And the Rich Got Shelled

Gadsden is a prominent family in Charleston. Christopher Gadsden (Feb. 16, 1724–Aug. 28, 1805), a Revolutionary patriot, attended the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 and the Continental Congress a decade later. His grandson James (May 15, 1788–Dec. 26, 1858) arranged the purchase of 30,000 square miles in northern Mexico that assured that Tucson would now be part of the United States. James’ brother was Thomas N. Gadsden (1796–May 25, 1871). A wealthy land- and slaveowner, Dr. Gadsden purchased the stately three-story mansion built by former South Carolina Governor John Rutledge, a signer of the United States Constitution, three decades before he was born. The structure, located at 166 Broad Street, was made of brick, covered over by stucco and colored painting. Gadsden updated his home in 1853 (the year of his brother’s Purchase). On the portico facing Broad Street, cast ironwork fashioned by Charleston’s Christopher Werner showed off symbols of a Charlestonian’s patriotism: South Carolina palmettos and Federal eagles. No matter the latter. When the Northern shells started falling, one struck the house’s third-story corner, as shown in this photograph, taken during the Northern occupation of the city. Today this house is known as the John Rutledge House Inn.

This is the caption as printed in 100 Significant Civil War Photographs: Charleston in the War. It has not yet been through this site’s research and fact-checking pass.