Charleston, S.C., April 14 – The long awaited war is here! The breach between the North and South has widened to a mighty canyon in the last 72 hours. The Federal garrison at Ft. Sumter in Charleston harbor has surrendered and evacuated the U.S. fort to South Carolina troops.

For two days Charleston has shaken with the boom of heavy artillery. More than 3000 Confederate shells have pounded the U.S. fort and its 85-man garrison. Return fire from Ft. Sumter has been light, and little damage has been done to Southern batteries.

Townspeople thronged the roofs of buildings along the waterfront here today and cheered as the Stars and Stripes came down on the harbor installation of Ft. Sumter.

Maj. Robert Anderson and his garrison of canoneers marched out of the fortress this morning under a white flag of surrender. The surrender came after 34 hours of relentless shelling from the harbor batteries commanded by Gen. Pierre G. T. Beauregard. Governor Pickets, who has been here throughout the bombardment said “The first blow for freedom has struck”

South Carolina is the first of the Southern States to contend its right to secede from the Union. Word of pledged support from the Confederacy’s President Jefferson Davis, in Montgomery, Ala., indicates that the Southern states are solidly unified in their defiance of the Federal government.

Gen. Beauregard is the toast of the South tonight. The vivacious Mexican War hero will undoubtedly be called upon to lead the forces of the Southern Confederacy should the North and President Lincoln interfere with the secessionists.

The firing on Ft. Sumter is the climax to months of tension and angry messages between officials of the Southern states and the Lincoln government. South Carolina demanded the evacuation of the fort by Federal troops.

Futile negotiations between Beauregard and Anderson have been going on for more than a week. But last Friday morning at 4:30 a shell fired from a Southern battery at Ft. Johnson arched across the sky and burst almost directly over Sumter. The tension was broken and war looks inevitable.

Within minutes after the first shell exploded, 43 batteries around Charleston harbor were pouring fire into Sumpter. The guns of the Federal-held island fort withheld fire until 7 a.m., then opened on the Rebel batteries.

All Charleston has been on hand these three days watching the duel. King Street, the city’s main commercial artery, is deserted. Battery Point, the dock, every steeple and cupoia in the city have been crowded with spectators. Never before have such crowds of ladies without attendants visited the streets of Charleston.

As evening fell Friday the firing dwindled and finally ceased around 9 p.m. The streets of the city, however, were alive with activity; troops moving to shore points, State Militia batteries hurrying into position.

Field glasses reveal extensive damage to the walls of Sumter. On three separate occasions the barracks within the quadrangle have been seen in flames.

Guns from Sumter opened the firing early yesterday morning with increased vigor. Militia-manned batteries at Ft. Moultrie and Cummings Point were soon to reply. At mid-morning the Southerners’ fire increased and that from Fort Sumter slackened. It was evident that the Federals’ ammunition was running low.

A shot from a rifled gun at Ft. Johnson struck the flagstaff at Sumter about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, bringing the Stars and Stripes to the ground. Almost accidentally, this led to surrender.

A small party of Confederates left the shore and rowed to Sumter under a flag of truce when they saw the U.S. flag come down. After a brief discussion, Maj. Anderson accepted the terms of surrender presented by the truce party. The terms allowed the removal of all private property and safe conduct for the garrison to Union ships waiting outside the harbor. One stipulation of the terms which Anderson requested was the privilege of raising the Union flag for a final 50-gun salute before turning over the fort. This, Beauregard granted. The Confederate general also sent fire-fighting equipment to the island fort to extinguish the flames inside the bastion.

Maj. Anderson and his Federal troops filed out of the fortress this morning amid the beating of drums and with colors flying. They boarded ships and sailed out of the harbor as silent, Southern soldiers lined the beach with heads uncovered to watch the departing ships.

Events Leading to Today’s Attack

1860

Dec. 20 – South Carolina secedes from United States. First state to dissolve Union.
Dec. 26 – Maj. Robert Anderson, fearing attack from hostile South Carolina citizens, evacuates ft. Moultrie at Charleston. Removes U.S. garrison to island Ft. Sumpter with four months supplies.
Dec. 27 – South Carolina volunteers occupy FT. Moultrie. State demands surrender of all U.S. installations in Charleston Harbor.
Dec.30 – Maj. Anderson refuses South Carolina demands

1861

New Year’s Day – North exultant over Anderson’s stand. Cities resound with artillery salutes for Maj. Anderson.
Jan. 9 – Cadets from South Carolina Military Academy fire Cummings Point fun on U.S. merchant ship, Star of the West, enroute to re-supply Ft. Sumpter garrison. Ship withdraws to outside harbor.
Jan. 11 – Anderson refuses demand from South Carolina Governor Pickens for surrender of Ft. Sumpter.
Jan 15-31 – Anderson strengthens fort with emplacement of heavy guns.
Feb. 4 – Jefferson Davis elected President of Confederate States of America
Mar. 3 – Gen. Pierre Gustav Toutant Beuregard takes command of Confederate troops in Charleston area.
Mar. 4 – Abraham Lincoln inaugurated to Presidency of the United States in Washington.
April 4 – Lincoln advises Anderson attempt will be made to re-supply fort.
April 11 – Beauregard demands surrender of Ft. Sumpter, Anderson refuses.
April 12 – 4:30 a.m. – First Confederate shell bursts over Ft. Sumpter.