 | The Civil War battleground, Fort Sumter South Carolina, holds the historical prestige as the location of the first gun shot fired in the civil war. Charleston captivates visitors to want to taste its low country cuisine, experience its rich cultural heritage, and learn about the role it played in starting the Civil War. Charleston's Civil War history begins with a little skirmish at Fort Sumter, a small structure built in 1829 and located along the Charleston Harbor. A garrison of Federal troops commanded Fort Sumter on the morning of April 12, 1860, but by the end of the following day, the fort fell under the control of the newly formed Confederate forces. |
The events leading up to the first civil war altercation at Fort Sumter began when Abraham Lincoln assumed the position as President of the United States. Some of the Southern states feared that the new president would push to end slavery and other freedoms held dear to the whites in the South. Wishing to make a statement against Lincoln's wishes, South Carolina seceded from the union of the United States. After South Carolina broke away from the Federal government, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas gradually joined South Carolina to form the Confederate states. As a written declaration, the confederate states composed a new Confederate Constitution which was modeled after the original United States Constitution except that it gave more power to the states instead of the governing body joining the states together.
The Federal government vehemently dismissed South Carolina's declaration of sovereignty by continuing to command a military fort positioned along the Charleston Harbor and right in the middle of the confederate states. In mid April 1861, Lincoln sent a load of much needed supplies to the 90 member command at Fort Sumter which being blockaded by Confederate ships. In an attempt to block the union supplies from reaching Fort Sumter, Confederate forces decided to fire at the ship, thus making history as the first shot fired in Civil War.
At 4am on the morning of April 12, 1861, Confederate Captain Abner Doubleday fired a ten-inch mortar over the Charleston Harbor. In retaliation United States Major Robert Anderson and his men returned fire. The skirmish ended after only two days with the surrender of the Fort Sumter to the Confederate troops under the command of General Pierre GT Beauregard. Although one casualty resulted from the forceful act, the tiny skirmish at Fort Sumter in April 1861 set into motion the long bloody four years of the Civil War. The union forces unsuccessfully attempted two more times to take Fort Sumter from their enemy, but did not assume command again until the war ended.
The kids can relive their civil war history lessons by making a miniature cannon out of basic household craft supplies. |
| 1. Many stories exist where friends or even brothers took up arms on opposing sides during the Civil War. This was no different for the leaders of the forces involved in the battle of Fort Sumter. United States Major Robert Anderson served as a student and then assistant under confederate General PGT Beauregard at West Point. | | 2. Other shots are recorded as being fired before the skirmish at Fort Sumter occured. For instance, a hostile shot was fired on an unarmed Federal supply ship, "The Star of the West", but since the passengers on the ship did not return fire and start a skirmish, that event is not credited as the first shot fired in the Civil War. | | 3. Today visitors can tour what is left of Fort Sumter. Unfortunately, Fort Sumter could not maintain its original dimensions of 300 Feet long by 400 feet high and 8-12 feet thick after suffering from multiple attacks. | | 4. The civil war was the first modern war to introduce the first metalic rifles and ironclad ships. | | 5. Captain Abnor Doubleday fired the first shot of the Civil War. |
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