Or maybe the nature of a siege in warfare better explains the bombardment. War is rough. Maybe the idiot hotheads of Charleston should of thought of that before they troubled the nation. The British bombarded Charleston in the Revolution. Should have been no surprise.
The action the South Carolinians took in seceding was was not outlawed in the Constitution. Indeed, New York, Virgina, and Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations mentioned in their ratifications of the Constitution that it was there understanding that their people could resume their own governance if it comported to their happiness.
South Carolina sent a delegation to Washington in 1860 to treat with the Federal government for forts, other property, and their share of the national debt, but were rebuffed.
IMO, it would have been wiser had South Carolina not fired on Sumter, even though Lincoln sent a armed fleet down to invade South Carolina's territorial waters. They should have let Lincoln try to collect import duties on imports to another country, an act of war.
Perhaps you've not seen my list of Charleston casualties during the Union bombardment of civilians.
Mrs. Hawthorne
In the afternoon, between four and five oclock, the enemy again opened on the city. Sixteen shells were fired. One white woman, a Mrs. Hawthorne, was severely wounded by a fragment of shell striking her on the left side of the head. (Charleston Daily Courier, Dec 2, 1863)
Mrs. Hawthorne, the woman who was wounded Tuesday afternoon, was still alive up to seven oclock Wednesday evening. Dr. Frost is the attending physician. Very little hopes were entertained for her recovery, as (the left side?) of the head is fractured, and the ----- (cant read). (Charleston Daily Courier, Dec 3, 1863)
Mrs. Hawthorne, Number 70 Church street, wounded by shell in right side, and died six weeks after (Official Records, Series 1, Volume 28, page 683)
Church in danger
Whereas the Congregation of the St. Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church are prevented from worshipping in their Sanctuary in consequence of the missiles of destruction which are being thrown into their vicinity by our remorseless and infidel foe; Therefore,
Resolved, That the above named Congregation be most earnestly and affectionately invited to worship with us in the Morris-street Lutheran Church, as long as their necessities or inclination may require. (Charleston Daily Courier, Dec 19, 1863)
Firemen, William Knighton, Miss Plane, John Doscher, Rebecca (slave), and others
Charleston, Dec 25 The enemy commenced shelling the city last night, keeping up a steady fire which is still going on at 9 oclock this morning. A fire broke out about 9 oclock, destroying some ten or twelve buildings, and causing a few casualties. Heavy firing is heard in the direction of Stone. The shelling of the city has continued with only an interval of an hour at noon. One white man was mortally and a white woman slightly wounded by shells.
Three firemen were badly wounded by the falling of walls of burnt buildings, and some eight or ten others were slightly wounded. Affairs at Sumter remain quiet. (The Memphis Daily Appeal [Atlanta, GA]. December 28, 1863)
Mr. John Doscher, of German Fire Company, wounded at fire of December 25, and since died; Rebecca, slave of Mr. Lindsay, Numbers 5. Beaufain street, killed instantly by shell. At the fire of December 25, there were 1 fireman, 1 policeman, and 4 soldiers slightly wounded. (Official Records, Series 1, Volume 28, page 683, Report of Major Henry Bryan, Assistant Inspector-General, C. S. Army, Charleston, January 6, 1864)The gunners always increased their rate of fire when they saw a blaze, but in spite of the shells bursting near their engine, the firemen worked uninterruptedly. Four firemen and four soldiers were injured in fighting the fire, and a little further up the street, an 83-year old man had his leg shot off at the knee. It was a memorable Christmas night (The Siege of Charleston, 1861-1865 by E. Milby Burton, p 257-258, December 25, 1863)
An old gentleman named William Knighton, 83 years of age, was sitting by the fire on his hearth, had his right leg shot off below the knee, His sister-in-law -- a Miss Plane also sitting by the fire, had her right foot severely crushed by a fragment of shell. [corner Meeting and Market from OR reference above] (Charleston Daily Courier, Dec 28, 1863).
Mr. William Knighton mentioned in our report of casualties caused by the enemys fire on Friday, has since died from the effects of his wounds. (Charleston Daily Courier, Dec 29, 1863)
Miss Plane, the lady reported as injured from a shell on Christmas morning, died on Wednesday from the effects of the injuries received. (Charleston Daily Courier, Dec 31, 1863, as reported in The Daily Picayune, Jan 17, 1864)
German man wounded
One man, a German, whose name we could not learn, was wounded in the right hand by a stone from the middle of the street, torn up by a shell on Wednesday morning. (Charleston Daily Courier, Jan 14, 1864).
School Children
The St. Philip Street school-house remained untouched. A frame house adjoining it has nevertheless been hit by one of the shells, and fears were entertained for the safety of the school-house. Shells were flying round it constantly during the bombardment. The teachers, however, still keep the school open and the little girls and boys attended it in great numbers very regularly. (From The New York Herald, as reported in The Daily Picayune, Feb 12, 1864)
Mrs. Kennedy
One white woman, a Mrs. Kennedy, was seriously wounded in the leg about three oclock Thursday morning. She was asleep when a shell entered her house and in passing through, shattered the bed posts, the pieces striking her on the leg, fracturing the bone. It was believed that amputation would be necessary. (Charleston Courier as reported in The Memphis Daily Appeal [Atlanta, GA]. March 8, 1864)
Nine killed. Men, women and children wounded
There have been lately two large fires in Charleston, caused by our shells. Deserters say the city is now divided into two districts, viz: 'in range' and 'out of range,' and that no other expression is used. Nine persons were killed a few nights since, and a large number wounded, including men, women, and children, and twelve homes burned to the ground. (Washington Republican, Feb 26, 1864, as reported in The Daily Picayune March 11, 1864)
Firemen injured
the engine of the Phoenix Company was struck by a shell and blown to atoms, injuring several firemen (The Siege of Charleston, 1861-1865 by E. Milby Burton, p 259, from Schirmer Diary, May 13, 1864)
Willie, between 12 and 13 years old
the only casualty was "a white lad named Willie, between twelve and thirteen years old." (The Bombardment of Charleston 1863-1865 by W. Chris Phelps, page 101, reporting from the Charleston Daily Courier of June 3, 1864)
Colored woman killed
The firing since our last has been about as usual. Eighty-six shots have been fired from six P. M. Monday evening to six P. M. Tuesday, at Fort Sumter, and twenty-nine shots at the city, most of which were time fuse shells. A colored woman, named Adstine Rostersats (? hard to read the name) was mortally wounded about 12 M. Tuesday, by the fragment of a fuse shell, and died about four oclock Tuesday evening. (Charleston Daily Courier, Aug 31, 1864).
Childs arm shattered
Forty-two shells have been fired at the city since our last report. A childs arm was badly shattered by one of these missiles. (Charleston Daily Courier, Sept 2, 1864)
Man and two children wounded
In the city three persons, one man and two children, were wounded by pieces of shell. One child was severely wounded. (Charleston Daily Courier, Sept 9, 1864)
Colored man killed
A colored barber named William, was struck in the head by a Parrott shell Friday morning and instantly killed. (Charleston Daily Courier, Sept 10, 1864)
Men and women wounded
During the twenty-four hours ending six oclock Wednesday evening eighty-eight shots were reported fired into the city. A number of casualties occurred, but mostly from flying bricks or splinters.
Mr. A. W. Ladd was severely and dangerously wounded in the left shoulder by a fragment of shell, which exploded in the building where he was writing. Three other young men in the same room and building as Mr. Ladd, very narrowly escaped being killed. The shell passed through the desk of one (Mr. C. J. Porcher) just as he had risen to close a shutter of the window against the heat of the sun. It went under the desk, passing through the legs of Mr. W. Lambert, breaking the leg of the chair and leaving Mr. W with only a slight bruise on the ankle.
Another shell, which exploded in a building, wounded four females of the family of Mr. John Burkmyer, one of them seriously, breaking her collar bone, besides inflicting several slight bruises.
A man by the name of Collins, a laborer, had his leg taken off Wednesday evening by the explosion of a shell in the building in which he resided. (all above were from the Charleston Daily Courier of Sept 29, 1864)
On Charlotte Street, the Burckmyer family wasnt as lucky. A shell entered their home wounding all five family members. (The Bombardment of Charleston 1863-1865 by W. Chris Phelps, page 120, about Sept. 29, 1864)
William Doran, lost arm, last casualty
Mr William Doran resided at present day 5 Bedons Alley, south of Broad Street in the "Shell District." On the evening of February 14 [1865], as Doran was reaching out to strike a match on his dining room mantel, a shell passed through those walls and took off his extended right arm. (The Bombardment of Charleston 1863-1865 by W. Chris Phelps, page 131)
Do you favor a pointless bombardment of civilians, Colonel? Wouldn't the Federal bombardment have been better directed at Confederate troops and installations than at civilians? Charleston was not surrounded by Federal troops so the concept of the historical siege you mentioned doesn't quite apply.