No Problem Here

Once the U.S. Army presence had been removed from Ft. Sumter after 34 hours of Confederate shelling, the citizens of Charleston continued to go about their daily lives. Parties were even held at the fort, and guests were shuttled back and forth from the city in rowboats. Certainly there were men from the area who went off to battle elsewhere, but things were pretty quiet around here - at least for awhile. But in June 1862, a little over a year after the war had begun, Federal troops landed on James Island, just a stone's throw from the Battery and engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat at Secessionville. Although the Confederates were greatly outnumbered, they managed to defeat the U.S. soldiers there, and the U.S. Army was prevented from entering the city. Another year would pass before their next attempt.

The Best Walking Tour Book of Charleston

A great big thank you to historian Walter J. Fraser, author of "Charleston! Charleston!" and "Savannah in the Old South" (among other titles) for saying the new edition of my book, "The Civil War Walking History Book," is the "very best guide book for any tour of Charleston." What a compliment!!! In addition, Stephen Wise, author of "Gate of Hell: Campaign for Charleston Harbor 1863," also has kind words about my book: "For those interested in matching Charleston's Civil War sites to people, this is the book for you. Ms. Coy does an excellent job in setting up fascinating tours that help tell the tale of Charleston from 1860-1865."