Request a brochure Civil War Encyclopedia Blue and Gray Trail Civil War in Georgia On the Blue and Gray Trail Civil War by state Today in the Civil War Battles Images Places Feature Stories Links Search Who we are	The Civil War in South Carolina Preston S. Brooks John C. Calhoun Confederate Order of Secession Convention of Seceding States Fort Sumter Robert Barnwell Rhett Star of the West June 22, 1822 Denmark Vesey's plot for a slave rebellion comes to light in Charleston, South Carolina South Carolina July 2, 1822 Freeman Denmark Vesey hung at the gallows, Charleston, South Carolina along with 5 co-conspirators. South Carolina July 14, 1822 Date chosen by freeman Denmark Vesey for a slave revolt South Carolina December 21, 1822 As a result of the Denmark Vesey slave revolt, South Carolina passes a law requiring free Negro sailors to be imprisoned while their ships are in Charleston Harbor South Carolina December 19, 1828 Vice President John C. Calhoun's South Carolina Exposition and Protest is presented to a state house committee formulating a response to the Tariff of 1828 South Carolina   Nullification Crisis   John C. Calhoun October 22, 1832 Governor Hamilton convenes a special session of the legislature, which votes to hold a convention following the upcoming Presidential election on the issue of nullification. South Carolina   Nullification Crisis November 19, 1832 November 24, 1832 Meeting in Columbia, John C. Calhoun and the Nullification convention formulates plans to usurp federal authority. They adopt an Ordinance of Nullification declaring the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 "...null, void and no law." South Carolina   John C. Calhoun   Robert Barnwell Rhett November 22, 1832 General Winfield Scott assumes command of Fort Moultrie with orders to prevent federal property from falling into the hand of the nullifiers South Carolina November 24, 1832 The South Carolina legislature votes to no longer collect the Tariff of Abominations and the Tariff of 1832. South Carolina   Nullification Crisis December 10, 1832 Andrew Jackson issues a proclaimation calling the South Carolina nullification convention "impractical absurdity" South Carolina February 1, 1833 South Carolina's Ordinance of Nullification goes into effect. South Carolina   Nullification Crisis July 29, 1835 Residents of Charleston break into a post office and burn all anti-slavery newspapers on the town square South Carolina March 3, 1843 John C. Calhoun resigns from the Senate to run for President in 1844 South Carolina   John C. Calhoun   Robert Barnwell Rhett March 4, 1850 Too ill to deliver his prepared text to the Senate against Clay's plan, John C. Calhoun listens as Virginia Senator James M. Mason reads the text for him. South Carolina   Speech by John C. Calhoun, March 4, 1850   Compromise of 1850   John C. Calhoun   Henry Clay June 3, 1850 June 12, 1850 Nashville Convention - 9 slave states hold a convention to determine their best course of action if the Compromise of 1850 passes. Louisiana Arkansas North Carolina Florida Texas South Carolina Mississippi Georgia Alabama   Compromise of 1850   Nashville Convention of 1850 [Resolutions]   Nashville Convention of 1850   Robert Barnwell Rhett August 1, 1856 Preston S. Brooks is elected to Congress to fill the vacancy he created by resigning South Carolina   Preston S. Brooks January 27, 1857 Preston S. Brooks dies, Washington, D. C. South Carolina   Preston S. Brooks September 21, 1858 The sloop Niagara leaves Charleston with African slaves rescued from a slave ship South Carolina April 23, 1860 May 3, 1860 The Democratic National Convention, meeting in Charleston, South Carolina, cannot agree on a nominee. The only thing they can agree on is to continue the debate in Baltimore the next month South Carolina   The Election of 1860   1860 Democratic National Convention   1860 Democratic Party Platform October 5, 1860 Governor William Henry Gist notifies other Deep South states that South Carolina is considering secession as an option South Carolina November 5, 1860 Governor Gist sends a message to the Legislature that "...our institutions are in danger from the fixed majorities of the North..." South Carolina November 9, 1860 South Carolina calls for a convention on December 17 to decide if the state should secede from the Union South Carolina November 10, 1860 James Chesnut becomes the first Southerner to resign from the Senate. He is quickly followed by James H. Hammond South Carolina   Civil War Firsts November 23, 1860 Major Robert Anderson reports Fort Sumter is being threatened in Charleston as federal forces begin to improved Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter in the harbor. South Carolina   Fort Sumter   Robert Anderson December 17, 1860 South Carolina Secessionist Convention is called to order. The convention decides unanimously to secede from the United States and appoints a committee to draw up the needed documents. South Carolina   Confederate Order of Secession   Edmund Ruffin December 20, 1860 South Carolina's convention officially approves the Ordinance of Secession South Carolina   Confederate Order of Secession   South Carolina Ordinance of Secession December 20, 1860 Governor Francis Pickens of South Carolina demands President Buchanan relinquish control of Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie. South Carolina   James Buchanan December 20, 1860 Governor Francis W. Pickens takes office South Carolina December 21, 1860 South Carolina representatives withdraw from the U. S. House South Carolina December 22, 1860 South Carolina selects 3 commissioners to arrange for delivery of public lands, including Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter, to the independent state. South Carolina December 26, 1860 Major Robert Anderson transfers his command from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter on his own initiative. He felt it was impossible to hold Fort Moultrie against South Carolina militia. South Carolina   Fort Sumter   Robert Anderson December 31, 1860 Charleston is notified by telegraph that a man of war with troops is on the way South Carolina   Fort Sumter   Star of the West January 9, 1861 Artillery fires on the Star of the West from Morris Island as it crosses into the main entrance channel to Charleston Harbor. As the ship comes about, Fort Moultrie opens fire, also with cannon shot. A mile and a half from Fort Sumter, the ship withdraws. South Carolina   Star of the West   David Farragut   Fort Sumter January 10, 1861 Major Anderson at Fort Sumter receives orders telling him to maintain a defensive position but to defend the fort. South Carolina   Fort Sumter   Robert Anderson January 11, 1861 South Carolina demands the surrender of Fort Sumter. Major Anderson refuses. South Carolina   Fort Sumter   Robert Anderson January 12, 1861 Attorney-general I. W. Hayne leaves Charleston with a demand from Governor Pickens that the federal government surrender Fort Sumter South Carolina   Fort Sumter March 1, 1861 Jefferson Davis orders General P. G. T. Beauregard to Charleston South Carolina   Jefferson Davis   Fort Sumter March 3, 1861 General P. G. T. Beauregard arrives at Charleston and assumes command of Confederate troops South Carolina   P. G. T. Beauregard   Fort Sumter April 6, 1861 Abraham Lincoln sends a message to Governor Pickens informing him that Fort Sumter will be reprovisioned and that if the effort is resisted the fort will be reinforced South Carolina   Fort Sumter   Abraham Lincoln April 7, 1861 P. G. T. Beauregard orders all transports to Fort Sumter cut off. This ended the fort's supply of fresh food South Carolina   P. G. T. Beauregard   Fort Sumter April 11, 1861 Confederates demand the surrender of Fort Sumter South Carolina   Fort Sumter   P. G. T. Beauregard April 12, 1861 April 13, 1861 Beginning at 4:30 am on the 12th and continuing until the morning of the 13th, Confederate batteries along the shore of Charleston Harbor fire on Fort Sumter under the command of Major Robert Anderson. Anderson arranges a surrender with Texas Senator Louis Wigfall on the morning of the 13th. South Carolina   P. G. T. Beauregard   Fort Sumter   Edmund Ruffin   Civil War Firsts   Robert Anderson April 14, 1861 During the formal surrender of Fort Sumter Private Daniel Hough dies when the cannon he was loading (for the Union's 100-gun salute to the U.S. flag) discharges prematurely. He is the first man to die in the Civil War. A second man is mortally wounded. South Carolina   Fort Sumter   Civil War Firsts November 4, 1861 U. S. Navy enters Port Royal Sound South Carolina November 7, 1861 Battle of Port Royal Union naval forces under Flag Officer Samuel DuPont secure an inlet between Charleston and Savannah including the island of Hilton Head South Carolina March 6, 1862 Barnwell Rhett proposes a yellow sun in a blue shield with a ray for each state. It would eliminate the stars and the red, white, and blue combinations of the Yankee flag South Carolina   Robert Barnwell Rhett   Flags of the Civil War June 16, 1862 Battle of Secessionville Battle of Fort Johnson Brigadier General H. W. Benham [US] attacks forces under Brigadier General Nathan "Shanks" Evans near Charleston South Carolina October 30, 1862 Major General Ormsby Mitchel [US] dies from yellow fever, Beaufort South Carolina January 31, 1863 Under cover of fog Confederate ironclads Chicora and Palmetto State raid the federal blockade in Charleston. While some Union ships were damaged, the attack failed to disrupt the blockade South Carolina April 7, 1863 A fleet of 9 Union ironclads under the command of Samuel Dupont sailed into Charleston Harbor and attacked Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter. Sumter is visibly damaged but the Confederate batteries from the shore heavily damage the 9 ironclads and they are forced to withdraw. Naval occupation of the harbor is ruled out. South Carolina   USS New Ironsides   Fort Sumter July 10, 1863 July 11, 1863 Battle of Fort Wagner South Carolina   Quincy A. Gillmore   P. G. T. Beauregard July 10, 1863 Federal forces complete an amphibious landing on Morris Island near the entrance to Charleston Harbor. They will fortify the position over the next 3 weeks South Carolina   Quincy A. Gillmore   Siege of Charleston July 18, 1863 The 54th Massachusetts, comprised primarily of free blacks from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, attack Battery Wagner in Charleston Harbor, losing 30% of their men and forcing Quincey Gillmore to lay siege to the city. The film "Glory" is based on this action. South Carolina   Quincy A. Gillmore   Siege of Charleston August 1, 1863 Federal forces begin a prolonged bombardment of entrenchments around Charleston Harbor South Carolina   Siege of Charleston August 11, 1863 Confederate forces pound Federal entrenchments on Morris Island South Carolina   Siege of Charleston August 12, 1863 Federal batteries on Morris Island open up a "ranging" barrage that will last four days South Carolina   Siege of Charleston August 17, 1863 In an impressive display of firepower, Federal batteries begin heavy shelling of Confederate positions ringing Charleston Harbor including Fort Sumter. Using Parrott rifled cannon including the 200 pound Swamp Angel, the artillery is deadly accurate and easily breaches Sumter, but no assault is forthcoming. Although the initial attack is the heaviest, Federal assaults continue off and on until September, 1864. South Carolina   Fort Sumter   Siege of Charleston September 6, 1863 P. G. T. Beauregard orders Battery Wagner and Morris Island evacuated. The evacuation is accomplished that night. South Carolina   P. G. T. Beauregard   Siege of Charleston October 5, 1863 A torpedo attack on the USS New Ironsides by the CSS David in Charleston Harbor damages the ship, but the New Ironsides remains on duty, without repair until May, 1864. South Carolina   USS New Ironsides October 27, 1863 The second major bombardment of Fort Sumter. The three days of pounding artillery will be the heaviest in the siege of Charleston. South Carolina November 7, 1863 Fort Sumter again falls under heavy shelling. It will last until November 10. South Carolina   Siege of Charleston November 12, 1863 Following a couple of quiet days, federal shelling of Fort Sumter resumes. South Carolina   Siege of Charleston November 20, 1863 Federals began heavy bombardment of Fort Sumter. It will continue, off and on, through December 4. South Carolina   Siege of Charleston February 17, 1864 The CSS Hunley destroys the USS Housatonic with a torpedo in Charleston Harbor. The Housatonic sinks without a loss of life. The Hunley also sinks, killing 9 men South Carolina   Civil War Firsts January 19, 1865 After regrouping in Savannah for a month, William Tecumseh Sherman begins moving north into South Carolina South Carolina   William Tecumseh Sherman February 17, 1865 Sherman captures Columbia. The city is burned, but responsibility for the blaze is still a "hotly" disputed topic. South Carolina   William Tecumseh Sherman February 17, 1865 Charleston is evacuated South Carolina February 18, 1865 Charleston is surrendered South Carolina June 30, 1865 Andrew Johnson names Benjamin F. Perry provisional governor of South Carolina South Carolina   Andrew Johnson April 2, 1866 The United States declares that a state of peace exists with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Alabama Georgia Mississippi Tennessee South Carolina Virginia Florida North Carolina Arkansas Louisiana December 20, 1866 On the 6th anniversary of secession, South Carolina rejects the 14th Amendment South Carolina   14th Amendment June 25, 1868 Congress passes congressional representation for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Louisiana over President Andrew Johnson's veto Alabama Georgia South Carolina Florida North Carolina Louisiana   Andrew Johnson July 9, 1868 South Carolina ratifies the 14th Amendment South Carolina   14th Amendment November 26, 1876 South Carolina election board throws out the presidential results from two western counties, giving Hayes the lead in the state South Carolina   Rutherford B. Hayes August 8, 2000 The C. S. S. Hunley is raised from Charleston Harbor South Carolina
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