By the time Lincoln was inaugurated on March 1 1861 seven of the nation's 34 states had seceded from the union over the issues of slavery and states rights The Confederate States of America would eventually consist of 11 states stampede out of the Union But soon enough the developing crisis at Fort Sumter caused Lincoln to realize he had misjudged Southern passions Control of Fort Sumter the federal installation in the harbor of Charleston South Carolina became a test of wills between Lincoln and Davis South
Carolina's leaders insisted the fort was their territory and they demanded that federal troops vacate it Lincoln refused But federal troops inside the fort were running out of food so Lincoln was forced to act On April 6 1861 he informed the governor of South Carolina he would send provisions to Fort Sumter but he would not rearm the fort as long as it was not attacked President Davis's response was swift and decisive He ordered the FRACTURED FRIENDSHIPS Confederate commander in Charleston to Major Robert Anderson led the defense inside destroy Fort Sumter if federal troops did Fort Sumter When Confederate messengers rowed out to tell him to surrender or the fort not evacuate immediately At midnight would be bombed Anderson refused The on April 12 the federal troops were given Confederate commander in Charleston who bombarded the fort was General P G T four hours to evacuate As the clock ticked Beauregard Anderson had been Beauregard's neither side budged artillery instructor at West Point Military Academy in New York On the eve of the war At 4 30 a m on April 12 the skies the US Army had only 17 000 men Many of the over Charleston Harbor lit up as a barrage officers knew each other personally Now these friends would face each other in battle of Confederate artillery fired on Fort Sumter Thirty six hours later the federal commander inside the fort raised a white flag of surrender The Civil War had begun Although there were no combat deaths for either side two Union soldiers died from an accidental artillery explosion during the 100 gun salute marking the Union's evacuation
Following the battle Southerners were jubilant while people in the North were furious Lincoln called for 75 000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion Men from Massachusetts to Minnesota and everywhere in between swarmed to Washington DC Lincoln's call for an invading army pushed Arkansas North CONFEDERATE DISSENSION Carolina Tennessee and Virginia to Confederate leaders disagreed about whether secede and the Confederate government to fire on Fort Sumter Confederate secretary of state Robert Toombs warned It is suicide called for its own army of 100 000 1 murder and will lose us every friend at the Both sides were convinced the war would North But other leaders believed such an act would unify the Confederacy and compel other be over in 90 days Four grueling years slave states to secede Virginia Congressman and approximately 750 000 deaths later Roger Pryor told a Charleston crowd If you want us to join you strike a blow 12 leaders of both sides would finally order the guns to be silenced
Public outrage in the North over the Confederacy's bombardment of Fort Sumter generated passionate support for the war effort
