Learn the individual stories of men and women who were involved in major events leading up to, during and after the The Civil War (1861-1865).
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On April 11, 1861, with the supply ships Lincoln had promised to send already underway, General P.G.T. Beauregard sent James Chesnut with a message to Major Anderson, demanding to know when he would...
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"South Carolina's Ultimatum," engraved by Currier and Ives, portrays South Carolina as destroying herself in her threats to destroy the Union. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.
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Fort Sumter, viewed here from the rear, could not be re-supplied without the Confederate forces in Charleston acquiescing; which they were determined not to do. As Major Anderson's garrison saw their...
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The entry of Major Robert Anderson's (see Major Robert Anderson) command into Fort Sumter on Christmas night, 1860. After the secession of the seven deep South states, federal troops withdrew from...
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The cartoon "South Carolina Topsey in a Fix," one of "Strong's Dime Caricatures," was printed by W.T. Strong in 1861. Topsey has cut one of the stars out of the American flag. Courtesy of the South...
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Secession was only a first step in South Carolina's actions to separate from the United States. Other states followed South Carolina. By February of 1861, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi...
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A view of the Darlington County Courthouse and the sycamore tree where Amy Spain, a slave who had spied for the Union army, was hung by the citizens of Darlington. Sketched by Edwards for "Harper's...
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South Carolinians, under Lincoln's plan for the restoration of the Union, could be restored to citizenship by taking an oath of loyalty to the United States, such as this one signed by Thomas D...
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The occupation of the coastal region of South Carolina by federal armies in 1862 led to troops taking over the homes of many citizens who had supported the Confederacy. This home in Beaufort became...
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The end of the war signaled the end of the blockade of southern ports. In November 1865, the ship "Glad Tidings" entered the port of Liverpool in England with a shipment of Carolina cotton. Cotton...
