Convenient how they left out the part where Lincoln ordered flotillas of soldiers to invade a southern state prior to the war beginning. SC told the Union leadership that they would consider a landing of soldiers to be an act of war as it would be reinforcing a position that shut down their port. Effectively, the Union tried to seize South Carolina's port...again, for money. The Union Naval commander disagreed with Lincoln's order from his cabinet as it would kick off a civil war. The Army commander, a Major, disobeyed the Naval commander and landed the troops kicking off the battle. So no, the South didn't fire the first shots. The north unlawfully seized a port by force of arms.
No, it wasn't a battle. It was fake. Morons on both sides. What Lincoln needed to invade, start spilling blood. Anderson was a 55 yo major, commander of the Charleston forts, a tax collector. Was it his idea to abandon all the other forts and hold up at Sumpter? No he was following orders. He was from a border state, support Lincoln badly needed. He was rewarded with the rank of brigadier general and command of Kentucky troops. Brigadier general was the highest rank you could get at that time.
No, it wasn't a battle. It was fake. Morons on both sides. What Lincoln needed to invade and start spilling blood. Anderson was a 55 yo major, commander of the Charleston forts, a tax collector. Was it his idea to abandon the other forts and hold up at Sumpter. No, he was following orders. He was from a border state, support Lincoln needed badly. He was rewarded with the rank of brigadier general and command of Kentucky troops. Brigadier general was the highest rank at that time. Johnston, a great man, was brigadier general in the US Army before the war.
@@svenneffYou're ignorant. Sumpter, loading and firing? What about those Americans on shore? (Oh, they're not Americans, they're traitors, sessesh.) There was no "battle," at best a siege, Naval engagement. No rifle volleys, cutlasses, bayonets or storming of the fort. Quick surrender, priority was the propaganda effect, make the South the bad guys. Lincoln could have sent a fleet to back up Sumpter with overwhelming Naval bombardment. He wasn't stupid, not going to fire the first shot against Charleston, commit political suicide.
Anderson: "Hm. Maybe I should just return to Washington." The devil on his shoulder: "Perhaps. But you know what'd be really funny?" *Cut to half-a-million dead Americans.
