Civil War Illustrations

Battle of Fort Sumter

The year 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the attack on Fort Sumter, which was the start of the American Civil War.

The illustrations below depict some of the events that took place after Charleston seceded from the Union in December of 1860, culminating in the bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 12-13, 1861. These images were published in Harper's Weekly and New York Illustrated News, two magazines from the period that carried extensive coverage, including illustrations, of the Civil War.

Download a PDF of all the Fort Sumter images (41.7 MB).