The First Shots Fired of the American Civil War

The Battle of Fort Sumter (12-13 April 1861), also known as the Attack on Fort Sumter and the Fall of Fort Sumter, was the opening engagement of the American Civil War. It began when Confederate Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard ordered his artillery, positioned around the island fort, to open fire after Union Major Robert Anderson had refused to surrender.