The Battle of Fort Sumter by Brian Downer

The Battle of Fort Sumter

April 12,1861 Charleston, South Carolina, was the start to the Battle of Fort Sumter.  The Battle began at 4:30am, when the Confederates bombarded the fort with artillery that was surrounding the harbor.  34 hours after the first shot was fired, Major Anderson agreed to evacuate the base.  The Union army was significantly out gunned, but neither army had any casualties. 

          

            There were an estimated 85 Union soldiers and 500 confederate soldiers.  After this battle there was a widespread support of military action to both the North and the South.   President Lincoln called immediately for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion.  This resulted in four southern slave states to join the confederacy.

        On Saturday, April 13 Major Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter to the confederates.  Major Anderson was allowed to have a 100 man gun salute as part of his surrender.  They were only able to do a 50 man gun salute due to an accidental gun explosion killing the man and injured another man.  They then marched out of the fort onto a ship that brought them to Union ships outside the harbor.  They were greeted in the north as heroes.   

Sources
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/fort-sumter.html?tab=facts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Sumter