The Three Gun Battery of Fort Sumter

The "Three Gun Battery" of Fort Sumter photographed in 1865 - Library of Congress

Conrad Wise Chapman - "Fort Sumter Gun Gallery, Dec. 8, 1863" via Wikimedia

Fort Sumter, December 9th 1863, Interior view of Three Gun Battery - Library of Congress

Fort Sumter, even though reduced to rubble by heavy bombardments in 1863, continued to be an obstacle to US Navy efforts to take the city of Charleston. In October 1863, three intact casemates at the Fort were rearmed with a heavy battery.

John Johnson, an engineer who had taken part in Charleston's defense, wrote in 1890 "Four of the lower casemates on the north-eastern front, next to the eastern angle, had been so covered from the Morris Island batteries by the mass of the sea-front as to escape with but little damage from reverse fire, though they had been injured externally by the monitors. It was advised that these case mates should be now made perfectly secure against the fire in reverse by throwing up a massive protection of sand and debris, so as to close their arches opening on the parade, and then that they should be armed with heavy guns to cross fire with the batteries of Sullivan's Island bearing on the channel and guarding its obstructions. After inspecting with particular care the condition of the piers and arches, the engineers pronounced favorably on the plan, and worked upon it until it was executed. But this was not done immediately, as the great difficulty was to provide for the necessary ventilation of the battery and at the same time guard against descending mortar-shells. However, by the middle of October sufficient protection had been given to warrant the mounting of guns, and two 10-inch columbiads, with one banded and rifled 42-pounder, were placed in position. This “ three-gun battery ” as it was called, was afterward strengthened by a cribwork of pine and palmetto logs on the exterior of the wall, which had been much battered by the naval fire; and it continued to the end to be an effective adjunct to the defense of the channel, although its guns were never brought into action."

This three-gun battery was all but invulnerable to US Army fire from Morris Island. If this battery could be removed, a US Navy attack might be able to push through the mile-width of the channel keeping the formidable batteries on Sullivan's Island at a distance by keeping as near to Sumter as possible. However, with the battery in place, it could cover the obstructions and mines, hampering US Navy efforts to clear them under fire. Subsequent US Navy attacks on the fort seem to have been conducted with the goal of destroying the battery without coming into the field of fire of its three cannons.

A painting and an illustration show similar views of the battery in 1863. The painting by Conrad Wise Chapman is perhaps more evocative with the sleeping soldier. The illustration looks, to my eyes, a bit more likely to be correct in its detail of the casemate carriages.

The structure built on the exterior of the fort, with its palmetto logs and sand construction, was intended to give the area a bit more resistance to the 15-Inch shot which would be fired by US Navy monitors which would be tasked with destroying it. Intentionally or not, the palmetto logs and sand also invoked the 1776 Fort Sullivan which repulsed a Royal Navy squadron - an event commemorated on South Carolina's state flag.

Visitors to the fort today may visit the area of the three-gun battery. The right side (as viewed from inside the fort) of the casemates mounting the 100-Pounder Parrott Rifles are where this battery was located.

It is possible that some of the cannons which formed this battery may also be visited. Warren Ripley, writing a booklet on "The Battery" at White Point Garden in the 1970s, wrote that the two 10-Inch Confederate Columbiads now mounted at White Point Garden had come from Fort Sumter and were therefore the two from the "Three Gun Battery" at Fort Sumter. Mike Ryan's excellent 1997 paper "The Historic Guns of Forts Sumter and Moultrie" notes that US Army Ordnance reports in the post-war era list four 10-Inch Confederate Columbiads at the fort until the last years of the 19th Century. Two were indeed sent to White Point Garden, but two ended up elsewhere. Ryan speculated that the other two may be the pair at Magnolia Cemetery. Of the rifled and banded 42-Pounder, it is possible that the example which is still at Fort Sumter was the cannon in question, but there were a total of four listed at the fort post-war.

Detail of an 1865 Map produced on the orders of Admiral Dahlgren showing the approach to Charleston Harbor and the batteries which opposed US Navy efforts to take the city.

The right side of this photo shows the approximate location of the "Three Gun Battery" at Fort Sumter. The channel with Fort Moultrie in the distance can be seen in the background

10-Inch Confederate Columbiad manufactured by Bellona at White Point Garden - with a Tredegar manufactured Columbiad in the background. It is possible that one or both of these cannons were in the "Three Gun Battery". More photos of these cannons can be found here: https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/10-inch-confederate-columbiads-at-white-point-garden

The Tredegar 10-Inch Columbiad at White Point Garden

Two 10-Inch Columbiads (near Tredegar, far Bellona) at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston. Ryan speculated that these may have also come from Sumter and may be contenders for cannons mounted in the "Three Gun Battery". More photos of these cannons may be found here: https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/the-columbiads-of-magnolia-cemetery

This rifled and banded 42-Pounder at Fort Sumter is the one which remains at the fort. Four were present through much of the post-war era. More photos of this cannon can be found here: https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/model-1845-42-pounders-at-fort-sumter

The right side of the north east face of the fort was the location of the "Three Gun Battery." These casemates have mounted 100-Pounder Parrott Rifles since the 1870s.

Additional information on Fort Sumter may be found here: https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/tag/Fort+Sumter