Charleston, South Carolina, played a pivotal role at the start of the American Civil War as a stronghold of secession and an important Atlantic port for the Confederate States of America. The first shots of the conflict were fired there by cadets of The Citadel, who aimed to prevent a ship from resupplying the U.S. Army soldiers garrisoned at Fort Sumter. Three months later, a large-scale bombardment of Fort Sumter ignited a nationwide call to quell the rebellion. U.S. Army and Navy troops made repeated, concerted efforts to degrade the city fortifications throughout the war. Still, they would only retake control over and liberate the city in the conflict's final months. The prolonged struggle substantially damaged the city.