Battle of strong Sumter

The battles of strong Sumter indicates the Bombardement 12 and April 13rd 1861 by the Armée with the confederated States which aimed at dislodging the federal garrison which occupied the Fort Sumter at the entry of bay of Charleston in South Carolina. This battle which did not make deaths starts the American Civil War (1861 - 1865) to the the United States, conflict more fatal than all the other joined together American wars.

More than one military battle whose exit was not any doubt, the political negociations represent the main issue of the rendering of the fort and its conditions. For the two camps, it is a question of galvanizing its troops and of rejoining with its cause the still undecided States, the best means being of making to adversary an attacker, in the event of war. This conflict opposes initially the governor of South Carolina, Francis W. Pickens, with the outgoing president, the democratic James Buchanan; then as from March the president Abraham Lincoln with the president Jefferson Davis. The attack of the fort by the rebels after several months of negotiation causes the mobilization of an army by Abraham Lincoln and precipitates the country in a fratricidal war.

Before the battle

Since the independence of the United States, the question of the Slavery envenime relations between the States of the North and the South of the United States. The appearance of the Republican party, openly anti-slavery, worsens the ideological fight between the two camps. The election of Abraham Lincoln to the end of the year 1860, grace only to the republican voices of North, completes to break the political balance which guaranteed to the South the perenniality of its social system and policy. Feeling the slave system threatened by the future presidency of a republican, certain States of the South decide to declare their independence. The majority of the public and military infrastructures fall logically under control from the States secessionists, but some federal officers decide to hold their positions: among them a fortified town of Charleston.

The fort and its garrison with the end of the year 1860

The Fort Sumter is a strong American, located on a small island of artificial Granit at the entry of the bay of Charleston. At the beginning of December 1860, the fort is occupied only by some workmen who complete interior installations of them. The garrison of the army, 68 men, occupies another fortified town of the city, the Fort Moultrie.

After having declared its independence the December 20th 1860, the South Carolina sends an embassy to the federal government to negotiate the handing-over of the forts of Charleston controlled by the regular army . This request is supported by several hundreds of militiamans which promise to seize by violence the federal forts if the government refuses their proposals. At this time, Abraham Lincoln was elected with the presidency of the United States, but the president in station remains the democrat James Buchanan until the March 4th 1861.

The small garrison stationed in strong Moultrie is not ordered by a soldier coming from North but by an inhabitant of the Kentucky, formerly owner of slaves and sympathizer of the cause of the South. The commander Robert Anderson is however faithful to his flag; he hopes that America will avoid throwing itself in a war which would not fail to divide its country, its State and even its family. He has moreover conscience that if the war took place, she would probably start in one of the rare positions military under federal control but located in the South.

In order to protect the fort against the possible attacks from the federation, Robert Anderson sends to Washington a request for reinforcement. President Buchanan, who wishes to prevent that the least blood drops be versed before its mandate is not completed, refuses to send reinforcements, without to make evacuate the garrison. In exchange of what, South Carolina agrees not to tackle the position before the end of the negotiations aiming at transferring the authority from the forts in the States of the South.

Military and political tensions

In the night of the December 26th 1860, major Anderson decides his own initiative to transfer its men, discreetly, strong Moultrie at the height Sumter, more easily justifiable in the event of attack of the inhabitants secessionists. The reactions to this operation are not those which they expected.

The Northerners acclaim it as a hero who had just played a turn with the Southerners. The senator of the Massachusetts, Leverett Saltonstall, declares for example with Boston: As long as you will hold strong Sumter, I did not despair of our noble, of our glorious Union.

The reaction Southerner is of very an other kind. The Southerners indeed regard the operation of Anderson as a breach of trust. Certain newspapers make a declaration of war of it. President Buchanan hesitates to order in Anderson to join his old position, but with the political plan such a decision is likely to put at evil the reputation democratic party in North, whereas it is already weakened by recent the first victory with presidential of the Republican party represented by Abraham Lincoln. Finally Buchanan chooses firmness, and goes even until agreeing the proposal of the general Winfield Scott to reinforce strong Sumter.

On board a trading vessel, 200 men in reinforcement are sent. Anderson is not informed of its reinforcements, but the escapes however manage to inform the newspapers, then all the remainder of the population. Whereas the Star off the West arrives finally in the wearing of Charleston, the artillery Southerner opens fire. The ship makes half-turn then.

The political tension increases and the two camps show aggression mutually. However the other States secessionists enjoignent South Carolina not to start a war before does not organize itself and the Confederation does not prepare militarily.

Come to power of Lincoln

The March 4th 1861, James Buchanan gives his capacities to Abraham Lincoln. At this time the situation of the Northerners with Charleston was degraded. The president of the States Confederated of America, Jefferson Davis, started again the negotiations aiming at ensuring the transfer of the forts, but it also sent to Charleston the general Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard to take the command of thousands of militiamans. The shortly after its taking of, Lincoln learns that the fort starts to miss resources and of vivres.

Lincoln has several possibilities then. It can decide to utilize the federal fleet so that it rejoins by the force strong Sumter by taking by storm the bay of Charleston. Such a decision would turn into to North the attacker what would not fail to divide it very into stimulating the South. It can also choose to yield the fort while hoping to make last peace and preserve the support of some Adjacent states on the South whose position in the conflict is still hesitant, the risk being to weaken an authority still to show. Lincoln, victorious from the presidential election with a minority of the votes, indeed obtained the nomination of the Republican party only because the large tenors who directed it were made too much enemies to gather it behind them. Among them, William Henry Seward, Secretary of State of the new administration, hopes to direct the country semi-officially. Besides it contacts Confédérés to announce that strong Sumter will be evacuated, to them which Lincoln absolutely did not decide.

Among the members of the cabinet of Lincoln, only one minister, Montgomery Blair, oppose rendering strong Sumter. For the latter, to give up at the height, it is to give up the Union. At the time of decision making on this subject, a memorandum of the general Winfield Scott, a Virginia N, recommends the unconditional surrender of the fort for political reasons, which delivers suspect its bearing military opinion on the incapacity to help major Anderson. With the military plan, it estimates indeed that the intervention requires an important fleet and at least 25.000 men.

Lincoln decides, finally, to help another fort, the Fort Pickens, which is in a similar situation in Florida. Without making definite decision relating to strong Sumter, he asks for also the preparation of a forwarding aiming at it helping, and this in spite of the opposition of the majority of his advisers.

Hostile with the intervention, the Secretary of State William Seward weakens forwarding in preparation by depriving it of the most powerful ship of the fleet. In order to avoid the war, he also addresses to president Lincoln a letter proposing to base the safeguard of the Union on a conflict, carried out by joined together North and the South, against the Spain and the France which have just intervened with Saint-Domingue and the Mexico, and this in spite of the Doctrine Monroe. This ridiculous proposal makes it possible Lincoln to take the top on its political adversary.

The April 4th, Lincoln gives finally its approval for the forwarding carried out by Gustavus Fox in order to help strong Sumter. The plan provides that forwarding should not enter of force bay of Charleston, but simply to try to restock Anderson and its men. If Confédérés opens fire, then the federal navy and the task force will be able to intervene. In spirit of Lincoln, if the Southerners refuse that one helps men being likely to die of hunger, one can then make them pass for the attackers. The April 6th, Lincoln informs the Gouverneur of South Carolina of forwarding.

The mobiles of Lincoln to make this decision are not known, but several theses were advanced. According to a first thesis, Lincoln thinks that only the war could save its administration and wants to push the South to carry the first blow. The second thesis advances that Lincoln does not want to see its discredited government and the South implicitly recognized with the eyes of the other powers. It leaves with final the choice with the Southerners between peace and the war, and of it would thus not be responsible. The last thesis affirms that Lincoln wishes to preserve peace, but sees arriving the war and thus wishes to ensure the North of best the position the beginning of the conflict which prepares.

On his side, the president of the confederation encounters political problems similar to those of Abraham Lincoln. Pressed to intervene with strength by certain States of the South, it knows that to pass for the attacker is likely to precipitate the still undecided States in the camp of the Union, which would return a war possible completely unbalanced. On another side, plus time passes, plus the undecided States are likely to line up side of peace and Union. Blood would be used to make conceal in these “subjected” States and the “timers”. The Charleston Mercury declares for example that: The adjacent states on the South will never join with our cause as long as we will not have proven that a garrison of seventy men could not hold the gate of our trade.

The war starts

The Battle

The April 9th, Jefferson Davis and her cabinet gives the order to the general sergeant Pierre Beauregard to try to take strong Sumter before the arrival of the federal fleet. Among his cabinet, only the Secretary of State Robert Toombs opposes this decision and declares: Mr. President, at present it acts of a suicide, of a murder, and we will lose all our friends in North. By whim, you will strike a nest of Frelons extending from the ocean to the mountain, and their legions, currently calm, us will invade and all slowly to kill us out of their puncture. It is not necessary, that puts to us in our wrong; it is fatal.

For three months, the confederated troops stationed around the strong Sumter have prepared with a possible defense of bay of Charleston against an attack of the federal fleet or for an attack against strong Sumter.

The April 12th 1861, with 3:20 of the morning, Confédérés inform Anderson which they will open fire one hour later. Anderson refuses the request for capitulation of Beauregard, but pointed out with the messenger Southerner that the Faim would in any event push it with rendering from here a few days if it were not supplied. To 4:30, a shooting of gun of the Fort Johnson on strong Sumter announces the beginning of the hostilities and the bombardment of 43 guns and howitzers, located at the height Johnson, at the height Moultrie and in Cummings Point. Anderson does not retort before 7 hours of the morning, hour to which the captain Abner Doubleday aims at the rebellious battery of Cummings Point.

The Bombardement thus begins the April 12th in the morning, whereas the fleet of help undergoes a storm putting it out of state to intervene. Orders confused of William Seward and Lincoln had diverted the principal vessel of forwarding, the USS Powhatan towards strong Pickens. Under-manpower, the garrison and the guns of the fort answer without much effectiveness. Moving away its soldiers from the places of the fort the most exposed to the confederated bombardment, Anderson also deprives them of its best guns. The strong one was conceived to push back the naval attacks, the principal guns are thus located at the high places where the navy has difficulties in draw, but where fall on the other hand the shells from the militia of South Carolina.

Moreover under-manpower, the federal garrison uses only the guns of the lower levels of the fort, being likely only one weak to put in danger the batteries of the forts held by the militia of South Carolina. The Flag of the United States having been put several times at ground, the confederated troops must check regularly if the defenders did not resign themselves to the capitulation. This one is accepted by the federal ones only after 34 hours of bombardments. The April 14th, the flag of the Confederation floats on strong Sumter.

During the battle, Confédérés draws approximately four thousand blows from grapeshot and shell, while the federal ones draw a thousand from it. However, the only victim of the battle is a horse Southerner, to which five wounded northerners and four Southerners are added. After the battle, a salvo of one hundred blows of guns, belonging to the conditions of capitulation imposed by major Anderson, causes an accident and kills a confederated soldier and wounds several others of them. It is the only victim of the event. The federal troops are brought back in northerner territory, allowing Anderson, but especially with Abner Doubleday to make career in the army.

Its consequences in North

The April 15th 1861, counteracts about it the bombardment confederated on the fort, Lincoln decides to call up for the military service 75 000 militiamans, in order to subdue a rebellion which the legal system cannot deal with. The majority of the cities and villages of North are favorable to this intervention in order to take a revenge on the secessionists. Even in the cities of North pro-Southerners dominated by the democratic party, the population is favorable to the safeguard Union. Thus, with New York, city which will revolt against the federal authority in 1863, a unionistic meeting joins together more than two hundred and fifty thousand people.

The democrats of North relay for once the message of the republicans. One their principal representatives, Stephen A. Douglas, which had beaten in the Illinois Abraham Lincoln in 1858, declared with the citizens of Chicago: The question has only two faces. Each one can be only for the United States or against them. In this war, there cannot be neutrals, only patriots - or traitors.

For the northerner newspapers, the South violated the constitution while being opposed by the force to the legal government of Washington. The soldiers think that they will fight to preserve the government, the unit of the country, the constitution and the heritage of the war of independence against the England. The problem of the Esclavage is only one concern secondary, passing behind the question of the secession.

Political union in North east assured for a short moment by the attack against strong Sumter. In certain States of North, the lifting of troops is largely higher than that required by the federal government. The Indiana proposes twelve regiments against the six required by Washington. After having received a request for thirteen regiments, the governor of the Ohio telegraphy with the government: Unless seriously repressing the heat of our citizens, I could not really mobilize some less than twenty.

Its consequences in the South

The South does not want to pass for the attacker. After the battle, Jefferson Davis declares:

We feel that our cause right and is crowned; we protest solemnly in front of the humanity which we wish peace, whatever is the price if it safeguards our honor and our independence, that we do not wish to seek no conquest, no enlarging, no concession of any kind on behalf of the States with which we were as lately as yesterday plain; all that we ask, it is that one leaves us quiet. Message with the congress of the confederated States , April 29th, 1861 If North feels attacked in strong Sumter, the reaction of the South is built it in reaction to the proclamation of Abraham Lincoln aiming at raising an army to invade its own country, and to subject by the force its own citizens. The decision of Lincoln precipitates certain hesitant soldiers of the South in the camp of the Confederation. Robert E. Lee thus refuses the command of the federal army in the course of constitution, for finally taking that of the Armée with Virginia. This one declared its independence the April 17th, two days after the mobilization announced by Lincoln.

Finally, the South thinks of prolonging the heritage of 1776 in one second war of independence, and of resisting a “tyrant”. In fact, if the legitimacy of president Lincoln in the South is discussed in the constitutional plan, it is clearly null there in the popular plan (at least in the white population). Lincoln was indeed elected only with the voices of the States of North. Moreover, the democratic party, which introduced two candidates, collected 47,6 % of the votes against 39,9 % for the Republican party, only the play of the Great Electors having ensured the victory of this last.

After the Virginia, three other Adjacent states, the Arkansas, the Tennessee and the North Carolina, unite with the confederation following the attack of the fort, and especially following the call to the war of president Lincoln.

Return of the flag

The April 14th 1861, major Anderson had taken care to bring back the flag of strong Sumter to Washington. A few days after the rendering of Robert E. Lee with Appomattox, the April 9th 1865, and the effective end of the American Civil War, Robert Anderson turns over at the height Sumter in South Carolina and again makes float the old flag on the fortified town. This evening of the April 14th 1865, Lincoln is assassinated in Washington.

Sources and notes

Primary sources

James Mr. McPherson, the American Civil War (1861-1865) , Robert Laffont, 1991. (ISBN 2-221-06742-8)
Source describing the political stakes and tensions before and after the battle Price Pulitzer 1989. Titrate original: Battle Cry off Freedom: The Era off the Civil War
Confederate Military History , 1899 Volume 5, Chapter I
Source describing more particularly the battle and the forces in présence.
Geoffrey C. Ward, Ric Burns and Ken Burns, Civil The War , KNOPF (ISBN 0-394-56285-2)
Source on the battle and the policy issues and reactions to North as in the South. This book contains also a very significant number of illustrations.
" Sumter, Fort" , Harper' S Encyclopædia off United States History , 1905
Source describing the course of the events like some anecdotes.

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