Consider the year 1861. Tensions are high. The nation is on the brink of civil war. Here at the Star of the West Plaque, we remember a pivotal moment in that conflict.
The Star of the West was a merchant steamship. It became a key player in the events leading up to the American Civil War. Launched in 1852, the ship initially served commercial routes. It traveled between New York and various ports. These included San Juan de Nicaragua and New Orleans.
In January 1861, the Star of the West was chartered by the U.S. government. Its mission was to resupply Fort Sumter. This fort was a U.S. military garrison in Charleston Harbor. South Carolina had seceded from the Union weeks earlier. Other states were on the verge of doing the same.
As the Star of the West approached Charleston Harbor on January 9, 1861, it was fired upon. Cadets from the South Carolina Military Academy, now The Citadel, manned a battery on Morris Island. These shots are considered by some to be the first of the Civil War. The Star of the West was hit three times. Captain John McGowan deemed it too dangerous to proceed. The ship turned back and abandoned its mission.
The incident at the Star of the West Plaque heightened tensions. It pushed the nation closer to war. The actual fighting began in April 1861 with the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter. The Star of the West’s story does not end there.
Confederate forces later captured the ship. They used it for various purposes. It served as a hospital ship and a blockade runner. In 1863, the Confederates scuttled the Star of the West. This sinking was done in defense of Vicksburg. It aimed to block a Union flotilla.
After the war, the owners of the Star of the West were compensated. The U.S. government paid them $175,000 for the ship’s loss. Today, The Citadel remembers the event. The Star of the West Medal is awarded annually to the best-drilled cadet. This medal symbolizes the complex history of the Star of the West.
The Star of the West Plaque serves as a reminder. It marks the first shots of a long and bloody conflict. It symbolizes the divisions and turning points in American history. The plaque is more than just a historical marker. It is a symbol of courage, conflict, and the enduring legacy of the Civil War.