<P> The First Battle of Fort Sumter began on April 12 , 1861 , when Confederate artillery fired on the Union garrison . These were the first shots of the war and continued all day , watched by many civilians in a celebratory spirit . The fort had been cut off from its supply line and surrendered the next day . The Second Battle of Fort Sumter ( September 8 , 1863 ) was a failed attempt by the Union to retake the fort , dogged by a rivalry between army and navy commanders . Although the fort was reduced to rubble , it remained in Confederate hands until it was evacuated as General Sherman marched through South Carolina in February 1865 . </P>
<P> The First Battle of Fort Sumter began on April 12 , 1861 , when Confederate artillery fired on the Union garrison . These were the first shots of the war and continued all day , watched by many civilians in a celebratory spirit . The fort had been cut off from its supply line and surrendered the next day . The Second Battle of Fort Sumter ( September 8 , 1863 ) was a failed attempt by the Union to retake the fort , dogged by a rivalry between army and navy commanders . Although the fort was reduced to rubble , it remained in Confederate hands until it was evacuated as General Sherman marched through South Carolina in February 1865 . </P>
when did the attack on fort sumter happen
when did the attack on fort sumter happen
April 12 , 1861
April 12 , 1861