Attack on Fort Sumter

Attack on Fort Sumter
Currier & Ives. Uploaded by Christophe cagé 12:52, 6 September 2006 (UTC) · Public domain · source
Conflict	Attack on Fort Sumter
Partof	American Civil War
Caption	Bombardment of Fort Sumter, April 12–13, 1861
Date	April 12–13, 1861
Place	Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
Result	Confederate States of America capture of federal fort; beginning of American Civil War
Combatant1	United States (Union)
Combatant2	Confederate States of America
Commander1	Robert Anderson (Civil War)
Commander2	P. G. T. Beauregard
Strength1	85–100 men
Strength2	Batteries and ships of South Carolina Militia and Confederate garrison

Attack on Fort Sumter was the opening engagement of the American Civil War, occurring when forces of the Confederate States of America bombarded and forced the surrender of a federal installation in Charleston Harbor on April 12–13, 1861. The confrontation followed months of escalating tensions after the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln and the secession of seven Southern states led by South Carolina; it produced no fatalities during the bombardment itself but precipitated full-scale mobilization by the United States and additional secessions by Southern states. The action at the fort became a symbol invoked by leaders such as Jefferson Davis and William Seward and marked a decisive shift from political crisis to armed conflict.

Background

In the aftermath of the 1860 presidential election, the victory of Abraham Lincoln on a platform opposed by many in the Deep South triggered the secession of South Carolina, followed by states including Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Delegates from seceding states convened at the Montgomery Convention and established the Confederate States of America under President Jefferson Davis, while Union leaders such as Secretary of State William H. Seward and President-elect Abraham Lincoln debated federal responses. Charleston Harbor, a strategic port defended by batteries and the federal garrison at Fort Sumter, attracted attention from naval planners like Gideon Welles and army officers including Major Robert Anderson (Civil War), who had transferred his command from Fort Moultrie to the more defensible Fort Sumter. International observers in London, Paris, and Madrid monitored the tensions as threats to commerce and navies like the Royal Navy considered the implications.

Prelude to the Attack

After South Carolina's secession ordinance, state authorities under Governor Francis Wilkinson Pickens demanded control of federal properties. Major Robert Anderson (Civil War) consolidated his small garrison in Fort Sumter and communicated with military officials in Washington, D.C., including President James Buchanan's remaining advisers and the incoming Lincoln administration. The Confederate provisional government in Montgomery, Alabama assigned military roles to leaders such as P. G. T. Beauregard, a West Point graduate and former United States Army officer, who coordinated with state forces and militia commanders like Barnard Bee. Diplomatic overtures and resupply efforts—most notably the attempted naval expedition under Daniel Ammen and subsequent relief expeditions planned by Gideon Welles—were complicated by declarations from state legislatures and the presence of batteries on Sullivan's Island and Morris Island. Correspondence between Beauregard and Anderson, along with proclamations from Jefferson Davis, formalized a deadline that precipitated hostilities.

The Bombardment and Surrender

On April 12, 1861, Confederate shore batteries commanded by P. G. T. Beauregard opened fire on Fort Sumter with artillery emplaced at Fort Johnson, Cummings Point, and other positions manned by units of the South Carolina Militia and volunteers under officers linked to the Provisional Confederate Army. The bombardment continued intermittently into the morning of April 13, delivered by siege guns and naval pieces similar to ordnance used later at sieges such as Siege of Vicksburg and Siege of Petersburg. Major Robert Anderson (Civil War) attempted negotiation; after extensive damage to the fort's defenses and stores, Anderson agreed to surrender to avoid further destruction and potential loss of life. A formal ceremony raised a white flag and the United States colors were lowered; Anderson's men were paroled and transported to New York City aboard relief vessels, while Confederate forces took possession of the fort.

Aftermath and Significance

The fall of the federal stronghold galvanized public opinion in the United States and the Confederate States of America. President Abraham Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 volunteers, prompting additional states—Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina—to secede and join the Confederacy. Political leaders including Stephen A. Douglas, Henry Clay, and John C. Breckinridge debated loyalties in state capitals and in the United States Congress, while newspapers in New York City and Charleston, South Carolina framed the clash as either rebellion or defense of liberty. The engagement influenced subsequent military planning, including Union blockades orchestrated by Gideon Welles and naval operations involving officers like David Farragut. Fort Sumter's capture helped convert a sectional crisis into a long, costly war culminating in campaigns such as Gettysburg Campaign and Sherman's March to the Sea.

Commanders and Forces

Union command at the fort rested with Major Robert Anderson (Civil War), a veteran of Mexican–American War service, supported by a garrison of officers and enlisted men drawn from United States Army regulars and artillery detachments. Confederate command in the Charleston area and at the bombardment was led by Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard, a former United States Military Academy graduate who coordinated with South Carolina political authorities including Governor Francis Wilkinson Pickens and militia leaders. Firepower employed in the action derived from coastal batteries and shore-based siege pieces similar to those later deployed by commanders like Braxton Bragg and Joseph E. Johnston. Naval contingents, relief expeditions, and state militias played supporting roles comparable to forces engaged during operations at Fort Wagner and in the Peninsula Campaign.

Fort Sumter in Memory and Commemoration

Fort Sumter became a potent symbol in commemorations and monuments created by veterans' organizations such as the Grand Army of the Republic and Confederate memorial associations. Annual observances in Charleston, South Carolina and ceremonies attended by figures like Ulysses S. Grant and later presidents linked the site to narratives of sacrifice and national reunification. Preservation efforts by bodies including the National Park Service eventually incorporated Fort Sumter into heritage tourism and interpretive programs alongside sites such as Appomattox Court House National Historical Park and Gettysburg National Military Park. The site figure prominently in histories, monuments, and works of literature discussing the origins of the American Civil War and remains a locus for debates over memory involving participants like Robert E. Lee and institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution.

Category:1861 in South Carolina Category:Battles of the American Civil War