depicting the bombardment of Fort Sumter

    Fort Sumter

    National Monument South Carolina

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  • Fort Sumter Elevators Out Of Service

    The elevators at Fort Sumter are out of service until further notice. Disabled visitors departing from Liberty Square will have access to restrooms on board the ferry boat while at Fort Sumter. For more information, please call (843) 883-3123.

Fort Sumter Handbook

Fort Sumter Handbook
Fort Sumter – Anvil of War recounts Fort Sumter’s role in the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 and in the Confederate defense of Charleston Harbor from 1863-65. Based on onetime Fort Sumter Historian Frank Barnes' earlier work, this official park handbook is available for purchase from Eastern National, a non-profit cooperating association. A percentage of proceeds from the sale of this handbook are donated to Fort Sumter National Monument’s interpretive programs.

To order your own copy, send e-mail that includes your name, telephone number, and mention the Fort Sumter Handbook. A bookstore manager will contact you. Do not include credit card information in your e-mail.

Did You Know?

Artist's rendition of the opening shot of the American Civil War with Fort Sumter in the distance.

The first shot of the American Civil War didn't hit anything. It was a 10-inch mortar shell, fired from Fort Johnson, that exploded above Fort Sumter as a signal for Confederate artillery to open fire on the Union-held fort. Fort Sumter National Monument, SC