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At the beginning of April 1861, President Lincoln had been in office less than a month. The United States was falling apart, with southern states leaving the Union to form the Confederate States of America. Now South Carolina was about to initiate the first challenge to the President and the Union. South Carolina planned to confiscate Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.

Fort Sumter was a pentagonal brick stronghold on an island near the mouth of Charleston harbor and was vital to the defense and control of the city. Union Major Robert Anderson, born in Kentucky and married to the daughter of the Governor of Georgia, commanded the fort. Across the harbor commanding the Confederate forces was General P.G.T. Beauregard, who had been Major Anderson’s star pupil at West Point. Both men understood the gravity of the situation and sought a peaceful way out. After all, Union garrisons throughout the South had surrendered peacefully. But Lincoln was determined not to surrender Fort Sumter, while Davis was just as determined to seize it.

On April 6^th, President Lincoln informed South Carolina that he would send supplies to replenish Fort Sumter, but would not reinforce the garrison. Political pressure on Beauregard began to mount, as Confederate officials told Beauregard on April 8^th to stop any Union attempts to re-supply the fort. The next day Confederate officials ordered Beauregard to halt all mail going to or coming from the Fort, thereby seeking to break the morale of the Union garrison. On April 11^th, with no resolution to the crisis in sight, and with relief ships on their way to re-supply Fort Sumter, Beauregard demanded the immediate evacuation of the Fort. After discussing the situation with his officers, Anderson refused to evacuate his post.

On the evening of April 11^th, Beauregard gave a final warning to Anderson to surrender the Fort or be fired upon. Major Anderson refused for the final time, and at 4:30 A.M. on April 12^th, 1861, a signal shot flew across the harbor and Confederate batteries opened fire on Fort Sumter. The Confederate bombardment lasted for thirty-four hours. Although under heavy bombardment, Fort Sumter returned fire, but the issue was never in doubt. Miraculously, there were no casualties on either side. Over 4000 rounds were exchanged in the duel, and with Fort Sumter lying in ruins, Major Anderson surrendered the Fort at 1:30 P.M. on April 13^th. The only condition to the surrender and evacuation of Union troops was that Major Anderson be allowed to fire a salute upon lowering the United States Flag. Ironically, the firing of that salute caused a freak accident, with a cannon exploding and killing one soldier and wounding five more.

With the firing on Fort Sumter, President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to put down the rebellion. The Confederates countered with their own call for troops, and the bloodiest war in American history had begun.

Paul Denton