Attack on Fort Sumter
By: Katie O'Donnell
After South Carolina seceded from the Union on December 20th, 1860 Robert Anderson, who was a United States Major, and eighty-five soldiers were sent to Fort Moultrie near the mouth of Charleston Harbor. However, on December 26th, Anderson moved his troops to Fort Sumter fearing the safety of his men. After Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration, Robert Anderson told Lincoln that he only had six weeks worth of food supply left. The troops were going to need more, especially if they wanted to be able to be strong enough to keep the Confederates from taking over the Fort. Lincoln agreed to send in more supplies.
After Lincoln decided to send in more supplies to the troops at Fort Sumter, he decided to inform the South of his actions. Lincoln knew that if he just sent a random ship in the direction of the South that they would think that the Union was starting a war. However, this was the last thing that Lincoln wanted to do. Lincoln wanted to make it clear to the South that the North was not going to be the one to start the war. Lincoln decided to send a letter to the South. The letter explained that the North was simply sending an unarmed ship to Fort Sumter in order to resupply it. Even though Lincoln made it clear that he did not want to start a war the South didn’t obey Lincoln’s request to send an unarmed ship into Fort Sumter to resupply it. When the unarmed ship was heading for Fort Sumter the South bombed it. This marked the beginning of the war. After the South bombed the ship, it continued to bomb the Fort for thirty-six hours.
Finally after thirty-six hours of being bombed, Robert Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter on April 13th, 1861. The Fort had fallen into power of the South. Surprisingly, throughout the thirty-six hour bombing no soldiers were killed. Everyone survived the bombings, which was miraculous. Before leaving the Fort the next day, Anderson was allowed to perform a 100-gun salute. At the end of the salute the men left the fort and bordered a boat that brought them to Union ships that were outside the harbor. On the troops return to the North people greeted them as heroes.
After South Carolina seceded from the Union on December 20th, 1860 Robert Anderson, who was a United States Major, and eighty-five soldiers were sent to Fort Moultrie near the mouth of Charleston Harbor. However, on December 26th, Anderson moved his troops to Fort Sumter fearing the safety of his men. After Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration, Robert Anderson told Lincoln that he only had six weeks worth of food supply left. The troops were going to need more, especially if they wanted to be able to be strong enough to keep the Confederates from taking over the Fort. Lincoln agreed to send in more supplies.
After Lincoln decided to send in more supplies to the troops at Fort Sumter, he decided to inform the South of his actions. Lincoln knew that if he just sent a random ship in the direction of the South that they would think that the Union was starting a war. However, this was the last thing that Lincoln wanted to do. Lincoln wanted to make it clear to the South that the North was not going to be the one to start the war. Lincoln decided to send a letter to the South. The letter explained that the North was simply sending an unarmed ship to Fort Sumter in order to resupply it. Even though Lincoln made it clear that he did not want to start a war the South didn’t obey Lincoln’s request to send an unarmed ship into Fort Sumter to resupply it. When the unarmed ship was heading for Fort Sumter the South bombed it. This marked the beginning of the war. After the South bombed the ship, it continued to bomb the Fort for thirty-six hours.
Finally after thirty-six hours of being bombed, Robert Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter on April 13th, 1861. The Fort had fallen into power of the South. Surprisingly, throughout the thirty-six hour bombing no soldiers were killed. Everyone survived the bombings, which was miraculous. Before leaving the Fort the next day, Anderson was allowed to perform a 100-gun salute. At the end of the salute the men left the fort and bordered a boat that brought them to Union ships that were outside the harbor. On the troops return to the North people greeted them as heroes.
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/fort-sumter/fort-sumter-maps/animated-map/ <---- go here for animated map of the attack on Fort Sumter