The Civil War Presidents: Abraham Lincoln (Part 4 - The War Begins)
Abraham Lincoln assumed the presidency and also assumed a problem left unaddressed by his predecessor. That problem was Fort Sumpter. On December 20, 1860, shortly after Lincoln's election victory, South Carolina adopted an ordinance declaring its secession from the United States. By February 1861, six more Southern states had adopted similar ordinances of secession. On February 7, the seven states adopted a provisional constitution for the Confederate States of America and established their temporary capital at Montgomery, Alabama. A February peace conference met in Washington, D.C., but failed to resolve the crisis.
The seceding states seized a number of Federal properties within their boundaries, including buildings, arsenals, and forts. President James Buchanan protested, but took no military action in response. Buchanan took the position that there was no constitutional authority for a state to secede, but he had no constitutional authority to prevent it.
Several forts had been constructed in Charleston's harbor, including Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie, which were not among those initially seized. Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan Island, was the headquarters of the U.S. Army garrison. Its defenses against land-based attacks were poor, so Major Robert Anderson, the commander of the Charleston garrison, decided that Fort Sumter, which dominated the entrance to Charleston Harbor, was a much stronger fort. Under the cover of darkness on December 26, six days after South Carolina declared its secession, Anderson abandoned Fort Moultrie, rendered its weapons unusable, and quietly relocated his command to Fort Sumter.
South Carolina authorities considered Anderson's move to be a breach of an agreement that Governor Francis W. Pickens had made with President Buchanan to keep Sumter unoccupied, an arrangement that Anderson was unaware of. Pickens therefore ordered that all remaining Federal properties, except Fort Sumter, were to be seized.
President Buchanan was surprised by Anderson's move to Sumter, but he refused Pickens's demand to evacuate Charleston harbor. He authorized a relief expedition of supplies, small arms, and 200 soldiers. He sent these on an unarmed civilian merchant ship, the Star of the West. As this ship approached the harbor entrance on January 9, 1861, the Star of the West was fired upon and was forced to turn around.
Following Lincoln's inauguration, Major Anderson, sent a request for provisions to Washington. Lincoln ordered that provisions be sent to Fort Sumpter, and secessionists considered this an act of war. On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired on Union troops at Fort Sumter, forcing them to surrender. These were the first shots of the Civil War.
On April 15, Lincoln called on all the states to send a combined total of 75,000 troops to recapture forts, protect Washington, and "preserve the Union". This call forced the states to choose sides. Virginia declared its secession. In return for this decision, the Confederate capital was moved to Richmond, despite the exposed position of it being so close to Union lines. North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas also voted for secession over the next two months. Secession sentiment was strong in Missouri and Maryland, but these states did not have enough support for secession. Kentucky resolved to be neutral.
Troops headed towards Washington to protect the capital in response to Lincoln's call. On April 19, a secessionist mob in Baltimore attacked Union troops traveling to the capital. George William Brown, the Mayor of Baltimore, and other suspected Maryland politicians were arrested and imprisoned, without a warrant. To accomplish this, Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus. John Merryman, a leader of the secessionist group in Maryland, petitioned Chief Justice Roger B. Taney to issue a writ of habeas corpus. Taney issued the writ, which should have resulted in Merryman's release, but Lincoln ignored it. It was a time of war.
Lincoln made the transition to wartime President. This would involve dealing with Generals, which would become one of the President's biggest challenges.
The seceding states seized a number of Federal properties within their boundaries, including buildings, arsenals, and forts. President James Buchanan protested, but took no military action in response. Buchanan took the position that there was no constitutional authority for a state to secede, but he had no constitutional authority to prevent it.
Several forts had been constructed in Charleston's harbor, including Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie, which were not among those initially seized. Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan Island, was the headquarters of the U.S. Army garrison. Its defenses against land-based attacks were poor, so Major Robert Anderson, the commander of the Charleston garrison, decided that Fort Sumter, which dominated the entrance to Charleston Harbor, was a much stronger fort. Under the cover of darkness on December 26, six days after South Carolina declared its secession, Anderson abandoned Fort Moultrie, rendered its weapons unusable, and quietly relocated his command to Fort Sumter.
South Carolina authorities considered Anderson's move to be a breach of an agreement that Governor Francis W. Pickens had made with President Buchanan to keep Sumter unoccupied, an arrangement that Anderson was unaware of. Pickens therefore ordered that all remaining Federal properties, except Fort Sumter, were to be seized.
President Buchanan was surprised by Anderson's move to Sumter, but he refused Pickens's demand to evacuate Charleston harbor. He authorized a relief expedition of supplies, small arms, and 200 soldiers. He sent these on an unarmed civilian merchant ship, the Star of the West. As this ship approached the harbor entrance on January 9, 1861, the Star of the West was fired upon and was forced to turn around.
Following Lincoln's inauguration, Major Anderson, sent a request for provisions to Washington. Lincoln ordered that provisions be sent to Fort Sumpter, and secessionists considered this an act of war. On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired on Union troops at Fort Sumter, forcing them to surrender. These were the first shots of the Civil War.
On April 15, Lincoln called on all the states to send a combined total of 75,000 troops to recapture forts, protect Washington, and "preserve the Union". This call forced the states to choose sides. Virginia declared its secession. In return for this decision, the Confederate capital was moved to Richmond, despite the exposed position of it being so close to Union lines. North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas also voted for secession over the next two months. Secession sentiment was strong in Missouri and Maryland, but these states did not have enough support for secession. Kentucky resolved to be neutral.
Troops headed towards Washington to protect the capital in response to Lincoln's call. On April 19, a secessionist mob in Baltimore attacked Union troops traveling to the capital. George William Brown, the Mayor of Baltimore, and other suspected Maryland politicians were arrested and imprisoned, without a warrant. To accomplish this, Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus. John Merryman, a leader of the secessionist group in Maryland, petitioned Chief Justice Roger B. Taney to issue a writ of habeas corpus. Taney issued the writ, which should have resulted in Merryman's release, but Lincoln ignored it. It was a time of war.
Lincoln made the transition to wartime President. This would involve dealing with Generals, which would become one of the President's biggest challenges.