Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, beginning the American Civil War.
Fort Sumter stood on an artificial island at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. It was held by Union troops under Major Robert Anderson after South Carolina had seceded from the United States.
Confederate artillery began firing at about 4:30 a.m. on April 12. The bombardment continued for roughly 34 hours, and Anderson surrendered the fort on April 13. The engagement caused no direct deaths during the bombardment, although two Union soldiers died during a later surrender salute.
The attack followed months of political crisis after Abraham Lincoln’s election and the secession of Southern states. Lincoln’s decision to send supplies to the garrison helped trigger the confrontation. Fort Sumter is generally recognized as the first battle of the Civil War, although the conflict’s broader causes included disputes over slavery, federal authority, and secession.