Naval Historical Foundation

On 12 April 1861, the American Civil War began when Confederates fired upon Fort Sumter, SC. Shown here are images from the collection of the Library of Congress.

Top: List of officers, men, mechanics and employees in Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861. Printed Ephemera Collection; Portfolio 173, Folder 11.

Middle Left: Fort Sumter: Charleston Harbor, S.C., hand-colored lithograph by Currier & Ives. LC-USZC2-2354

Middle Right: Large American flag flying over a burning Fort Sumter. Beige envelope with red, blue and black ink. Image on left side, New York Historical Society. PR-022-3-15-14

Bottom: Cover of Harper’s Weekly, nine men in uniform posing, including Capt. Abner Doubleday (1819-1893), often (mistakenly) credited by some as the originator of baseball, who aimed first shot fired at Confederates in Civil War. Anderson, Robert; Crawford, Samuel, Wylie, 1829-1892; Foster,John Gray, 1823-1874; Seymour, Truman, 1824-1891; Snyder, Lt. G. W.; Davis, Jefferson Columbus, 1828-1879; Meade, 2nd Lt. R. K.; Talbot, 1st Lt. T. Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-59828