Existing comment:
The March to War:
A Cabinet in Crisis:
In his inaugural address, Lincoln had made two vows; to "hold, occupy, and possess" southern forts and other federal properties -- and to avoid firing the first shot in any conflict. How to honor these seemingly contradictory promises dominated the first month of the Lincoln Administration. With his Cabinet divided on whether to abandon or reinforce Fort Sumter, Lincoln played for time.
The first shots of the Civil War were fired two months before Lincoln took the oath of office. On January 9, 1861, the supply ship Star of the West entered Charleston Harbor to reinforce Fort Sumter with troops and supplies. The Confederates took this as a blatant act of hostility. Under fire and suffering minor damage, the ship turned back.
In the first week of April, the president decided to resupply Fort Sumter by sea. Lincoln assured South Carolina's governor that, provisions aside, no attempt to bolster Sumter's military defenses could be made -- so long as the guns of Charleston remained silent.
"Let Slip the Dogs of War":
At 4:30 on the morning of April 12, 1861, 42 secessionist guns and cannons fired the first of 4,000 rounds at the red brick fort three miles outside of Charleston, South Carolina. The American Civil War had begun. |