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"Star of the West" , but this was a civilian ship .
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Ft. Sumter in Charleston Harbor, Charleston, South Carolina. The South fired on the Union fort and started the war. Some claim that the first first shots were fired 3 months before the bombardment of Fort Sumter. On January 9th or 10th, 1861, Confederate batteries on Morris Island, manned by cadets from The Citadel, fired on the Union supply ship Star of the West. The Star of the West was attempting to resupply Union forces at Fort Sumter. Although the ship wasn't hit, Confederate forces were successful in driving the ship off. Shots were also fired by northern/union forces on January 8th, 1861, at Fort Barrancas (Pensacola, Florida) under the command of Lt. Adam J. Slemmer, firing at what were probably Alabama militia.
The generally recognized "first shots" of the civil war were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor in Charleston, South Carolina at about 4:40 AM on 12 April, 1861 when Edmund Ruffin of Virginia, touched off a gun in the ironclad battery at Cummings Point - signal shell to tell the rest of the Confederate forces to begin their bombardment of Fort Sumter. Some claim that the first first shots were fired 3 months before the bombardment of Fort Sumter. On January 9th or 10th, 1861, Confederate batteries on Morris Island, manned by cadets from The Citadel, fired on the Union supply ship Star of the West. The Star of the West was attempting to resupply Union forces at Fort Sumter. Although the ship wasn't hit, Confederate forces were successful in driving the ship off. But there were also shots fired by northern/union forces on January 8th, 1861, at Fort Barrancas (Pensacola, Florida) under the command of Lt. Adam J. Slemmer, firing at what were probably Alabama militia.
First Bull Run Sorry, but I don't think that that is an accurate answer. The usual answer is that the shots were fired around April 12, 1861, by Confederate artillery on Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, Charleston, South Carolina. It's not necessarily true, but it suits the needs of certain groups in how they wish to portray history. Some claim that the first first shots were fired 3 months before the bombardment of Fort Sumter. On January 9th or 10th, 1861, Confederate batteries on Morris Island, manned by cadets from The Citadel, fired on the Union supply ship Star of the West. The Star of the West was attempting to resupply Union forces at Fort Sumter. Although the ship wasn't hit, Confederate forces were successful in driving the ship off. Shots were also fired by northern/union forces on January 8th, 1861, at Fort Barrancas (Pensacola, Florida) under the command of Lt. Adam J. Slemmer, firing at what were probably Alabama militia. See Walter Gierschbach's notes at: militaryhistoryonline.com/civilwar/misc/barrancas.aspx See also Robert Hawk writing for the Florida National Guard at: floridaguard.army.mil/history/CivilWar.asp?did=1305