This Day in Charleston History: April 7, 1863 – Second Battle on Fort Sumter

Summary of Events – April 7, 1863

In April, Major General David Hunter prepared his land forces on Folly, Cole’s, and North Edisto Islands to cooperate with a naval bombardment of Fort Sumter.

On April 7, 1863, the South Atlantic Squadron under Rear Admiral S.F. Du Pont bombarded Fort Sumter, having little impact on the Confederate defenses of Charleston Harbor. Although several of Hunter’s units had embarked on transports, the infantry were not landed, and the joint operation was abandoned.

The ironclad warships Keokuk, Weehawken, Passaic, Montauk, Patapsco, New Ironsides, Catskill, Nantucket, and Nahant participated in the bombardment.  Keokuk, struck more than 90 times by the accurate Confederate fire, sunk the next day.

One of the ironclads was commanded by Percival Drayton, a Charleston native, who fought for the Union. (Drayton’s brother, a Confederate general, had commanded the Southern forces that were defeated at the Battle of Port Royal by a Union fleet and soldiers that included Percival Drayton.

Casualties were slight: 1 killed and 21 wounded for the Union and 5 killed and 8 wounded for the Confederates. Dupont and his captains decided not to renew the attack the next day. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles was appalled, and Dupont was relieved from command on July 5, 1863.