CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Cannons will boom in the wee hours around Charleston Harbor, recreating the bombardment of Fort Sumter that plunged the nation into the Civil War on April 12, 1861.
The South Carolina ceremony Tuesday begins the four-year national commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the nation's bloodiest war.
Around 4 a.m. Tuesday, a single beam of light was aimed skyward from Fort Sumter. Then about half-hour later — around the time of the first shots of the war — the beam split into two beams, signifying a nation torn in two.
The war resulted in more than 600,000 deaths, although during the bombardment of Sumter only a Confederate officer's horse was killed.
Union troops in the fort surrendered after absorbing 36 hours of Confederate shells.
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7 comments:
Man, glad we got past that!
A long and nasty war!
Wondering if I can find a way to get to Gettysburg in 2013...
You would love all of the historic places in Virginia. Tons of them. I have never been to Gettysburg myself. I was born near Washington and Lee University in Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley.
The Shenandoah Valley was a VERY busy place in the Civil War too, of course!
I'll get there one day!
The War of Northern Aggression was a long and bloody war.
I went to Gettysburg. All I can say is "Wow!"
I went to where New Hampshire fought and died.
Jay - Hah, no hiding your sentiments! I have a lot of sympathy for The South. Those states joined believing that they had the right to leave whenever they wanted to...
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