Fort Sumter was a island fortification located in Charleston harbor, South Carolina. It was originally constructed as a coastal garrison, Fort Sumter is most famous for being the place where the first shots of the civil war. On December 26, 1860, six days after South Carolina seceded from the Union, Army Major Robert Anderson abandoned the indefensible Fort Moultrie. He secretly relocated companies E and H of the 1st U.S. Artillery to Fort Sumter on his own initiative. He thought that providing a stronger defense would delay an attack by South Carolina militia. On January 31, 1861, Governor Pickens demanded of President Buchanan that he surrender Fort Sumter. Over the next few months repeated calls for evacuation of Fort Sumter from the government
