The American Civil War - This Mighty Scourge of War

3 0 The American Civil War

Fort Sumter

Democratic President James Buchanan
remained in office nearly two and a half
months after the secession of South
Carolina. Eight slave states remained in the
Union, all of them disinclined to join their
Lower South brethren. Buchanan refused to
accept the legitimacy of secession, but also
said he would do nothing to force the
wayward states back into the Union. He
watched helplessly as the Confederate states
seized federal installations and property,
prompting a furious barrage of criticism from
Republicans. Many of Buchanan's critics
overlooked the fact that Unionists in the
Upper South typically made it clear that they
would remain loyal only as long as the
incoming Lincoln administration guaranteed
the safety of slavery in states where it already

existed and, more ominously, employed no

coercion against the seceded states.

The question of coercion came to focus

on Fort Sumter, a federal stronghold in

Charleston harbor. In his inaugural address

of 4 March 1861, Lincoln sought to place

responsibility for the start of hostilities on

Jefferson Davis and the Confederates.

Lincoln announced his intention to 'hold,

occupy, and possess the property, and places

belonging to the government, and to collect

the duties and imposts; but beyond what

may be necessary for these objects, there will

Confederates occupied Fort Sumter immediately after

Robert Anderson's small garrison surrendered. In this

engraving based on a photograph, the 'stars and bars' float

atop a makeshift flagpole attached to a derrick used for

hoisting cannons to the fort's upper tier Fort Sumter

remained a defiant symbol of Confederate nationhood

until the very last days of the conflict. (Author's collection)