Smoke on the Battery: Charleston and the Longest Siege of the Civil War

An illustrated history of Civil War Charleston brought to life through firsthand accounts

In the predawn darkness of April 12, 1861, a mortar shell burst above Fort Sumter, igniting the Civil War and establishing Charleston's central role in America's defining struggle. The bombardment was just the beginning. Over the next four years, the city suffered through numerous travails, including enduring nearly 46,000 shells fired into the city and its defenses during the Civil War's longest siege.

In Smoke on the Battery, historian Stephen R. Wise delivers a poignant, richly illustrated account of Charleston's wartime experience. Going beyond the firing on Fort Sumter, Wise examines ironclad clashes in the harbor, the brutal fighting on Morris Island and at Fort Wagner, the crucial role of United States Colored Troops, and the toll on civilians trapped in a city under relentless fire. Firsthand accounts from soldiers, sailors, and residents add a rich dimension to the story of these momentous years and are complemented by more than one hundred historical photographs.

Author: Stephen R. Wise
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: University of South Carolina Press
Published: 10/27/2026
Pages: 224
Weight: 0.69lbs
Size: 8.00h x 6.10w x 0.66d
ISBN: 9781643366630