“The rebels in the southern states started a war by firing the first shot at an American fort.”
Ran across this awhile back. Thought it was interesting. Explains a lot about the Star of the West incident.
There are those that believe that the first shots of the Civil War were officially fired on January 9th, 1861 - and not in April 1861 with the firing on Fort Sumter. I certainly think the facts warrant such an interpretation.In January 1861 President Buchanan wanted to re-supply Fort Sumter and Major Robert Anderson. They decided that sending an armed Sloop-of-War (the Brooklyn) might be too provocative so they chartered an old side-wheel steamer (the Star of the West) and in secret transferred the men, supplies, and munitions to her at sea - and had the men hide below decks. They planned to slip into Charleston Harbor (a routine stop for the Star of the West on the way to New Orleans) and re-supply Fort Sumter. The Brooklyn was supposed to meet her at Charleston Harbor to provide cover if necessary.
Well, word got to Charleston before the Star of the West (and before the Brooklyn could get there to warn her that word had gotten out) and she was fired on by a battery on Morris Island and turned back. That battery was manned by cadets from the Citadel. The first shots of the war fired by South Carolinians!
There were approximately 200 soldiers on the Star of the West - men drawn from the depot (at Governor's Island I believe). They were commanded by Lt. Chas. R. Woods of the Ninth US Infantry. His officers came from the 1st and 5th Infantry. It appears that they pulled together whatever men they could and packed them on the Star of the West to re-enforce Fort Sumter. I suspect the roster had men from many different Army units.
So the original plan was to use a warship? And of course the information about the hidden troops got leaked to the Confederates, and *THAT* is why they were firing at the ship that normally made a port call in Charleston with no problems.
They knew what was going on before the ship arrived.
So if California seceded they would have every right to fire on any relief effort the US attempted for US bases in California, right? Cause all those bases now magically belong to California after they unilaterally proclaim that they are a free and independent country, right?