Travel Photography Photos tagged as forts
The only way to access the main gate is through the Demilune, so it is fairly protected.
This has obviously been restored from all the damage the fort suffered during the Civil War.
There are two draw bridges that must be crossed to get to the fort, this one to cross to the Demilune, and another to cross from the Demilune to the main gate.
The main gate and fort are hidden behind this point. During the Civil War, it was not raised as it is now.
A portion of the exterior wall of the main fort and the moat
Fort Sumpter was originally three stories, 50' above the water. It was reduced to one story after being shelled during the civil war.
A lot of the brick damage is visible in the interior walls.
Only one story remains of the original three story brick walls.
Some shells are still embedded in the walls, left over from the Civil War.
This shows how close the fort is to one of the shorelines.
The map shows Fort Sumpter, located towards the left in the center, and other forts and defensive positions around Charleston Harbor during the Civil War.
A view of the yard, walls and ferry at Fort Sumpter, in Charleston Harbor
Many of the casemates and cannon in Fort Sumpter were badly damaged during the Union seige later in the Civil War to retake the fort, ultimately successful.
This is a view as the ferry approached the fort. The black, concrete bunker in the center was added later. Exterior walls were originally three stories high.
The earliest settlers were very concerned about the Spanish, who also claimed the eastern coast. Defensive earthworks were an early part of their settlement.
This is the ramp from the Ferry dock to Fort Sumpter's entrance. Keep in mind it was three stories tall before the Civil War.
Rifled cannon made masonery forts obsolete.
Part of a life sized diarama of enlisted mens quarters as it may have appeared during the civil war.
The signage in this museum was excellant. This one explains what rifling is.
One of the old casemates is set up as an example of how soldiers lived during WWII.
You can see a slight view of the ocean from the top of the fort.