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| Friday April 12, 1861 |
There is some confusion to who fired the first shot at Fort Sumter.
Most accounts have the first shot fired at 4:30 am. The signal shot
was fired from the post of Captain George S. James at Fort
Johnson. After the signal shot the other batteries in the harbor
open fire. It is believed that Captain James ordered the first shot
and that Henry Farley fired the signal shot. Legend has it the
Edmund Ruffin from Virginina, a well known fire breather fired the
first shot. He may have fired the first shot that came from
Cummings Point on Morris Island after the signal shot was fired.
The Federal guns in the fort were silent until approximately 7:00
am. The fort had 48 guns but there were only 85 army personnel
and 43 work men to man them. The Confederates were believed
to have over 4,000 men and 70+ guns.
The people of Charleston watched the battle throughout the day.
The Federal relief fleet had arrived off of the Charleston bar but
did not attempt to reinforce or resupply the fort.
In Florida the United States Navy is able to land troops
unopposed at Fort Pickens which sits at the entrance to
Pensacola Harbor.