After months of campaigning against Battery Wagner on Morris Island in a protracted Union effort to capture nearby Charleston, the Confederate garrison finally evacuated the island on the evening of September 3rd, 1863. Morris Island protected the southern rim of the harbor, and the Confederates constructed the massive fortress of sand and timber named Wagner on its beach.

Note arrow in upper left hand corner shows a Passaic Class Monitor of the Union blockading fleet patrolling the south channel which ran right pass Wagner and was the reason for its placement.

Although Federal forces captured Morris Island, Charleston was still beyond their grasp. The Confederates continued to defend the harbor and the city, until they finally evacuated the area in February 1865.