[Bubba Ho-Tep]

How did you get that out of "From 1876 to 1897, Fort Sumter was used only as an unmanned lighthouse station." ?

Does not compute.

1861-1876:Active military outpost (15 years)
1876-1897--Unmanned lighthouse station (21 years)
1897-1947--Active military outpost (50 years)

So, 65 years as an active military outpost. 21 years as an unmanned lighthouse station

[DiogenesLamp]

1897-1947--Active military outpost (50 years)

Well see? There's where the error lies. I rightly recognize that it's only possibility of service was prior to this era, and that afterward it had no use at all.

During the time period it might have mattered it stood empty. What happened after 1900 is irrelevant. It was really only a threat to ships coming up the channel, and to WWI era craft, none at all. They draughted too much to even come within range of it's guns.

It was built to defend Charleston from the British, and it actually never did performed any useful service.