1865 While the southern coastal city suffered four years of civil war, including a major urban catastrophe, a two-year long naval bombardment, and a fiery retreat by defenders, it is said that 40 percent of Charleston’s pre-war buildings survived.
In April 1865, after the undefended city was overtaken by Federals, Gen. Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox, the Union Navy sent a photographic expedition to Charleston to survey the wartime damage.
Many of the photos offered here were taken by Matthew Brady’s staff and Naval photographers just months after the evacuation of Charleston. Together, these photos provide an interesting overview of just how Charleston looked at the end of the American Civil War.
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