despite trenching difficulties, by mid-august gillmore had his siege guns within range of fort sumter. on august 17, he opened fire and during the first day of the bombardment nearly 1,000 shells were fired. by august 23, the masonry had been turned to rubble and beauregard removed as many of the fort's guns as possible. gillmore wired the war department that "fort sumter is a shapeless and harmless mass of ruin". however, the bombardment of fort sumter would continue in general until december 31, 1863.