Sold – From Sumter, Anderson Sees War: “…you will probably have exciting news”

On December 20, 1860, shortly after Lincoln’s victory in the presidential election of 1860, South Carolina declared its secession from the Union. Six days later, under the cover of darkness, Major Robert Anderson, commander of U.S. Army forces in Charleston harbor, spiked the cannons at the indefensible Fort Moultrie and moved his men to Fort Sumter. South Carolina let the Buchanan administration know that reinforcement of Fort Sumter would be understood as an act of hostility. Notwithstanding this, five days later the steamship Star of the West, with 250 United States troops on board, attempted to enter the harbor of Charleston for the purpose of reinforcing Fort Sumter, which was running low on supplies. The people of Charleston had been warned of her coming and of her errand by telegraph and determined to prevent her reaching the Fort. On Wednesday morning, January 9, 1861, the first shots of the Civil War were fired. As the Star of the West came within range, batteries on Morris Island and at Fort Moultrie opened on her. The first shot was fired across her bows, whereupon she increased her speed and hoisted the stars and stripes. Other shots were then fired in rapid succession from Morris Island, two or more of which hulled the steamer, and compelled her to leave the harbor and go out to sea. Fort Sumter remained unsupplied and the situation would soon become critical. The next day, Anderson was given orders to defend the fort from attack and just after received a demand from South Carolina for the fort’s surrender. On February 5, 1861, various people in the Buchanan Administration responsed by saying, "Fort Sumter will not be surrendered." Calls on the Confederate side to assault and take the fort immediately followed, and the scene in Charleston was agitated and filled with excitement and foreboding.

Believing that the Governor is disposed to act the part of a humane man in his intercourse with us, I make it [a] rule to refrain from making such demands on the grocer or the market as will attract attention and cause feeling against the Government. I think, though, that by the exercise of a little discretion we shall, by the blessing of God, get along very well, as long as the present lull lasts – No when can tell when there may be a change – and then you will probably have exciting news from Charleston.

On February 9, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was unanimous elected provisional President of the Confederacy. He was known as an advocate of a firm military policy and of taking the remaining U.S. government installments in the South. That same day, Anderson wrote this letter:

Autograph Letter Signed, 4 pages, Fort Sumter, February 9, 1861, to John B. Murray of New York, a successful lawyer and politician and later a Union general, discussing conditions in Fort Sumter and Charleston during the build up to war. “You see that I am branching out this morning, indulging in the luxury of writing on a nice sheet of note paper – Accept I beg you my thanks for the bountiful supply of paper, envelopes, and pens you were kind enough to send, and you will make the act all the more agreeable if you will permit me to regard you as the agent in this matter of my wife & let her settle the amount. It is always more acceptable to me to manage things in that way. But, my dear Sir, I am under much greater obligations to you and the “few” who had arranged to send us a quantity of prepared meats, vegetables, solidified milk, tea, coffee, sugar and other notions, “to make us comfortable” – and I beg you to accept for yourself and to present to the kind and warm hearted gentlemen interested with you the warmest thanks of myself and my brother officers for their kind intentions. We feel under the greatest obligations to all of you for what you did and what you intended doing. I trust that we shall not be again reduced to the necessity of having to resort to such a low diet, as I am now at liberty to procure some articles of groceries from the City. There is, among a certain class of persons in Charleston, a very bitter feeling towards me and my command and they canvass with asperity every act of the Government which savours of civility towards us. Believing that the Governor is disposed to act the part of a humane man in his intercourse with us, I make it [a] rule to refrain from making such demands on the grocer or the market as will attract attention and cause feeling against the Government. I think, though, that by the exercise of a little discretion we shall, by the blessing of God, get along very well, as long as the present lull lasts – No when can tell when there may be a change – and then you will probably have exciting news from Charleston…There are now on my table fifteen letters to be answered – and if I do not keep up with my mails, the letters will accumulate so that I shall have to neglect my correspondence. Yesterday’s mail brought me twelve letters. Mrs. Anderson informed me of the reasons she had used in urging you not to attempt getting the supplies to us, and, I think she was right. She did what I would have advised, myself – though your intentions were humane and noble.”

Just two days later, Lincoln left Springfield, Illinois, on a trip that would eventually reach Washington, D.C., for his Inauguration. Then, on February 15, 1861, the Provisional Confederate Congress voted to take Ft. Sumter and Ft. Pickens by force if necessary. Events were all converging to the opening drama of the Civil War. Anderson proved right in this letter; he would have his “exciting news” soon enough.