Post by Die Fledermaus on Apr 12, 2008 13:53:15 GMT -4
This is one of the most famous dates in American history. The Civil War began on this date in 1861 with the firing on Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor.
>> On April 12, 1861, at 4:30 a.m., Confederate batteries opened fire, firing for 33 straight hours, on the fort. Lieutenant Henry S. Farley, commanding a battery of two mortars on James Island fired the first shot at 4:30 A.M. The garrison returned fire, but it was ineffective, in part because Major Anderson did not use the guns mounted on the highest tier, the barbette tier, where the gun detachments would be more exposed to Confederate fire. On April 13, the fort surrendered and was evacuated. During the attack, the Union colors fell. Lt. Norman J. Hall risked life and limb to put them back up, burning off his eyebrows permanently. No Union soldiers died in the actual battle though a Confederate soldier bled to death having been wounded by a misfiring cannon. One Union soldier died and another was mortally wounded during the 27th shot of a 100 shot salute, allowed by the Confederacy. Afterwards the salute was shortened to 50 shots. Accounts, such as in the famous diary of Mary Chesnut, describe Charleston residents along what is now known as The Battery, sitting on balconies and drinking salutes to the start of the hostilities <<
It should be noted that by firing on the fort the Rebels solidified Northern antagonism towards the South's secession and galvanized Northern military action against them. Lincoln maneuvered them into this. If they had never fired on Fort Sumter it may have been difficult for Lincoln to request enough volunteer soldiers to attack the Confederacy.
So the Rebels would have been better off in the long run not opening fire!
>> On April 12, 1861, at 4:30 a.m., Confederate batteries opened fire, firing for 33 straight hours, on the fort. Lieutenant Henry S. Farley, commanding a battery of two mortars on James Island fired the first shot at 4:30 A.M. The garrison returned fire, but it was ineffective, in part because Major Anderson did not use the guns mounted on the highest tier, the barbette tier, where the gun detachments would be more exposed to Confederate fire. On April 13, the fort surrendered and was evacuated. During the attack, the Union colors fell. Lt. Norman J. Hall risked life and limb to put them back up, burning off his eyebrows permanently. No Union soldiers died in the actual battle though a Confederate soldier bled to death having been wounded by a misfiring cannon. One Union soldier died and another was mortally wounded during the 27th shot of a 100 shot salute, allowed by the Confederacy. Afterwards the salute was shortened to 50 shots. Accounts, such as in the famous diary of Mary Chesnut, describe Charleston residents along what is now known as The Battery, sitting on balconies and drinking salutes to the start of the hostilities <<
It should be noted that by firing on the fort the Rebels solidified Northern antagonism towards the South's secession and galvanized Northern military action against them. Lincoln maneuvered them into this. If they had never fired on Fort Sumter it may have been difficult for Lincoln to request enough volunteer soldiers to attack the Confederacy.
So the Rebels would have been better off in the long run not opening fire!
