And so it begins. At 4:30 AM, Confederate batteries open fire on Fort Sumter off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. Sumter’s Union garrison returns fire. In the space of mere moments, month-longs apprehension evaporates. The war is on. There is no turning back. The first return fire from Sumter comes from a cannon manned…
President Abraham Lincoln sends a message to South Carolina Governor Francis W. Pickens stating that he will attempt to send supplies to Fort Sumter: …an attempt will be made to supply Fort Sumter with provisions only, and that if such attempt be not resisted, no effort to throw in men, arms, or ammunition will be…
Today U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, over the objection of some advisors, decides to attempt to resupply Fort Sumter on April 6. The die is cast. Lincoln knows that Confederate forces in Charleston will resist the resupply efforts, which in turn could well lead to the formal beginnings of the war that is inevitable. Meanwhile, Mississippi…