IT IS A SHAME THAT SOMEONE APPARENTLY MADE A JEWELRY ITEM OUT OF THIS MEDAL. PINCHED AT 3:30 AND 8:30 ON THE OBVERSE APPARENTLY TO MAKE IT INTO A JEWELRY PIECE, OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE A FAIRLY HIGH GRADE UNC. AND POSSIBLY PROOFLIKE, ESPECIALLY ON THE REVERSE IN MY OPINION. THERE ARE ONLY (11) OF THIS TYPE GIVEN A FULL GRADE PER THE NGC CENSUS AS OF 6/2023. DIES FOR THIS MEDAL BY GEORGE H LOVETT.
A MS 62 PL EXAMPLE SOLD ON EBAY FOR $2,053.00 ON 2/28/2021. A MS 61 EXAMPLE SOLD FOR $705.00 BY HERITAGE AUCTIONS IN 2014. ANOTHER MS 61 EXAMPLE SOLD FOR $1,150.00 IN THE OSTHEIMER SEALED BID AUCTION IN 2011.
I PREVIOUSLY WAS THE OWNER OF THE ONE AND ONLY HK-11F NGC MS 64 PL SILVER VARIETY OF THE FORT SUMTER MEDALS. I ALSO WAS THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF ONE OF THE TOP POP COPPER HK-11C'S GRADED NGC MS 65 RB, AND WAS ALSO THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF BOTH OF THE COPPER HK-11E EXAMPLES GRADED NGC MS 64 BN AND MS 65 RB. SO, I CAN SAFELY SAY THAT I AM SOMEWHAT OF AN EXPERT ON THIS SERIES OF MEDALS.
The firing upon Fort Sumter by Confederate forces under Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard marked the beginning of the American Civil War. The spotlight was upon US Army Major Robert Anderson, who led a small force of loyal troops from Fort Moultrie to the much stronger and more strategic position at Fort Sumter. Southern leaders were outraged at their “betrayal,” but their stance was celebrated in the North. As the medal highlights, the Union troops were severely outnumbered and outgunned. The fort was low on ammunition, and they had no fuses for exploding shells, so only solid shot could be used.
At 4:30 a.m., April 12, 1861, 43 Confederate guns and mortars began firing upon the fort in a counterclockwise sequence, and continued for 34 hours straight. Major Anderson wisely kept his men out of harm's way by not manning guns on the top tier of the fort and other vulnerable areas. Exploding shells repeatedly landed inside the fort, and the Confederates heated other artillery rounds until they were glowing red hot, and targeted the fort’s wooden buildings. Before long, most of the buildings were in flames. During the bombardment, a shell struck the fort’s enormous flagpole, and the colors fell to the ground; but Norman J. Hall, a lieutenant, bravely exposed himself to enemy fire to put the flag back up. In doing so, his eyebrows were permanently singed off.
By April 13th, the fort was almost entirely depleted of ammunition, and the condition of Anderson’s men was becoming dire. Also, the Union ships outside the harbor were unable to approach to help. With no other options, Anderson agreed to evacuate the fort. They had sustained about 3,000 shells along with raging fires inside the fort without losing a single man.
After his heroic actions, Anderson was promoted to brigadier general. He retained the fort’s 33-star flag, and it became a symbol at rallies in the North for nationalism and rejection of secessionism. At the war’s end in 1865, Major Anderson returned to Fort Sumter to raise the flag he had lowered four years earlier.
The Bombardment of Fort Sumter Dollar was likely struck soon after the event, as the Union capitalized on the heroics of these men to encourage enlistment. Unfortunately, the origin of the piece has been elusive to researchers. Dewitt lists this piece as being muled with a McClellan campaign medal (Dewitt-GMcC-1864-8D), the dies for which were made by George H. Lovett of New York in 1864.