Fort Sumter's powder was stored in specially constructed rooms in the corner of the gorge wall. Protecting gunpowder was critical, and the gorge at the rear of the fort was considered a safe location. But Fort Sumter was designed to face the sea and was vulnerable to attack from the land. When Confederate batteries bombarded the fort in April 1861, the resulting fire threatened the magazine, causing Major Robert Anderson to surrender rather than endanger his men.