Being the first to secede from the Union, South Carolinians were not happy with the Union forces residing on their coast at Fort Sumter. Though, the Union forces had been asked to vacate Fort Sumter, they were waiting on supplies and orders from Washington.
Tired of the delay, on April 12, 1861 at 3:20 am, the Confederate forces surrounded the fort with various cannons and guns. The Union’s commanding officer inside Fort Sumter was told that within one hour, the firing would begin.
In the early morning hours just 150 years ago, the first shots of America’s bloody Civil War were fired. The battle continued for 34 hours, but the Federal forces did not have sufficient supplies to fight to win. While the battle raged, the ship bringing the Fort supplies attempted to gain access to the harbor. The Confederate forces held the ship away from the Fort.
Bravely, the Union forces held the fort until the gates and their quarters were burned and the fort’s outer walls badly damaged. Neither side lost any men during the fighting, however the Union forces suffered a loss during the 100 gun salute to the Union flag – their one stipulation when surrendering the fort. Some shells exploded killing one of the Union soldiers.
This 34 hour conflict began a sad time of our nation’s history. But, we need to remember and to honor those who fought and contributed to the nation’s subsequent strength.
In 1995, the US Mint provided three different coins recognizing the history of the Civil War and the importance of preserving the battlefields on which the soldiers fought. The clad half dollar, the silver dollar and the gold five dollar coins are beautiful reminders of a time that helped shape the nation.
The clad half dollar’s obverse shows a drummer. Without today’s varieties of communication, the drummers, often young boys, played an important role in communicating the commanding officers’ orders to the troops.
The clad half dollar’s reverse shows a beautiful valley with its farmhouse and split rail fence along the valley floor and the cannon keeping watch above.
The silver dollar shows men, boys really, from opposite sides of the war with one helping the other with a drink from his canteen.
The silver dollar’s reverse includes a quote from Joshua Chamberlain – very appropriate for our battlefields.
For the gold five dollar coin, the obverse shows a bugler astride his horse. These men helped marshal the forces for battle.
The reverse of the gold five dollar coin shows an eagle standing on the olive branch, arrows and shield with a banner in its beak stating, “Let us protect and preserve.”
Though a sad and bloody time in our history, these coins help us remember those who struggled while we were a divided nation.