Battle at Fort Sumter
Becca Ladd 2nd Period
4/21/1861 Charleston, South Carolina
- Start of the Civil War
- South Carolina seceded on December 20, 1860
- US Ship, "Star of the West" was sent by President Buchanan to supply US with food
- It was fired upon by Citadel Shore Guns (1st Shot of Civil War)
- Buchanan did nothing to stop Southern forces
- Lincoln did not reinforce nor abandon Ft. Sumter, he would only send food.
- P.G.T. Beauregard told Maj. Anderson to surrender but he refused so the Confederate Army opened fire the next morning
- It lasted for 34 hours
- Anderson didn't shoot for the first 2 hours
- The firing continued all day but the Union tried to conserve their ammunition
Casualities
- No soldiers were killed during the battle
- The only deaths were during the evacuation where 1 solider was killed and 1 wounded
Commanders
Major Robert Anderson
- Union
P.G.T. Beauregard
Confederate
Abraham Lincoln
- President
Outcome: Confederate Victory
Signifiance
- Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee all seceded within weeks
- West Virginia breaks away from Virginia
- Lincoln's Goal: "Save the Union"
- Lincoln suspends the right of Habeas Corpus