Work

Fort Sumter, the terreplein of the gorge, 15 April 1861 (MK 3220)

Confederate soldiers posed on guns inside Fort Sumter, April 1861.

Confederate soldiers seated on the guns in the interior of Fort Sumter after the surrender, two men at the left holding flagstaffs with one tattered flag visible, and two civilians in top hats looking on.

The pencil note on the face of the print is the kind of evidence that settles a date: written by someone who knew what he was looking at, on the object itself.

On the attribution

The Charleston Museum records the photographer as “Alma Alfred Pelot (attr.) and Jesse H. Bolles (attr.)”.

The record

Title, as catalogedFort Sumter
Title used hereFort Sumter, the terreplein of the gorge, 15 April 1861 (MK 3220)
PhotographerAlma A. Pelot, Jesse H. Bolles
FirmJ. H. Bolles’s photographic gallery
AttributionAttributed
Date, as catalogedApril 15, 1861
PlaceFort Sumter, Charleston Harbor
Controlling forceConfederate-held
Processalbumen silver print
Formatphotographic print
Negative or printprint
CollectionPhotograph Collection
Object numberMK 3220
Inscription on the mountPencil notation on the front: “Terreplein of the Gorge - showing the guns in barbette Fort Sumter April 15th, 1861.”
RepositoryThe Charleston Museum
Credit lineThe Charleston Museum, Charleston, South Carolina
RightsPermission required
Rights advisory, verbatimCOPYRIGHT: Contact The Charleston Museum Archives for publication quality images and credit instructions.
Catalog recordhttps://www.charlestonmuseum.org/research/collection/fort-sumter/449FC9D8-995C-4797-802E-121775863476
ConfidenceVerified
Last verified2026-08-30

Sources