Fort Sumter had been under construction for more than 30 years in December of 1860 when Major Robert Anderson relocated his troops there in the middle of the night from Fort Moultrie. On April 12, 1861 the first shot of the Civil War was fired on the Fort by Confederate troops at Fort Johnson. Following 34 hours of fighting, Major Anderson surrendered but the siege continued for two more years. Fort Sumter has since stood as a symbol of Southern resistance.
