A fort in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, that was the scene of a bombardment from April 12 to 14, 1861, the opening engagement of the Civil War. There was a Union garrison at the fort under Maj. Robert Anderson, who refused to surrender the fort and was subsequently attacked by Confederates under Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, whose attack forced an evacuation and surrender.
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.
The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. Copyright © 2001, 2002 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.