"The Attack on Fort Sumter by the Monitor Fleet." Engraved Civil War Battle Scene
Presented is an original engraving titled "The Attack on Fort Sumter by the Monitor Fleet." The dramatic composition depicts the Union naval assault on Fort Sumter in April of 1863. At the center of the composition, the famous fortress is engulfed in flames. Numerous vessels fill the harbor, including powerful ironclad monitors advancing under billowing clouds of steam, while American flags fly prominently from their masts. In the foreground, the wreckage of a shattered vessel lies partially submerged. The engraving conveys both the scale of the naval engagement and the technological transformation of naval warfare during the Civil War.
Situated at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter was the site where the Civil War began. On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces opened fire on the federal garrison commanded by Major Robert Anderson, compelling its surrender after a 34-hour bombardment. Later in the war, the fort again became the focus of military operations as Union forces sought to reclaim the important port of Charleston. By 1863, the introduction of armored monitor warships, low-to-the-water ironclad ships with rotating gun turrets, enabled the Union Navy to participate in sustained attacks against the harbor's formidable defenses. In April of 1863, Admiral Du Pont and a fleet of 9 Federal ironclads, armed with 32 guns "of the heaviest calibres ever used in war," attacked Fort Sumter. Although repeated bombardments severely damaged the Fort, Confederate troops continued to hold the position until Charleston was evacuated in February 1865.
CONDITION:
Near fine condition. Engraving. Very clean paper, with faint but even toning. Uneven top margin. Small ink smudges along the top of the printed plate image. Signed in the plate “J. E. Beeton” at lower right. On the reverse is map "Charleston Harbor and Its Approaches Showing Forts Sumter And Wagner, James Island, Ets. Etc." a vertical map of South Carolina, with forts, batteries, island, rivers, swamps, and railroads labelled. "Waters Bon Sc."
Archivally framed in a custom-built wooden frame with UV glass and acid-free mats.
Framed Dimensions: 9 1/4" H x 10 1/2" W x 7/8" D.
Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.
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"The Attack on Fort Sumter by the Monitor Fleet." Engraved Civil War Battle Scene
Colorado
1 Lake Avenue
Colorado Springs CO 80906
United States
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