Confederates Fire on Fort Sumter: Civil War Begins
Confederate batteries opened fire on Fort Sumter at 4:30 a.m., igniting the Civil War after Union commander Anderson refused surrender demands. Lieutenant Henry S. Farley fired the first shot, not Edmund Ruffin as legend claims, while Union gunners struggled with missing fuses for their explosive shells. The fort surrendered the next day, leaving one Union soldier dead and prompting Charleston residents to toast the hostilities from balcony seats along The Battery.
April 12, 1861
165 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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