Civil war virtual symposium. Glad to have you with us. My name is chris mackowski. Our next speaker today comes to us from our sister site, emerging revolutionary war. Mark maloy is a historian with the National Parks service. This is the civil war, mark. So we decided we would let him come talk about for sometime because its as close as we can get in the war to the revolutionary war era. I say all that because mark is a delightful historian and wonderful guy. I wish i could get him to laugh on you. Is most distinctive feature is his laugh, which we love to get him pumped up and going. We are delighted to have him today to speak about the first shots of the civil war at fort sumner. Mark . Thank you very much for that introduction, chris. [laughs] its a pleasure to be able to speak at this symposium for the emerging civil war. We love to have done it in person, but being able to do a digitally like this is a wonderful way to do it as well. As chris mentioned, my main passion is the American Revolutionary war. I work for the National Park service and we take care of a lot of important civil war sites. I actually started my career with a National Park service as an intern down at port Sumter National historical park in charleston, South Carolina. I worked there for about a year. Charleston, South Carolina, if youve never been, its a beautiful town and theres a lot of history. Revolutionary war history, but most People Associated with its important civil war history. They were started their back in 1861 in april. So over the next 45 minutes, when im going to do is kind of go over the buildup to the first shots of the civil war there. Im going to tell you about the battle that happened on april 12th and april 13th. And then, im going to tell you what happened at fort some dirt from the city following the rest of the war and what is their today and what you can see. If you have a chance to go down and visit at some point, i encourage you. Hopefully after covid, you will be able to check out a lot of these historical sites that are pretty well preserved down there. I really love the battles at fort sumter. Theres a lot of highprofile characters and personalities involved in the opening shots of the war. I will go through some of those as we talk today. Fort sumner is really a microcosm of the civil war. It started off as this gentlemanly and shovel rick engagement that was remarkably bloodless and that led to the bloodiest war in american history. The war really devolves, especially in charleston, where there is atrocities happening, and it becomes a very bloody war there in Charleston Harbor toward the end. Its also an important story to know and understand. If youre going to study the civil war, historians are often debating the causes of secession and why the south succeeded. Secession did not necessarily mean there would be a shooting war. So its impressive its important to understand why the war broke out and how before shots came to be fired. Fort sumter, and its time, was a symbol. It was a highly symbolic, and it still is to this very day, so its really important to understand as well. The story of fort sumter starts with the secession of South Carolina, which happen on december 20th, 1861. After Abraham Lincoln was elected in november, they held their convention. It was originally in columbia and then went to charleston. Charleston was a hotbed for secession. There were a lot of secessionists there. They were very eager to leave the union. On december 28th, they vote unanimously, 169 to zero, to secede from the union. Keep that they was filled with all sorts of celebrations. There were fireworks. There were bonfires, military parades, all sorts of things as they struck out on their own. As you can see in the broad side that was in the charleston mercury, the newspaper down there, it proclaimed loudly that the union is dissolved. In order to understand the military situation in Charleston Harbor, you have to see where the geography looks like. You can see by the time of the map in 1861, seeing the city of charleston now. Its on a peninsula bounded by the ashley in cooper rivers. Residents like to say thats where the rivers come together to form the atlantic ocean. You can see Charleston Harbor is surrounded all around by numerous islands there were four main fortifications in the harbor that, historically, were in that harbor to defend the city against Foreign Invasion really. So you can see just off of the side of the city is a small little shoal with a little fortification. We can see it right here. Just to the south of the city of charleston is james island, which had an old fort called for johnson. Here in the middle of the harbor on an island was fort sumter. Then over here on Sullivans Island on the north end of the harbor side was fort maltreat. These are the four principle for its. This is the commander of the Union Soldiers. They are in charleston win South Carolina succeeded. His name was major robert anderson. Hes in command of companies e and h of the first u. S. Artillery. Only about 85 men that hes demanding that are in charleston. Its important to realize how small the United States army was at the outset of the war. You only have about 15,000 Union Soldiers across the entire nation at the time. And so they are kind of spread out all across the country. Less than 100 here, as i said, in Charleston Harbor. Of those 85 men, eight were musicians in the regimental band. It was a pretty sleepy post. Most of the men who were in the first u. S. Artillery were immigrants. They came from, a lot of them came from ireland in germany. Major anderson is an interesting figure because hes actually a southerner. Hes from kentucky and he was very much against the idea of succession, but he was not in favor in any sort of war. He writes that his heart wasnt really in the war that he foresaw coming. He was kind of been a tricky situation here because it basically came down to Property Rights in Charleston Harbor where these federal forts, these installations, were part of the new republic of South Carolina are with a part of the United States government . Thats when a lot of the argument will come over as to who should fire the first shot. His father was a revolutionary war veteran who actually fought with George Washington and the battles of trenton and princeton. He had many other officers in under his command would go on to play Important Roles during the war. He had lieutenant norman hall who would go on to have an Important Role at gettysburg. Same thing with samuel crawford, who was a surgeon. He had lieutenant Jefferson Davis, not the president of the Confederate States, but Jefferson Davis who would go on to fight in the western theater of the war. There was captain truman seymour. See more would go on to lead troops. Its interesting how many of his officers ended up having Important Roles later in the war. This is probably one of the officers under his command there at Fort Moultrie who would have a big role later in the war to. Captain abdullah doubled day. He would go on to have a big role in gettysburg. People think he started the game of baseball. Its not true but thats how he was remembered. Hes interesting because most of the officers were under robert anderson. They were not abolitionists and were not really republicans but Abner Doubleday was. He was very outspoken about it. A lot of people in charleston did not like that and he was singled out for a lot of vitriol. Hes going to be outspoken in his defense of the union and in his wanting to get rid of slavery. Robert anderson felt that what happened what happened with South Carolina militia started flowing into the city of charleston. Anderson did not believe he would be able to hold his position at Fort Moultrie. On december 26th, hes going to make a bold move and move his entire force across the harbor into fort some tour sumter. This act, in and of itself, some south carolinians snot as an act of war as you they viewed these installations as belonging to South Carolina. Moving troops into that fort, they were very much opposed to it. Anderson did not think he could hold Fort Moultrie because it was so close to the mainland and he felt that houses and things right around the fort, the southerners would be able to get up in there and fire into his men. He did not believe he could hold the position. He moves over to fort sumter. This is an image showing them raising the American Flag inside fort sumter. Theres a painting done later, but its interesting because it gives you a glimpse of the inside of fort sumter. Foot sumter was started back in 1829 and was still under construction when anderson moves his men there in december of 1860. They are still working on it 30 years after they started. As you can see, inside the fort it was almost 90 complete. You can see there are imposing walls that stood 50 feet high. There were three tiers of artillery placements. The fort was pretty massive for that time. It was originally built to hold over 600 men. Of course, anderson does not have that many. He wont even be able to use all the candidates. It was built to hold 135 candidates and there are only about 60 at this time. Because of his man power, he will only be able to man about ten candidates during the actual battle. Let me also show you the this is what it looks like from the outside. Fort sumter was a pretty imposing fortress sitting in the middle of the harbor. Whats going to happen is one charleston wakes up and see a large American Flag flying over fort, sumter they are outraged. Immediately, governor Francis Pickens is going to order all of the installations around the harbor to be seized by South Carolina troops. Here you can see an image of some of the South Carolina militia taking over castle pinckney. At this time, they did not even have a symbol for their state yet. You can see they are carrying a flag with a star on it. I think they took off the boat. South carolina is going to adopt as theyre simply palmetto tree. That was actually Fort Moultrie, where it was built, was the site of a famous revolutionary war battle. During that battle, the fort that was on that location was made out of palmetto trees. The softwood actually absorb the shock of british cannonballs and a british invasion force was pushed back in june of 1776. South carolina is going to adopt this as their symbol and you will still see it to this day on the South Carolina state flag. That harkens back to the revolutionary war history. But this is the actual flag carried by the palmetto guards, which was a local charleston militia group. Its going to be stationed over on Morris Island during the initial bombardment of for Sumter Sumter this gives you a good map that gives you a good view of what it looks like in Charleston Harbor in 1861. You can see Sullivans Island, they took Fort Moultrie and started building batteries there. They even built a floating battery, which is basically a raft where they put cannons on and they covered it almost like an ironclad, and it would float in the harbor and they could fire on the fort from their. They are going to take fort johnson and castle pinckney. This island here on the south, morass island, it would play an Important Role not only during the first battle but later on in the war as well. That position, they are going to fortify that island as well. Theres a battery there thats manned by some students from the citadel. It was a military collagen charleston. In january of 1861, president buchanan will send the ship down to resupply and reinforce fort summer. As the ship is entering, the ship was called star of the west, as it was entering Charleston Harbor, the Citadel Cadet fires on the ship. They will fire a few rounds, as warning shots and then they hit the ship. It does not fire back, it turns around and leaves. This is a drawing you can see of the citadel from the west. Some people claim these are the four shots of the civil war. That would probably be Citadel Cadets, there is probably no return fire. What happens is it goes back to a stalemate in Charleston Harbor, trying to figure out what happens next. Basically, what happens as a stalemate continues, six more Southern States are succeeding from the union in january, february, march of 1861. They come together in february in montgomery, alabama, form the Confederate States of alabama, create their own constitution, their own government, elect Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stevens as president and Vice President , and form an army. The new Confederate States are going to appoint this man, here goo staff toe ton brickyard as the general in command for confederate he is an interesting character as well. He resigned from being superintendent from west point to join the confederacy. When he was a student at west point, who is his professor . Major robert anderson. You have the people, and his teacher on opposite sides of this battlefield of the civil war. Some tour is going to continue to sit there as a symbol of the impasse that has happened in the country at the time. There was a woman mary chestnut, who has a wonderful civil war diary. She writes in april 16 61, there dies peace or war. She refers to the fact that ones hard doesnt ones mount all the time. There is a constant fear that eventually, where would break out and Charleston Harbor would be the scene of it. Whats happening is nobody is sure of what will happen with the situation, once president lincoln becomes president. That happens on march 4th 1861. Abraham lincolns inaugurated president of the United States. How we handle situation differently than we can in . There are numerous political attempts to avert war. There is a Peace Convention in washington, d. C. Compromises to push off for. I peace delegation from the Confederate States sent to washington. All these are rejected, and lincoln will reject acknowledging the Confederate States of america. Believing the conception was illegal and had no authority. All the communication between the United States government and South Carolina and the confederates, will be to governor Francis Pickens, who they viewed as legitimate. Lincoln believe that the United States should hold the fort, something whats happening on the ground, because anderson was running out of food and supplies. He was unable to stay there forever. What is lincoln going to do . Lincoln will come up with the idea to send a relief force that would just deliver food and supplies to andersons men. If they were a poster fired, they would bring green enforcements as well. The federal government uses, delivering the food as an act of war, because again, they did not believe they had the right. On april 4th, the relief expedition is set by lincoln to Charleston Harbor. On april 10th, president Jefferson Davis tells board to tell anderson to evacuate the fort immediately, and if he doesnt, to reduce the fort. The next day on april 11th, 1861, this man you see here is james chestnut. Mary chestnuts has been, he actually used to be senator from north carolina, he is now colonel in the confederate army. He would kept steve le, and alexander shovel go out there and meet with anderson, and they tell them is options. Anderson says, he is going to be the starved out in just four days, and he will leave then. Chestnut will take that message back tomorrow guard, they discuss it, and then around midnight they go back one more time. Basically, they would need to leave immediately. And send us not agreed to this, and so chestnut tells anderson, we will fire on you in exactly one hour. The time must be 30 in the morning. His wife is back in charleston, and she writes in her diary, at that time, i do not pretend to go to sleep. How can i. If anderson does not accept terms at for, the order shall be fired upon. I count for st. Michael bells chime out, and i hope. At half past four, the heavy ballooning of campaigns. I bring out a bed, and i praise him never paid before. Right out there chestnut meets with anderson in his group, they will go over to james island to for johnson. At four johnson, they are joined by a former virginia congressman, we see on the right side named roger prior. Roger prior words of fire either, pushing to get virginia to see. They had not at that point. What will happen is chest best will tell the commander of the mortar battery. This man on the left. His name was george as james, he actually died leader in the war at the battle of south. He gives him the command to fire the first shot at 4 30. James will give roger prior the opportunity to fire the first shot. He cannot fire the first run of the war, so instead a lieutenant henry, as far early is given the command to fire. He yanks lanyard and fires a ten inch mortar. Cannonball arent into this kind explodes over ford something or. That was the signal for the battery surrounding Charleston Harbor, opened fire. This was the first shot of the civil war. Some people say that was not the first shot. Often you hear the first shot was this man who fired. This man is admin rough in, who is a fascinating historical figure. He was a fire either. He gained National Fame for being a agricultural is before the civil war. From virginia, and from 1855 on, he devoted himself to nothing but preaching secession. Sometimes known as a father of secession. He travels across the country giving speeches, he writes pamphlets, always looking to provoke secession. He snuck in and was able to witness the hanging of john brown, and he went down to charleston to watch the secession of South Carolina. He goes down tomorrows island almost 70 years old, and the palmetto guards allow him into their company. He is wearing the uniform of palmetto cards. They will give him the opportunity to fire the first shot after the signal goes off. He is at the iron battery that is there on more silent. He yanks the lanyard and his shot as the first one that will hit force hunter. He fires and hits the fort. He remembers hearing that first blast hitting the fort and that came with compliments from mr. Roughen. And men roughen will can keep a diary throughout the whole war, thats a great resource. Also civilians perspective of the whole war. When he finds out about the defeat of general these army in the collapse of the confederacy. Rather than submitting to what he called yankee rule, he is going to put his rifle and his mouth and shoot himself in the head to commit suicide. Some argue that he fired the first and the last shot of the civil war. Once the battery opens up on fourth hunter. There are 43 cannons firing on the fort. Major anderson its conserving its power so he doesnt fire back for a couple of hours. Its not until 7 am that the union fires the first shot back. He fires the first shot in return. All of a sudden, you have both sides firing back at forth from each other. This will go on for hours an hours. Every two minutes, the confederates are firing from different batteries all around the entire island. Here you can see in the image of them firing on the fort. The bombardment is going to last a total of 34 hours. Meanwhile, in the city of charleston, you can see people all ran to rooftops and to watch the bombardment. You can see the batteries firing on allfkm you will see smoke billowing out of forts hunter as well. In addition to just artillery shells and artillery shot, they are also firing hot shot. Thats basically where they would take cannon balls, put it in the furnace till it got redhot, and these were originally shot at ships to catch them on fire and sink them. They are using it on fort sumter to get it to catch on fire. They hit some of the buildings and there are fires. Andersons men are trying to shoot back and put out fires at the same time. It starts getting pretty chaotic in the fort. At one point, anderson has only six candidates that hes firing back at everybody. Meanwhile, while this bombardment is going on, who appears on the coast but the expedition that was sent to relieve major anderson. The confederates were scared that this group was going to try and land and attacked them, rejoining on the fight, but they do not join in at all. Much to the consternation of the defenders of fort sumter, because theyre wondering if theyre going to get any relief for help during that battle, but it doesnt happen. You sear you see an image of the fire and the foreign going on. Doubleday writes memories after the war and described everything that happened. Theres a great quote that describes how chaotic it was. He writes about showers of balls poured into the fort in one incessant stream causing great lakes and masonry to fall in all directions. The immense mortar shells, after sailing high in the air, came down and vertical direction and buried themselves. There explosions shook the fort like an earthquake. Overnight of the 12th, the union will stop firing. Theyre trying to conserve ammunition. But they will resume on the morning of the 13th. On the 13th, they are going to fire and actually catch the officers quarters on fire in the fort. That leads to a larger fire. Theres a fear that that fire will eventually reach the powder magazine and block the entire fort. Around this time around 1 pm in the afternoon on april 13th, a cannonball hits the union flag flying over the fort and knocks it to the ground. Some of the union defenders, including Sergeant Peter hart here, they climb up and replace the flag as a hail of cannonballs flight around. While this was happening, when the flag goes down, a big cheer erupts. They think that air inducing is surrendering. Immediately, a United States senator, lueck fall whos watching it happen, he hopped into a rowboat, rosette to the fort, and you can see he immediately starts negotiating with major anderson. Hes basically saying are you surrendering the fort . Anderson at first doesnt want to, but then he quickly realizes with everything happening that he should surrender. So he agrees that he will surrender the fort and puts up a white flag. Weve all rose back, and when they see the white fall go up, just not goes back up. Theres some confusion because wakeful had no authority to negotiate a surrender. But after discussing with chestnut, anderson agrees to surrender the fort. They would be given pretty generous terms. They would be able to take their flag down and salute it. They would be able to go back to new york and take their personal possessions and their flags. They agreed to this. April 14th is where the union prepares to leave. While they are firing their salute, it was supposed to be 100 gun salute to the American Flag, when they get to round number 47, disaster happens. Private daniel how is loading the cannon went all of a sudden it goes off and rips off his arm. Hes going to bleed out and die, but some of the powder ignites powder around the cannon and an explosion happens in about a half a dozen or wounded. One of the other man whos wounded would be mortally so. These, you could argue, are the First Military fatalities of the civil war. When anderson surrender the fort, he asked if the confederates had any casualties and they said no. Anderson did not have casualties during the actual battle either, which is remarkable. But anderson also cries out thank god because he did not want to be responsible for some of these first deaths. This accident that happens, like i said, those are the first deaths. So they are going to stop it at a 50 gun salute rather than 100 gun salute. Then they file out of the fort onto a ship and they go back with the relief expedition back to new york. The confederates march in and they will raise the palmetto flag and the new Confederate States of america flag over fort sumter. What was the response to this . Sumter becomes around leaning cry. The confederates had fired on the American Flag and fort sumter. All communities across the north, people are rallying to join up with the union army. Lincoln is going to immediately call, on april 15th, 75,000 volunteers to suppress in the southern confederacy. By doing that, again, the army was only 15,000 of that time. You can imagine how big an army that is that he is talking about. And these men just calling up those volunteers, they will drive the state of virginia to secede and join the confederacy. Then three upper south states as well. Thus, the civil war began. Because of that, the focus on the more quickly goes to virginia where a lot of the fighting is going to happen such as masses. But for its hunter stood as the symbol of where the first shot was fired. What happens to anderson and his men . They go back to new york where they are greeted is heroes. Thousands of people come to new york to see the actual fact that they brought back with them that had been fired on by the confederates. Like i said, many of them are going to go off and do much bigger things during the civil war. Some of them are going to die of disease and other things like that during the war. One of the more interesting stories is the man you see in the back row second from the right. His name was richard need. He was a virginian who had fought with andersons men during this battle. But when virginia sees on april 17th, he resigns and joins the confederate army. He will actually fight against the union before he dies of disease during the war. But charleston, the confederates are very quick to fortify the entire harbor. You can see the massive amount of earthworks they will build all around the harbor. Like i said, Morris Island will be important. The union will eventually make that as one of their headquarters. They will eventually get on to more silent to get a foothold. They are going to try to take charleston by land and they will meet utter disaster at the battle of secession bill in june of 1862. Then welsh gave a wonderful presentation of it at last years emerging is of a war conference. After that disaster, they are going to keep trying to capture some to bite seat. They are going to do a large ironclad attack on the fort in april of 1863 that is replaced. So then the union, like i said, once they get on Morris Island down here, they will have multiple attempts to capture the whole island. If youve seen the famous movie glory, this is where the battle of fort wagner happens in july of 1863. That is also real pulsed. But eventually, the confederates, because a man power and other reasons, they will abandon more silent. Once the union captures more silent, they are less than half a mile from fort some turn. Artillery had grown leaps and bounds by this point. The artillery there used during the first battle was smooth bore. By this time, they have rifled artillery that is accurate up to four or five miles instead of one. In fact, the union have a large cannon, the swamp angel, that was firing rounds into the city of charleston. Like i said, a distance of about four miles. Once they get on to Morris Island, the union is just going to hammer some turn. They are going to fire on it almost continuously all throughout 1864 and 1865. Its just going to be an unrelenting attack to try and capture some 30. The new rifled artillery just demolishes the walls. You can see that this is what it looked like by that point. They rifled artillery smashes through these brick walls. But they did not realize is its actually making it stronger because all this mess fell down and basically turn fort sumter into one shiner the l word and the confederates will be living like rats on the inside of it and fighting back all sorts of attempts by the union to put landing groups on there to try and capture it. Those will be repaved, as well. They resort to that. Like i said, the war starts a logging and South Carolina refuses, because symbolic importance, refuses to give up. This is an image by corner add chapman to painted all sorts of scenes from that time, around Charleston Harbor. You can see this lone confederate standing there, the Second NationalConfederate Flag in the distance, you can see the union blockade, all their vessels out there, and you can see Moores Island where they were shouting forced home to her. They were hitting the city of charleston. Putting some Union Prisoners of war interested in the city, and let the union know they might hit some of their men. In retaliation to the, the union will taken federal prisoners down, and they will put them on the edge of Moores Island to use them as human shields. This is how the warhead evolved from the gentlemans warfare, by the end they are using humans as human shields. Over the course this is another shot after the war over the course of two years, the union will fire 3500 tons of metal into that island. Like i said, turned it into one giant earthwork. There are never able to capture port some sure. The whole charleston to february 1865, by that Point Sherman had completed his march down to the sea in savannah. He was marching to South Carolina, and people are wondering if you go to charleston or columbia. He goes to columbia, but it made indefensible the city of charleston. On february 17th 1865, they evacuee Charleston Harbor. The next day, Union Soldiers get back support home sir, and raise the American Flag. General sherman, they also suffered a fire in 1861 that burn the city. General sherman and many of the union shoulders wanted revenge on charleston for having started the war. He rode, i doubt any city was anymore terribly punish than charleston. As people were agitated for years the judgment of the world will be the charleston deserve the fate that beast sell her. On april 14th 1865, major anderson, who would now general, returns to fort humps or, to ceremony see raise the American Flag. The celebration that happens that day is overshadowed that night when Abraham Lincoln was shot in washington, d. C. At the theater. Today, if you go visit the fort, it was used by the u. S. Military until the forties, now it is a National Park service say. You will see the immediate thing you notice, there are no more three tiers of walls, only one level of brick wall around the island. You see the large black a battery that was billed during the spanish american war, and now sits in the middle of the praying brown. Numerous changes over the year, and middle fabric from the original 1861 still exists, but it does exist in different places on the island. Inside this battery, is a Wonderful Museum that has a lot of objects related to the actual battle. This is what it looks like on Parade Ground inside. Some of the case mates are still surviving. You can check those out. You can see the ruins here, of the different barracks and officer quarters. Near the powder magazines. As well as a monument to the defenders of the fort. You can still see some of the actual artillery that was fired during that seizure of 1863 to 1865 by the union on more siphons its amazing that you can see that piece of history on the walls, today. Inside the museum, you will see the actual flag. It was a storm fact that andersons men flew during the battle. Its a Pretty Amazing artifact. They had a larger, flag at liberty square, another site run by the National Park service down there. If you do get a chance to go down there, it is not the only sight to see. This is affordable tree looks like, and this is where some of the first shots were fired by confederates. It was inside of the revolutionary war. They interpret all american Coastal Defense from 1776, up to world war ii. One of the nearest sites is to go to for johnson, where the initial shell was fired by captain george as james. Theres a marker out there today, denoting that as a location of the first shot of the civil war. Really cool, thats where ford wagner was and edmund rough and was. That has changed a lot due to the tides, so there is nothing out there. All the earthworks have been washed away, no monuments or markers, it is only accessible you have multiple sites to check out, but charleston overall is a beautiful city. A lot of People Associated with this initial story of what happened there during the civil war. The history goes all the way back, even before the revolutionary war. A lot of the original buildings insight still exist. It is a wonderful place to visit and to involve yourself in a lot of history. Thank you very much. If you want to read more about these. About the initial value. I recommend allegiance, its an overview the first battle. If you want to know the siege of charleston from 63 to 65, read get a foul by stephen wise. By next year, the former historian for the National Park service, rick catcher, who had the privilege of working with will have an emerging civil war series book called thunder at the harbor, that should cover all of this and include a lot of the sites who can visit. Thank you all very much, i appreciate the chance to speak here tonight. Kevin pollack talks about the loud and volley campaign. A series of skirmishes beginning in 1862, between Confederate Forces and various unions of the union army. This was part of the imposed him on the war of the east, posted by the emerging civil war blog. Welcome back to the emergence civil war official symposium. Thank you for doing this online as well as in person. I want to give a thanks to our friends at cspan for the great work they continue to do to help promote american history. Their work is absolutely invaluable. Our next speaker today is kevin pollack. The