Sumter, The First Day of the Civil War. By Robert Hendrickson. (New York: Promontory Press, 1990).

 

Robert Hendrickson provides a farcical portrayal of the conflict at Fort Sumter in, Sumter, The First Day of the Civil War.  According to Hendrickson, “the opening battle of [the Civil War], exciting as it would be, was in fact a preposterous preclude to the tragedy that followed.  Fort Sumter might be called the last romantic battle of the old wars, although it ushered in the first of the new or total wars . . . Though it did contain many of the seeds for further horrors, Sumter was as absurdly romantic as any battle could be”(Hendrickson, 19).  The author uses newspaper accounts, diaries, and officers’ reports in order to narrate the epic struggle that thrust the United States into Civil War. 

            The author begins with a brief survey of the famous “fire eaters.”  Southern nationalists such as Barnwell Rhett and Edmund Ruffin exacerbated sectional tensions that ultimately led to the outbreak of war in 1861.  Next, Hendrickson describes the city opposite Sumter: Charleston, South Carolina.  He portrays the city as a lavish metropolis second only to New Orleans in southern wealth, prosperity, and beauty.  But, Charlestonians built their splendor harvesting and trading rice, cotton, and indigo; crops that rested upon the immoral foundation of chattel slavery.  In short, Hendrickson believes that slavery and the antics of the fire eaters created the situation that ultimately ended with the firing on Fort Sumter.

            This pro-Union author goes on to describe how the fort became the scene of sectional first blood.  Charleston Harbor contained three federal forts in 1861: Pickney, Moultire, and Sumter.  The Union garrison in the cove initially occupied Moultrie whose guns faced seaward towards the Atlantic in order to deter foreign threats.  But, engineers designed this fort with foreign aggressors in mind neglecting to secure its landward side.  Thus, the federal garrison remained virtually exposed to fire from the South Carolina shore.  Major Robert Anderson, the officer in charge of Moultrie’s garrison, decided to occupy the stone pentagonal Fort Sumter after South Carolina seceded from the Union and hostilities appeared imminent.  Hendrickson astutely notes that Anderson acted within the bounds of federal law when he decided to move national troops from one piece of federal real estate to the other (Hendrickson, 86).  Nevertheless, the Union officer’s actions elicited Confederate outrage and the rebels proceeded to lay siege to Sumter. 

            The situation continued to worsen.  President Buchanan, lacking audacity, continuously deferred responsibility for Sumter’s fate to his subordinates. Major Robert Anderson ranked among those left to decide the nation’s fate and continued to hold the fort without firing upon the Confederates.  Abraham Lincoln inherited the untenable situation when he entered the White House in 1861.  According to Hendrickson, “Fort Sumter . . . had become of immense emotional significance, a symbol of the Union” (Hendrickson, 170).  Yet, a decision with regards to Sumter needed to be made as Anderson’s tiny garrison began to run out of supplies.  The Illinois politician turned President faced a delicate decision.  On the one hand, Southerners might interpret reinforcing Sumter as federal aggression and a declaration of war.  Conversely, abandoning the fort would discredit the Union and make the inexperienced president look weak.  Lincoln rectified this position devising an ingenious plan with Captain Gustavus Fox.  He would send a relief expedition carrying only foodstuffs to Sumter in order to assuage the suffering garrison.  Ergo, should the Confederates fire upon this peaceful convoy, public opinion would turn against the Carolinians and they would emerge as the hostile party threatening to tear the nation apart.  But, a series of unfortunate events delayed the relief party and Anderson’s besieged garrison capitulated once supplies dwindled. 

            Hendrickson believes that the story of Fort Sumter contains several significant elements.  First, the events that transpired off the coast of Charleston initiated the War Between the States.  While it becomes nearly impossible to ascertain who fired the opening salvos at Sumter, hostilities commenced when the Confederates shelled federal property.  Next, and most importantly, the fight at Fort Sumter united the North against the Confederacy.  Prior to Sumter, northern opinion varied with regards to slavery and a divided country.  This changed with Confederate hostility in South Carolina.  For example, the famous editor Horace Greeley, who decried war after secession, became an advocate of forcing the Confederacy back into the Union.  On the whole, “Most Northerners were ‘at the point of war’ (Hendrickson, 223).  Although Hendrickson fails to draw larger conclusions from this observation, it becomes crucial to note that Sumter caused a unique brand of war euphoria that allowed Lincoln to raise an army capable of challenging southern secession.  Finally, the chivalrous behavior on both sides at Sumter, and the resulting low casualty figure, lulled Americans into a misconception that the war would be relatively short and bloodless.  The war, however, would last four more years and claim the lives of approximately 700,000 Union and Confederate soldiers (Hendrickson, 232).

            Both historians and novices should read Hendrickson’s book.  The former may appreciate his array of facts while the latter will find the book lucid and accessible. 

 

Justin S. Solonick

Texas Christian University

 

 

Sumter: The First Day of the Civil War.  By Robert Hendrickson.  (New York, NY: Promontory Press, 1990.  Pp.  286.)

 

            As the first cannon shots landed upon Fort Sumter, on April 12th 1861, America found herself thrown into the bloodiest conflict the world had seen since the Napoleonic Wars.  Although these were the first “official” shots fired in anger between brother Americans, the events leading up to the actual battle are filled with unique individuals and their intriguing actions.  Robert Hendrickson investigates in his work, Sumter: The First day of the Civil War, the events leading up to the culmination at Sumter and the motivations of its participants.

            Hendrickson begins his study with a look into the “Fire Eaters” of South Carolina and the motivations behind their actions.  According to the author, the path to Sumter began in earnest on December 17, 1860 as the South Carolina Secessionist Convention began. (p.20)  Before this event, South Carolina had already moved toward secession in several incidents including the Nullification Act of 1832.  In this act, South Carolina took the liberty of nullifying Federal tariff acts placed upon the state by the United States government.  Southerners felt that the United States moved steadily further away from the ideals set forth in the United States Constitution.  South Carolina held, as most southern states, that the issues of slavery and the tariff should be left up to the discretion of the states and any act that limited this right was an affront to the sovereignty of the states.

            Robert Hendrickson, in his second chapter, gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of the chief actors in the coming events.  Major Robert Anderson, a Kentuckian by birth, held the position of commander of Union forces in Charleston Harbor.  Although his sympathies belonged to the South, Anderson considered his oath to the United States before any personal feelings.  Major Anderson’s favorite former student, Pierre G.T. Beauregard, commanded the Rebel forces of Charleston.  These two leaders exemplify the dynamics of the players of the Civil War.  These two men give us an example of what became of much of the Civil War, men who were once compatriots now found them selves enemies.

After the secession of South Carolina, Hendricks recounts the stand off between the Union forces in the harbor and the Confederate forces in Charleston.  Fearing his headquarters at Fort Moultrie was indefensible, Anderson moved his entire garrison, under cover of night to Fort Sumter.  Learning that Fort Moultrie had been abandoned and only a few soldiers defended Castle Pinckney, Confederate forces seized the two installations.  The Rebel forces seized the U.S. arsenal at Charleston, as well, gaining an extensive amount of weapons and ammunition.  President Buchanan authorized a resupply mission to Fort Sumter and the side-wheeler Star of the West set sail.  When the Star of the West reached Charleston Harbor, she was driven back by Confederate forces.  This left the garrison at Fort Sumter in growing danger, because of their lack of provisions and ammunition.  During this “Cold War” stand off between Confederate and Union forces, the Rebels continued to build their coastal batteries.  Governor Pickens demanded the immediate withdraw of all Union forces, but Major Anderson declined.  Shortly after this failed mission, Abraham Lincoln swore in as the new President of the United States.  Now having inherited the problems neglected by President Buchanan, Lincoln ordered a second relief mission to sail to Fort Sumter.  General Beauregard, now in command of the Rebel forces, again demanded Anderson’s surrender.  Anderson would not give in to the demands of the Confederates, but hoped to hold out until a relief force could arrive from the north.  On April 12th, 1861 the bombardment of Fort Sumter commenced.  Anderson returned fire but was outgunned from the start.  Eventually Anderson realized that his efforts were useless, especially when the Rebels turned his relief ship back.  Anderson agreed to evacuate the fort, only if he was allowed to salute his flag.  He was given permission and Fort Sumter was evacuated.  The United States Civil War had begun.

            Overall Hendrickson’s work is both informative and compelling to the reader.  His prose is well written and easily discernable to most readers.  The narrative flowed well and kept the readers attention.  Hendrickson gives the reader a look into the mind set of the average Civil War participant and the dilemmas that they faced.  The only problem apparent in the work is the many instances of repetition.  Often Hendrickson would make a statement and three pages later make the same point again.  In total, the work of Hendrickson is important to Civil War history and will serve to inform many of the event of Fort Sumter and the events leading up to the American Civil War.

           

            Christopher Draper