Fort Sumter, surrounded by the waters of Charleston Harbor, with guns that frowned on the hrabour entrances, was like an irritating splinter in the eye of the Confederacy. Southern representatives went to Washington to negotiate with outgoing President Buchanan . . . slow to take action, Buchanan decided . . . to follow the advice of his commanding General, Windfield Scott and authorized supplies and reinforcements of some 250 troops to the garrison of Fort Sumter. . . they decided to use ships for the purpose and sent the merchant vessel, Star of the West, which arrived on January 5 off the bar of Cahrleston Harbor. As she made her way across the black waters, rockets and signal lights were fired off in front of her. Carolinian gunners dashed to their guns recently set up in Fort Moutrie. Untrained, they did little damage to the ship, although a richochet struck the ship's forechains. Yet, they managed to turn the ship back. On Fort Sumter, the commander and Kentuckian, Colonel Richard Anderson forebade his men from giving cover fire to the ship. He was determined not to fire the shot that would start the Civil War. He sent a protest to the governor of South Carolina who responded that the arrival of such a ship was to be considered a hostile act. On February 18 Jefferson Davis was inaugerated President of the Confederate States . . . and decided to send a diplomatic mission to Washington seeking removal of the annoying garrison at Fort Sumter. On March 1 he named General P. G. T. Beauregard cammander of the area. On March 4 Lincoln was sworn in and quickly decided to reinforce the fort. On hearing this, Confederate officials placed their men on alert. On April 11 they sent word to Ft Sumter commander Anderson a demand for surrender. He declined but he let it be known that he was short of supplies and might have to abandon the fort within days. Confederate officials wanted to know when he would leave. He told them no sooner than the 15th unless he was resupplied and that he would not fire unless fired upon. The Confederates responded with - leave by the 12th or suffer a barrage.At 4:30 am on the 12th, Southern batteries opened fire on the brick walls of Fort Sumter. A few hours later, Union cannon responded. So, in either case, the firing at the supply ship Star of the West or the Fort itself, the Confederates fired first.  The Star of the West Monument is dedicated to the memory of the cadets who fired on the Star of the West in 1861 and to all Citadel graduates who have died in defense of their country. The granite monument was raised in the spring of 1961, 100 years after Citadel cadets fired on the federal supply ship from the northern point of Morris Island. A bronze plaque depicts the action. Cadets were chosen to man the 24-pound siege guns because they were the best-trained men in Charleston to fire the weapons. Inscribed on the monument are the names of those cadets who have won the Star of the West Medal for individual drill competition. The monument is located between Bond Hall and the central flagpole. |
