The First Shot of the War of Secession

1861 - 1961 At half past four on the morning of April 12, 1861, from a mortar near this spot on Fort Johnson, the first shot of the War of Secession was fired, by order of Captain George S. James of the Confederate States Army. The shell exploded above Fort Sumter, then occupied by Federal Forces, thus beginning the tragic conflict which Americans endured for four years. (Back side) Emblem: CSA 61 The Confederate States of America] Dedicated April 12, 1961 by Charleston Confederate Centennial Commission Ground Marker This marker given by Mrs. J.C. Long in memory of her Grandfather John Hartnett, a soldier in the Confederate Army