The Civil War: What could cause such bloodshed and losses. Ft. Sumter-Part 1

          A powerful question. What reasons and divisions could possibly lead to the four long, bloody, and desperate years of our history ( 1861-1865 ) known as The Civil War.

Knowing that the war was indeed unexpected as both sides felt with confidence that the other side would back down after a few brief skirmishes, the total toll of human carnage would surpass 620,000 souls before finally and thankfully coming to a calm end at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia on April 9, 1865. From the first shot at 4 AM, April 12,1861 on Ft. Sumter by a dedicated Confederate General P.T.G. Beauregard, one can in someway put the terrible consequences of this opening salvo aside, and admire the American resolve in this young southern officer.

Only an hour before he had delivered to Ft. Sumters commander (his former teacher at West Point) Union Major Robert Anderson the ultimatum..and advice that he would indeed open fire if Sumter was not surrendered.

Anderson remembered Beauregard well, and had actually known this moment might be coming. Being a lone Union fort in a southern state, Anderson had just months before moved his small detachment of aprox. 112 men from Ft. Moultrie on the shore to Ft. Sumter out in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. There actually had been aggression months earlier as Union supply ships resupplying the fort had already been detered by shots from random rebel batteries.

Note: Keep in mind that the Civil War losses of 620,000 ( 155,000 per year) in a nation of 31 million people at that time..equates today to 6.2 million dead in 4 years ( 1.55 million per year), our nation today at approx. 310 million).

So the shots are fired and the carnage begins. More to come..visit our Battle of Ft.Sumter page. More on the causes of the CW to come. The differences of history, economics, cultures, belief sytems. These unfortuately will be enough to drive brother to kill brother.