The US Civil War in August 1863
In August 1863, Charleston Harbor remained a primary target for Federal forces, but the Confederates held firm. In the East, the battered armies of George Meade and Robert E. Lee returned to Virginia and licked their many wounds following the horrific Battle of Gettysburg. In the West, Federal forces began moving toward Chattanooga, considered to be the gateway to the Deep South. Beyond the Mississippi, guerrilla warfare turned ugly as civilians were massacred in Kansas.
The Charleston Campaign
Throughout this month, Federal forces assaulted the forts and islands ringing Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. Battery Wagner was pummeled by Federal armaments while the Confederates strengthened their defenses in anticipation of a Federal invasion. On August 26, Federal troops captured ...