With the start of the Civil War, desperate refugees from slavery began to flood Union camps in earnest, but the government in Washington still had no consistent policy regarding fugitives. Often their fate was in the hands of the individual commanders. Finally, on August 6, , the North declared fugitive slaves to be "contraband of war" if their labor had been used to aid the Confederacy. Contrabands were considered free and were protected by the Union army.
As the reality of war sunk in, slaveholders in the South hoped that their slaves would remain loyal to them.
Some did, and the slave uprising that Mary Chestnut feared never came. But the exodus of enslaved people who crossed Union lines and made their way to freedom steadily increased after guns were fired at Fort Sumter.
By , approximately 10, former slaves flooded Washington. By the end of the Civil War, as many as 40, fugitives had made their way to the Union capital. The Academy was—and is—the premier school for American soldiers. Before the Civil War, the institution trained both northerners and southerners to be the elite fighting force of the nation.
When the nation divided over slavery and secession loomed, the bonds that linked the close-knit classes at West Point began to fray. Some southern cadets felt duty-bound to depart for the Confederate States of America, which was seeking officers for its newly formed military.
Many of the cadets from the north, who had been indifferent to southern politics and secession, suddenly rallied to defend the Union after the attack on Fort Sumter. Beauregard, a native of Louisiana, declared his secessionist leanings while still superintendent at West Point and quickly left to sign up with the Confederate army.
Anderson, though a native of Kentucky and former slave owner, remained faithful to the Union and was assigned to command its forces in Charleston. These West Point soldiers knew how to command. Their communications before and during the battle reflect the courtesy and professionalism of career officers.
Regardless of any personal feelings he may have felt toward Anderson, Beauregard had his orders. He instructed his aide-de-camp to send the major this formal heads-up on April 12 at a. Library of Congress. Close Video. Charleston Harbor, SC Apr 12 - 14, How it ended Confederate victory.
In context By , the country had already experienced decades of short-lived but ultimately failed compromises concerning the expansion of slavery in the United States and its territories. Before the Battle In Charleston, the birthplace of secession, tempers are on edge. During the Battle. Union Aftermath Union. Estimated Casualties. Union 0. Questions to Consider 1. Hough had been a friend of Patrick Murphy, part of the Fort Sumter garrison and my great-great grandfather.
Murphy was a musician who had been stationed with the military band in Charleston for several years. He had married and started a family, and Hough was the godfather of one of his daughters. Women and children weren't with Federal soldiers during the actual bombardment, but had accompanied the men when they took possession of Fort Sumter the previous December. The families were stationed with the garrison outside Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island, but the location was indefensible, so Anderson secretly had them moved to Fort Sumter — still under construction at the time.
Anderson begged the government to send supplies and reinforcements, but lame duck President James Buchanan waffled. He did finally send a ship, but it was fired on by the southerners as it entered the harbor and went back home instead. In the afternoon, they spotted the three ships flying the US flag just outside the harbor and thought they would be resupplied during the night, not realizing that the ships were actually on their way to Fort Pickens in Pensacola, Florida.
As night fell, Anderson stopped firing and the Confederates reduced their fire but resumed it the next morning. April 13, the barracks again caught fire and threatened the ammunition store, in spite of the rainy day. At about 1 p. On seeing the flag shot away, Louis Wigfall—aide to Beauregard, fire-eater, and former U. Although initially told that Anderson was not surrendering, Wigfall was able to negotiate a surrender.
At p. After further negotiation, the same terms were eventually agreed to: surrender would occur April 14 at noon. The people of Charleston came out in boats on April 14 to watch the surrender and evacuation.
As part of the surrender terms, Anderson had received permission to fire a gun salute while lowering the American flag before departing. Halfway through, one of the guns discharged prematurely, killing Private Daniel Hough, who had emigrated to the U.
Reportedly, Hough was buried at the fort, but that has not been proven. The rest of the men were taken by boat to the relief ships just outside the harbor.
On April 15, , Lincoln called for 75, volunteers to suppress the Southern rebellion.
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