Who attacked fort Sumter?
A agree that the south had a right to secede. But you don’t attack a US fort shortly after secession. Cuba was smart enough to not attack Gitmo.
After a few years you could have negotiated a treaty to take back various federal govt properties. The Rebs shot themselves in the foot on that one
It certainly wasn't the Commonwealth of Virginia. Yet Virginia found themselves being invaded by a Northern Army less than 24 hours after a referendum to secede. Keep in mind that was a referendum to secede - not a referendum to join the Confederacy.
If you agree that Southern states had a right to secede - a right that Virginia had been assured back in 1788 - then as far as Virginia is concerned, the aggression came solely from the Union. Even after Fort Sumter, the Virginia legislature had voted to remain in the Union.
True, and many counseled against attacking.
Of note was that Ft. Sumter was unoccupied for a number of years prior to the attack, and that, under orders from President James Buchanan on Dec. 26,1860, US Major Robert Anderson surreptitiously moved his small command of some 80 men from the indefensible Fort Moultrie ,located on Sullivan’s Island, over to the empty Fort Sumter, to control the entrance of Charleston Harbor. He then raised the flag and Buchanan ordered re-supply of the new “base” by a merchant ship, which was prevented on Jan. 9, 1861 by being fired on by shore batteries.
All of this happened before Lincoln took office on March 4,1861. In the time running up to his taking office there was plenty of goading of Charlestonians about Secession, and the threat to shipping to Charleston was constantly made. Lincoln took office, and notified the Gov. of SC that he was re-supplying the fort, and this resulted in an ultimatum to Anderson to evacuate the fort immediately. Anderson refused and the shelling commenced.
Lincoln wanted the first shots fired by the South- and he got it. Would that it had been otherwise and a treaty of Secession drawn up. Not to be with the oligarchy’s plans. Such tragic loss of life, property and promise.