JANUARY 9 = 1861 "Star of the West" is Fired Upon

The American Civil War begun in earnest in April of 1861 when shots were exchanged between Union batteries in Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor and Confederate guns on the shore installations.  But the first actual shots were fired on this day, January 9 in 1861 when shots were fired upon the merchant ship "Star of the West" (above) as she attempted to resupply and reinforce Fort Sumter.

States Seceding, the Union Dissolving

   This all came about during the secession crisis that followed the election of Abraham Lincoln on November 6, 1860. Sectional differences had divided the United States for years. There were arguments about state's sovereignty, but  the main dividing factor was the practice of slavery in the southern states.  Lincoln's Republican Party had run on a platform which pledged not to interfere with slavery where it already existed, but which opposed the extension of  slavery into the territories as they became states. The election was held, and with the opposition so divided between pro and anti-slave elements, Lincoln won with nearly 40% of the popular vote but a commanding majority of the electoral votes - 180 of  the 303 available. Many of the Southern states had been threatening to secede from the Union, and this mindset was very strong in South Carolina. On Nov. 8, the newspaper the Charleston Mercury, published a dark message: "The tea has been thrown overboard—the revolution of 1860 has been initiated.” And South Carolina indeed lead the way formally seceding from the Union on Dec. 20, 1860.

Fort Sumter - in Charleston Harbor

  On seceding from the Union on that day South Carolina demanded the the withdrawal of the Federal garrison in Fort Sumter right out in the middle of Charleston Harbor.  The small number of Federal troops still in Charleston after secession had been moved there by their

commander, Major Robert Anderson in (left) to "prevent the effusion of blood." President James Buchanan refused to cave in on this one point.  But Maj. Anderson and his 80 men required supplies and perhaps reinforcements. But Pres. Buchanan sent a civilian supply ship instead of a military ship, so as to keep the crisis from expanding by provocative action. The ship sent was "The Star of the West", a purely civilian ship. Sent on Jan. 5, Star of the West was cruising into a hornet's nest. Cadets from the South Carolina Military Academy - the Citadel - had set up a battery of guns on Morris Island, and were waiting.

The Shots Are Fired!

  Early in the morning of today's date, January 9, Star of the West captain John McGowan tried to move his ship into a channel near Fort Sumter. The Cadets on Morris Island fired a shot across the merchant vessel's bow to warn her off. Still Star of the West tried to move on forward. The cadets began to open fire (below). Major Anderson gave no thought to returning fire from his batteries on

Sumter.  If he had it might have initiated a full fledged  military engagement, and the Civil War might have started right then and there. Some batteries on nearby Fort Moultrie scored a couple of hits on their target, causing some damage on the ship. At this point, Capt. McGowan in charge of his unarmed ship decided to exit the channel and make a safe withdrawal.

So ended thee initial shots of  America's bloodiest war... a  small little skirmish in a Southern harbor in which nobody was killed or even harmed. A few weeks later after Lincoln had been inaugurated, 11 southern states had seceded from the union. And on April 12, 1861 the batteries in Charleston harbor opened fire on Fort Sumter itself, and the real shooting had begun.




Sources =

https://www.postandcourier.com/news/charleston-at-war-in-star-of-the-west-gets-first/article_27c54d7b-af4a-57a2-8273-d5902a0965a3.html

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/star-of-the-west-is-fired-upon


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_the_West

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Sumter

"The Civil War" Prod. by Ken Burns, written by Geoffrey C. Ward Vol. 1
"The Cause".