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UNITED STATES - CIRCA 1864: Union and Confederate fortifications on James, Sullivan, Block and Morris islands at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, S.C. In July 1863, Union generals Gillmore and Dahlgren hoped to take Fort Wagner, on Morris Island in Charleston Harbor, in order to gain a vantage point from which to launch an attack on the city of Charleston. Strongly defended by the Confederates, the first Union assaults (July 10th and 18th) resulted in extremely high casualties. Gillmore began formal siege operations and had reached the base of the fort by September 6th. The Confederate forces abandoned the fort during the night. Also indicated are the locations of sunken Union gunboats and of the "Swamp Angel" battery, which had been used to shell Charleston in August. Also, while dated Sept. 1863, the notation "Union batteries 1864" appears on Block Island. Hand Drawn Map (Photo by Buyenlarge/Getty Images)