At this stage of the Civil War, Charleston had become a comparatively unimportant point in the overall strategy of the war. However, the Federal government felt that the reduction of Fort Sumter, where the war started, and the capture of Charleston would be a great moral victory in a struggle that wasn't going so well for the North at this juncture.
Du Pont was ordered to attack the Charleston defenses with a fleet of nine ironclads and five wooden ships. After the Confederate guns were silenced, an army of 4,000 troops commanded by General Truman Seymour would proceed to attack the city itself.
However, during the two years after the attack on Fort Sumter, the Confederates had turned Charleston into one of the most protected Southern ports. Forts Moultrie and Sumter had been rebuilt, a strong position named Fort Wagner had been constructed on Morris Island, directly opposite of Sumter.
Battery Bee had been erected on Sullivan's Island and numerous other fortifications had been built along the banks of Charleston's two rivers.
--Old B-Runner
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