The Aftermath of the Fort Sumter Attack

The attack on Fort Sumter was a monumental event that marked the start of the American Civil War. On April 14, 1861 Major Anderson of the Union surrendered Fort Sumter to the Southern forces who had bombarded the fort for days. Prior to the attack which was the first battle between Union and Confederate forces Lincoln had sent supplies and men to the fort on April 4.

Lincoln knew full well that there was a strong possibility of armed conflict erupting at the fort but proceeded anyway, without the consent of Congress. After the attack the North was furious with what they viewed as treason.

The north was not in an ideal situation following the attack with many of their soldiers away on the frontier and few rifles and warships ready for battle. After the battle Lincoln called for the formation of a militia and implemented a naval blockade of the southern states on April 19. He called for a special session of Congress for July 4. By delaying the special congressional session Lincoln was able to quickly and efficiently mobilize a militia while maintaining a firm grasp on war strategy.

 

There was great fear that Washington DC might be vulnerable to attack so Lincoln enlisted more men, censored mail and the press, and bought and armed steamships for the possible defense of the capital. In his July 4 address to Congress Lincoln maintained that the South acted with reckless aggression in their attack against Fort Sumter, maintaining that Fort Sumter was not in any position to attack. Lincoln aggressively wielded executive power following the attack on Fort Sumter, so much so that he quarreled with Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Taney over matters of Executive authority and the wartime powers. Lincoln eventually won these quarrels and maintained a strong grasp on executive power for the remainder of the war. One of the reasons I think that Lincoln sent supplies and men to Fort Sumter was to maintain some semblence of Union power. It was very smart of Lincoln not to be the one who initiated the conflict. With the South striking first Lincoln was able to use their reckless aggression as a just cause to go to war in the name of restoring the Union.