U.S. Army Forced to Abandon Fort Sumter as Civil War Looms: Article Analysis Essay

Introduction

The United States army was demanded to abandon fort Sumter after South Carolina defected in December 1860. President Lincoln was faced with the first crisis in his administration after the situations changed in fort Sumter. General Beauregard was placed in command of the confederate army to ensure safety because they were faced with continuous attacks from the United States army. Although President Lincoln called 75,000 volunteers to minimize the effects of the war, there was a widespread rebellion leading to the secession of the other four states. Although Fort Sumter battle had no deaths, it formed a ground of the first American civil war, leading to escalation of the problems existing in the United States.

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The history of the United States has been changing over the last few years to accommodate all the constitutional changes. In 1861, the first shot of the civil war was started when fort Sumter was requested to surrender. In an article by an eyewitness to history, "The First Shot of the Civil War: The Surrender of Fort Sumter, 1861," there is an explanation of the events that led to the start of the first American civil war. It describes the battle in Fort Sumter and the dates of all the activities occurring. It also offers a proper overview of the speeches exchanged before the start of the war. The fire exchange between the general in the confederate states and the United States Army general is appropriately documented in the article. The information provided in the speeches helps in improving the existing piece of knowledge on what caused the war and the events that took place before the war started in fort Sumter.

According to the article, after President Lincoln was elected, the division began provoking changes in the southern states (Eye Witness to History, 2006). South Carolina was the first to divide itself from the union along with six other countries. The division was expected to be peaceful until later when it brought a bloody conflict within the rebel states. The article highlights how the president learned the garrison was in trouble, and the actions are taken to keep the fort safe. At first, the president sent a relief expedition to the fort because the soldiers lacked food and supplies necessary for survival in the fort.

The article is essential because it shows a historical moment when rebels were claiming fort Sumter. The evacuation of the fort was necessary before the relief expedition arrived within the locality. At first, threats were used before a white flag signifying surrender was shown in the fort (Eye Witness to History, 2006). The article explains the first person to fire shots at the start of the civil war. Captain James was given the honors to fire the first shot of the war after Roger A. Pryor refused to fire the first gun to signify the start of civil war (Eye Witness to History 2006). Also, details on the time and date the first shot was fired are provided in the article. As shown in writing, the first bullet was fired on April 12, 1861, at 4.30 a.m. by Captain James. Deals of the gunfire exchange are also provided in the article assisting in providing sufficient knowledge concerning the start of the war.

The firing at fort Sumter started on April 12, and it went to April 13 when fort Sumter returned the confederate fire. During the fire exchange, as documented in the article, the fort was destroyed slowly by the exchange of gunfire. The rebels were not willing to surrender the port after they had declared themselves independent from the United States. There was a fire in the progress of the war that threatened to destroy everyone within the vicinity. The fire threatened to explode the gunpowder during the exchange leading to massive problems during the development of the war. On April 13, a white flag was raised as a sign of the port surrendering after the exchange (Eye Witness to History, 2006). The article explains the garrison involved in rebellion left the port on April 14 the same year after an intense fire exchange showing the resistance existing during that time.

The events of the war are explained in the article, as shown by details showing evacuation of the fort and involvement of 75,000 volunteers to assist in reducing the influence of rebellions. The details provided helped in illustrating the call provided by President Lincoln during that period to reduce the effects of the war and cut down the rebellious acts of the people within the time (Eye Witness to History, 2006). The changes in history and the involvement of South Carolina and the other six states in the war show the importance of the fort to the American people. The details provided in the article are important because they help in giving the details of the problems faced by President Lincoln soon after his inauguration as the president of the United States of America. Also, the details provided in the article are essential because they assist in showing the timeline of the war and the events that took place starting from April 12 up to April 15. The details add on to historical records proving the progress of the war and influence the president had during the development of the war in the United States. The details provided assist in understanding the causes of the civil war and the influence of the opposition.

The article helps in providing information on the events that took place before the start of the fire exchange among the states at war. The information contained in the report is essential because it helps in providing an overview of remarks made by General Beauregard and Major Anderson before the escalation of the war. The events helped in unravelling the consequences of the communication existing between two generals before the start of the war. The commands were given to captains in both warring states also had an impact in shaping the progress of the war. The article provides an overview of how the war started the effects it had on the people living near the locality. Through the report, the researchers find information relevant in addressing the start of the civil war and the problems that led to an escalation of the civil war in the United States.

The people were affected because of the horror of fore exchange. The article provides vivid descriptions of the emotions of the people and the effects the war had on them. Through a conversation between Captain James and Roger A. Pryor, the articles provide information on how the war started and the planning before the war. Also, the dialogue helps in showing the events that took place before firing the first bullet to mark the start of the war. The article also provides an account of the brevity of Captain James before the beginning of the war. As a loyal soldier of the united, Captain James fired the first shots to mark the start of the war that affected the lives of many people within the locality.

The war had positive and negative effects. The war did not have any causality within the period of fire exchange. The union had many gunmen, but they were outgunned with no deaths after 34 hours of fire exchange. However, during the surrender ceremonies, there was a gun explosion that led to death on two union members on April 14 (Foner, 2017). The state of the war sowed the Americans were peaceful, and they were not willing to risk their lives with other politicians.

The war was the first to create a division in the Lincoln government. During the time of the war, there were problems taking place in Lincoln's government that made the civil war to start. Lincoln had a hard task of uniting the states that had chosen secession. The war also led to the involvement of more than 75,000 volunteers to assist in stopping the rebels (Foner, 2017). The participation of volunteers, as requested by Lincoln, led to more problems because the civil war started taking root in the United States. For instance, there were more southern states involved in the defection that led to the escalation of the American civil war. The Lincoln government started having problems that were not easy to handle with many other states in line with defecting to form a confederate government.

The battle was significant because it opened up the first American civil war. As shown in the article, the escalation of the war made many other southern states to defect. The battle was significant in the presidency period of Lincoln because it gave birth to the first American freedom (Foner, 2017). Changes in the United States were required to keep the war and the people engaged in all activities taking place. Lincoln was advocating for an end to the secession of the states and advocated for unity among the nations. However, the war escalated because of a difference in ideologies among the member states. As shown in the article, the differences between the countries led to the first shots of the civil war. The details of the item elaborate on the situation before the start of the civil war that affected many Americans.

Conclusion

The article provides a brief account of the progress of the civil war. Also, the report provides more information on the details of the start of the Fort Sumter battle. The battle was an important factor before the beginning of the civil war. Through the conflict, the civil war started, and the changes were expected to take place after the defection of many other states. The battle was an essential historical mark point as it increased the opposition of the people and provided more problems to the Lincoln administration. In the article, the war is explained and the adverse effects it had in the division of the country. The battle was vital because it led to the establishment of many other unions. The states were at war with each other even after president Lincoln came to power showing the division required the involvement of the government to assist in combating the civil war.

References

Eye Witness to History. (2006). The first shot of the civil war the surrender of Fort Sumter, 1861. Retrieved from http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/sumter.htm

Foner, E. (2017). Give me liberty! : An American history. New York: W.W. Norton & Company