Battle of Gloucester Point (1861) Battle of Gloucester Point (1861) The Battle of Gloucester Point, Virginia was an inconclusive exchange of cannon fire between a shore battery on the York River which was manned by Virginia (soon to be Confederate) forces and the Union gunboat USS "Yankee". The action occurred on May 7, 1861, three weeks after the start of the American Civil War (Civil War) at Fort Sumter in the harbor at Charleston, South Carolina on April 14, 1861. The Gloucester Point engagement is notable as the earliest exchange of gunfire between the Union Navy and organized Rebel (Confederate) forces after the U.S. Army
Edward Galloway United States Artillery Regiment. In January 1861, the regiment was relocated to Fort Sumter, where it would be stationed until the Battle of Fort Sumter in April of the same year. On April 12, 1861, Fort Sumter came under attack. It is unknown where Galloway served during the battle, but along with the rest of the garrison, he came through the battle unscathed and was present on April 14 during the 100-gun salute to the flag after the surrender, stationed at the 47th gun along with Private Daniel Hough. While Hough was loading the gun, a spark in the barrel