Fort Sumter National Monument

Fort Sumter and Bull Run Stamps Will Lead Off Civil War 150th Anniversary Commemorative Series

In April the Postal Service will issue stamps commemorating the 150th anniversary of two important Civil War events, the beginning of the war and the first great land battle. National parks preserve both sites.

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By Bob Janiskee - January 4th, 2011 4:15am

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Are You a Fan of Lighthouses? National Lighthouse Day is Coming Up

National Lighthouse Day is being observed around the country on August 7, and there are some excellent examples of those beacons in NPS areas. Some parks will host special events this weekend; one of them is more often associated with a famous battle than a lighthouse.

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By Jim Burnett - August 6th, 2009 7:40am

“Uncle Bob,” Said Brian, “I Would Really, Really Like to See Fort Sumter”

Nephew Brian, a Civil War fan of the first order, was keen to see Fort Sumter. So when he visited me in my South Carolina home, we jumped in my car, drove to Charleston, boarded a boat, and headed into the harbor. And there he saw Fort Sumter.

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By Bob Janiskee - July 27th, 2009 2:02pm

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To Make “Glory,” Hollywood Moved the Atlantic Ocean

Battle scenes from the movie “Glory” highlighted Fort Sumter National Monument’s recent commemoration of the 146th anniversary of the assault on Battery Wagner by the 54th Massachusetts, the Civil War’s most famous African American unit. The Atlantic Ocean was not where it was supposed to be, however, and that took a little explaining.

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By Bob Janiskee - July 23rd, 2009 7:52pm

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Dead Whales On a Sullivan's Island Beach Remind Us That There’s No Such Place as “Away”

An exhausted pygmy whale and her calf washed ashore last week near Charleston, South Carolina, and had to be euthanized. The mother whale was starving because she swallowed a plastic bag tossed from a boat.

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By Bob Janiskee - June 20th, 2009 3:12pm

Sullivan’s Island Was the African-American Ellis Island

Charleston, South Carolina, was North America’s main port of entry for African slaves, and hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children were quarantined at Sullivan’s Island before being passed along to the slave markets and a life of toil. “African Passage,” an exhibit that will open on March 22 at Fort Moultrie National Monument, will tell this painful story.

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By Bob Janiskee - March 4th, 2009 6:24am

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