Some would say that Antidam or Gettysburg were the worst battles of the civil war, because of how devastating they were. They are missing one key detail, the reason why those battles took place. Forts sumpter was the first major act of aggression between the union and the confederate states. Unfortunately, this small skirmish of artillery would set the fire of the most devastating war in American history.Fort sumpter was still being built when South Carolina seceded from the Union on December 20, 1860. Even though Charleston was an important harbor, there were only a handful of men guarding it, sources say it was around two companies. Commanded by Major Robert Anderson, these companies originally at Fort Moultrie, a rundown fort that faces the harbor. Realizing that the fort was susceptible to an attack by land, Anderson decided to move to the more defensible Fort Sumter on December 26, 1860. South Carolina militia forces would take all other fortifications in the area, leaving Fort Sumter as the only federal fort in Charleston.
There wasn’t much activity until a ship called the Star of the West arrived in Charleston with more than 200 U.S. troops and supplies for the fort. South Carolina militia opened fire on the ship as it came into Charleston Harbor, making it retreat back to the sea. Major Anderson refused calls to abandon the fort, by March there were more than 3,000 troops surrounding his garrison. Almost all the remaining union garrisons and forts were taken by the confederacy, fort sumpter was seen as the last thing standing between the south and its sovereignty.With Abraham Lincoln, now in office, the situation soon rose to a new level, but Abraham Lincoln had a plan. He wanted a reason to attack the confederates in order to look more favorable in the eyes of the rest of the world. He decided to continue to supply the fort in order to provoke the confederate troops. realizing that Anderson and his men were running low on supplies, Lincoln sent three unarmed ships to deliver supplies to the fort. South Carolina forces quick gathered its forces to answerer back. On April 11, P.G. T Beauregard, the one leading the confederate forces insisted that Anderson let go of the fort, and Anderson continued to refuse. With no more patients Beauregard ordered his artillery to open fire at 430 am, in response the union forces fired back and the most devastating war in us history had begun.
The confederate forces had up to twenty guns firing at the fort and fired an upward of 3,000 shells in a day and a half. By April 13, the outer walls were reduced to rubble, and Andersons ammunition had all been used up. At 2pm Anderson had no choice but to surrender. Ironically the bloodiest war in American history started with an engagement that had no casualties. Its heavily debated on whether or not there was a casualty due to various circumstances after the attack on Fort Sumpter, the president called for union volunteers to end the rebellion as more states joined the confederacy such as Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
Fort Sumter ,History.com Editors,HISTORY,https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/fort-sumter,February 13, 2019,A&E Television Networks