Gun That Fired at Fort Sumter Now in Galena

I wrote about this gun, a 20-pdr. Blakely rifle in my Civil War blog Saw the Elephant today. It was given to the Confederacy by a citizen of Charleston residing in Europe after that state's secession Dec. 1860 and had a plaque on it.

It is thought to have fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor on April 12, 1861, and was involved in the defense of that city until it was evacuated. The Blakely was captured at Cheraw, SC, and now is in Grant Park in Galena, Illinois.

It has an interesting history. Go to the site and hit the Galena Blakely label.

From Charleston to Galena.  --Old B-Runner