Fort Sumter National Monument Army was formed. This site is also the main departure point for tour boats heading to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, which is only accessible by boat. Park rangers and volunteers offer topical programs throughout the week for every boat. The museum at Fort Sumter itself focuses on the activities at the fort, including its construction and role during the American Civil War. The Fort Moultrie Visitor Center is located at 1214 Middle Street, Sullivan's Island across from the fort itself. There is a self-guiding brochure available and interpretive wayside exhibits posted throughout the fort. Guided tours are offered daily
Battle of Fort Sumter the guns fired in a counterclockwise sequence around the harbor, with 2 minutes between each shot; Beauregard wanted to conserve ammunition, which he calculated would last for only 48 hours. Edmund Ruffin, another noted Virginia secessionist, had traveled to Charleston to be present for the beginning of the war, and fired one of the first shots at Sumter after the signal round, a 64-pound shell from the Iron Battery at Cummings Point. The shelling of Fort Sumter from the batteries ringing the harbor awakened Charleston's residents (including diarist Mary Chesnut), who rushed out into the predawn darkness to watch the