After breakfast we walked about a mile down to the aquarium. The tour book and online sites had recommended it, but after our trip to the Boston Aquarium, I wasn't expecting much. I would say it was better than the Boston Aquarium, and one of the reasons was because of the amazing view from the upper observation deck that looked out over the harbor. We were able to see a number of dolphins, which was really enjoyable.
We then scheduled an afternoon tour of Fort Sumter. Since we had an hour or so to wait, we grabbed from food from a nearby deli and ate in another garden near the water.
After that it was time for the Fort Sumter tour. We took a boat ride out to Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter is a man-made island that is the location of the first battle of the Civil War. We learned a number of things about the Fort, Charleston, and the Civil War, but I will just share one interesting story here.
As I mentioned, Fort Sumter was the location of the first battle of the Civil War, which is one of the bloodiest battles the United States has experienced. Fort Sumter was a federal fort that the Confederates attacked on April 12, 1861. Anderson, the major overseeing the fort, had only 85 men to defend all of Charleston and limited supplies. A surrender took place about 34 hours after the first shots, and Union forces spent nearly 4 years trying to get it back. As part of the terms of the surrender, Major Anderson requested that his men be able to fire a series of shots acknowledging their surrender of the Fort. During these shots, one solider incorrectly loaded his weapon and accidentally shot off his arm. He died from his injuries. So the first death of one of the bloodiest battles in our country's history was self-inflicted during a surrender.
Below are some pictures from the Fort. The walls used to be more than twice as high in many places.
You were able to see the original cannons and bricks.
You can even see how the cannons were able to be positioned, when you look closely.
After the trip to Fort Sumter, we spent more time walking around Charleston and the outdoor market. Then we headed to a haunted plantation--still not the same as the Haunted Palouse, but they had a number of houses that were entertaining and a fun haunted hayride.
The next morning we got up and headed back to Durham. Overall, Charleston was a nice city with a lot of history and beauty. It made for a great trip.
