Confederate troops from the Citadel fire on The Star of The West, as she tried to resupply Fort Sumter, from Fort Morris in Charleston Harbor , starting hostilities in the Civil War. The ship, 1,170 ton steamship, suffered no major damage, but the captain turned around.

The Star of The West was captured by Confederate troops in Texas in April, and was later scuttled to block the approach to Vicksburg. 

The Citadel awards the “Star of the West Medal” annually to the “best drilled cadet”. The medal contains a piece of the ship and is passed down year by year to each recipient.