USS Yorktown and Fort Sumter - 2nd Visit to Charleston

On the 2nd January, we travelled down to Charleston, with George, to visit Patriots Point (Home of the WW2 Essex Class Aircraft Carrier and other ships) and out to Fort Sumter (19th Century Coastal Fort).

Patriots Point, based in Charleston Harbour, a Naval display of USS Yorktown CV10, USS Laffey, Coast Guard Cutter Ingham and USS Clamagore (submarine).

The girls saw a variety of aircraft on USS Yorktown, including Wildcat, Hellcat, SDB, Phantom, Skyhawk, Tomcat, Crusader, Hornet and many more. The tour guide (a retired Naval Pilot) had a variety of stories which particularly entertained Jacqs. Both girls enjoyed climbing through the ship and riding the flight simulator. In fact they where very keen to ride the simulator again!

After the Yorktown, we took a 30 minute ferry ride across the harbour to Fort Sumter. The ferry was followed by a flock of sea birds all the way over to Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter was very interesting, but time was short with only one hour allowed by the National Parks Service. A hurried study of the fort was still worth the cost, very educational and interesting. The girls generally enjoyed the visit to Fort Sumter.

Fort Sumter's claim to fame was the first shot of the war was fired here. South Carolina in 1861 had just seceded from the Union but Union forces still occupied strategic Fort Sumter at the entrance of Charleston Harbour. The south demanded that Fort Sumter be vacated. The North refused. Finally after several months of siege, on April 12, 1861, from nearby Fort Johnson, South Carolina troops of the Confederacy fired on the Fort - started of a two day bombardment that resulted in the surrender of Fort Sumter by Union troops. Later in the war the Union retook the Fort after a two year siege and nearly 46000 shells had been fired at the fort. The later battle destroyed all but the bottom level of the fort.

After Fort Sumter we returned to Patriot's Point to visit the USS Laffey, Coast Guard Cutter Ingham and USS Clamagore (submarine). The girls loved crawlling around the WW2 submarine.

A most enjoyable day.