Transcript Union Forces Evacuate Ft. Sumter

Just to make sure
everyone
remembers:
What is secession?
What state was the
first to secede?
And…what is this
cartoon trying to say?
After South Carolina seceded on December
20th, 1860 the provisional Confederate
government blockaded a Union garrison
inside Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, SC.
The northern (shipping
channel) side of Ft. Sumter
The southern
side of Ft. Sumter
Looking out
from Ft. Sumter
Back to the story…when
South Carolina seceded I
took my garrison of 85
men from mainland SC
and moved them to Ft.
Sumter for more security.
Union Major
Robert Anderson
The state immediately
demanded that Anderson
and his men leave the
fort, claiming that Sumter
was the property of
South Carolina and that
they were trespassing on
sovereign territory…
Just because you
claim to be
sovereign, does not
mean you are!
After all, hopefully
we all remember
what I said about
secession…???
SECESSION IS
ILLEGAL!
So, Lincoln was in a really tough situation…
- South Carolina demanded the troops leave sovereign territory…
- But, Lincoln refused to recognize South Carolina’s sovereignty…
- And the troops were starting to need supplies…
- But, in his First Inaugural Address, Lincoln promised not to start a war…
Basically…I began
to demand that the
state of South
Carolina allow
ships in to resupply
Ft. Sumter, but the
state government
blockaded the
entrance to the
harbor…so…yah…
- Ft. Sumter was a U.S. Army base on an island in Charleston Harbor, South
Carolina
- When South Carolina seceded (Dec. 20, 1860) 85 U.S. Army troops were
trapped inside Ft. Sumter
- Abraham Lincoln did not recognize secession and demanded South Carolina
allow the troops to be resupplied
- South Carolina refused and blockaded Ft. Sumter
7 States had seceded from the Union:
South Carolina – December 20, 1860
Mississippi – January 9, 1861
Florida – January 10, 1861
Alabama – January 11, 1861
Georgia – January 19, 1861
Louisiana – January 26, 1861
Texas – January 1, 1861
By now, things were way more
complicated…on Feb. 8, 1861 the
Southern Confederacy was formed
and a debate began to rage therein as
to just who owned Fort Sumter:
The Confederacy?
or
South Carolina?
Given the philosophical foundations of
the CSA, why might SC argue that
they have a right to the fort?
CSA President
Jefferson Davis
Meanwhile,
the U.S.
troops inside
Ft. Sumter
desperately
need supplies
Inside
Ft. Sumter
Around this time the CSA
decided that Fort Sumter
was the territory of the
Confederacy and not the
state…though, of course,
everyone agreed that
South Carolina’s
sovereignty was
guaranteed as outlined in
the CSA Constitution…
Just to refresh, what
politicians previously
supported states’ rights?
CSA President
Jefferson Davis
In the past, what
statement(s) did
Lincoln make that the
South did not believe?
Most members of the CSA
simply did not believe
Lincoln…and even those
who did feared that
allowing the supply ships in
would threaten CSA
sovereignty in the area and
would represent de facto
acceptance of the Union
garrison’s position there…
CSA President
Jefferson Davis
On April 10 they sent me
orders to prepare for a
bombardment if it
became clear that the fort
would be resupplied!
Confederate General
P.G.T. Beauregard
I immediately sent a letter to
my former West Point
instructor and mentor, Major
Anderson, demanding the
surrender of the fort…
Confederate General
P.G.T. Beauregard
Well, though we go back
a long way…Lincoln has
specifically ordered me
not to surrender Fort
Sumter...so…NO!
Union Major
Robert Anderson
- Standoff had lasted for four months
- U.S. troops in Ft. Sumter were desperate for supplies
- Union supply ships arrived but were not allowed through the
Confederate blockade
- Confederate Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard was ordered
to demand the surrender of the trapped Union forces
- Union Garrison Commander Major Robert Anderson was
ordered not to surrender by Abraham Lincoln
Time Out
Both sides take a
day to analyze their
respective positions
Before the cannons opened
fire, 65 year old Edmund
Ruffin, a prominent slave
owner and secessionist from
Virginia (which, if you recall,
had not yet seceded) who
had moved to South Carolina
after secession, was given
the honor of firing the first
shots in the assault on Fort
Sumter…and, therefore, he
fired the first shot of the
American Civil War!
Ft. Johnson
1 Mile
The Union forces respond with rifle fire, having been ordered
not to use cannons. The cannons which could respond were
all in unprotected areas so the artillerymen would have been
easy targets and they also had limited ammunition.
The Bombardment of Ft. Sumter
April 11, 1861: Time Out
- Both sides wait and analyze their positions
April 12, 1861: The Bombardment Begins
- Confederate forces at Ft. Johnson, on the coast of Charleston Harbor,
open fire on Ft. Sumter (4:30am)
- Union forces respond with rifle fire
- Union troops ordered not to use cannons
- Cannons were placed in unprotected, exposed areas
- Use would have led to many Union deaths
Around noon, Confederate artillery hit the flag post
in Ft. Sumter and the Union flag fell. After the flag
failed to rise again, Confederate envoys rowed
across the harbor, thinking this a sign of surrender.
Well…I hadn’t planned to
surrender, but this is
stupid…who cares what
Lincoln says. We give up!
But…if we are to surrender
you must agree to let us go
home peacefully, keep the
flag, and fire off a 100 gun
salute in honor of our nation!
P.G.T. Beauregard agreed and so
Robert Anderson prepared a telegram
to notify Lincoln of the bad news…
April 13, 1861: Union Surrender
- Bombardment had lasted for 32 hours straight
- Union flag shot down; before it could be replaced
Confederate envoys arrived thinking it was a sign
of surrender
- 2:30pm Major Anderson decides to surrender
Ft. Sumter, without Lincoln’s approval
Union forces evacuated the fort peacefully
and Confederate troops allowed them to go.
Nobody was injured during the bombardment, however one Union artillerist
was killed, and three wounded (one eventually died from those wounds),
when a cannon exploded prematurely when firing the evacuation salute,
which was stopped at 50 after the accident rather than the agreed upon 100.
Edmund Ruffin was given the honor
of being the first Confederate
through the gates and the Stars and
Bars was swiftly raised over Sumter
April 14, 1861: Union Forces Evacuate Ft. Sumter
- No casualties on either side during bombardment
- Confederate forces allow Union forces to leave freely
- One Union artillerist killed, three wounded (one of which
eventually died from those wounds), when a cannon exploded
prematurely when firing a salute during the evacuation