1861

The Civil War began on April 12, 1861 at 4:30 a.m. The first shots were fired by shore batteries under the command of General Pierre G. T. Beauregard, Confederate Army. His forces were attacking Fort Sumter, part of the harbor defenses of Charleston, South Carolina. Fort Sumter was under the command of Major Robert Anderson, United States Army. After a 34 hour bombardment the U. S. forces under Major Anderson’s command were forced to surrender. They suffered no casualties.