Bombardment of Fort Sumter
Anticipating war between North and South, Confederate President Jefferson Davis ordered Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard to clear the harbor forts in Charleston, South Carolina of Union troops. On April 11, 1861, Beauregard ordered the Federals under the command of Major Robert Anderson to surrender Fort Sumter, but Anderson refused. For three long months, Anderson and his besieged troops had waited for reinforcements at Fort Sumter. Back in Washington, Union naval officer Gustavus Fox raced against time to organize just such a mission. The Confederates sent a final ultimatum at 12:45 a.m. on April 12. Upon receiving Anderson’s refusal, Beauregard’s artillery began to bombard Fort Sumter at 4:30 a.m. For 34 hours, the Confederates and Federals traded fire before Anderson surrendered on April 13. The Civil War had begun.
Image: Library of Congress
