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A View of the Attack on Fort Sumter

This document is an excerpt from Mary Boykin Chesnut’s diary. She was the daughter of Mary Boykin and Stephen Miller, who was one of South Carolina’s chief political figures. She married James B. Chesnut, Jr., whose father was one of the state’s major landowners. After James’ election in 1858, Mary swiftly launched herself into the social crowd of other southern politician’s wives. At the time, the Union had first aimed for secession in South Carolina, where Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor remained under Union control. South Carolina was focused on confiscating federal property and therefore declared their refusal to let the Union control the fort. On April 4th, President Lincoln decided to hold Union property in the South and ordered that Fort Sumter and Fort Pickens in Florida be reequipped. In response, South Carolina and the Confederate gov...

Posted by: John Mayes

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