Fort Sumter SC001

disputedunresolved Nicolay says Lincoln's notice that an attempt would be made to supply the fort with provisions only was read to Pickens and Beauregard on the evening of April 8; that Anderson's remark that the garrison would be starved out in a few days, repeated to Beauregard, gave the impression that he wished to capitulate; and that Wigfall, without authority, offered terms on April 13. NPS dates Beauregard's demand for surrender to April 10; Nicolay says Beauregard was instructed on the 10th and sent the demand at two o'clock on April 11, and Anderson refers to terms offered on the 11th. Nicolay says Anderson replied that he would evacuate the fort by noon on April 15, not opening fire meanwhile unless compelled, should he not receive controlling instructions or additional supplies before then, and that at 3:20 a.m. on April 12 Beauregard's aides handed him a note giving one hour's notice of opening fire.

Attributed knowledge from a history; the date of the demand differs between the summary and the history and report.

supportedunresolved Anderson says he accepted terms with four barrels and three cartridges of powder only available and no provisions remaining but pork, the magazine surrounded by flames. Nicolay says supplies from the city were prohibited from April 2, the last barrel of flour had been issued two or three days before the bombardment, the garrison's 700 cartridges ran short with only six needles to sew cartridge-bags, and the relief expedition could not succor the fort. Nicolay says fifty barrels of powder were taken from the magazine before its door had to be closed and that, as the fire spread, all but five were rolled into the sea by Anderson's order.

Supply state from an interested report and a history; no ordnance or subsistence return inspected.

supportedunresolved Nicolay says Beauregard was instructed to demand the evacuation of Sumter and, if refused, to reduce it, while the Union relief expedition was to deliver subsistence first and Anderson was authorized to capitulate when he judged it necessary.

Stated aims and instructions from a history.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen result reads Confederate victory and the live result Indecisive. NPS says Anderson surrendered at 2:30 p.m. on April 13 and evacuated the next day. Anderson says he defended the fort for thirty-four hours and marched out on the afternoon of Sunday the 14th with colors flying, saluting his flag with fifty guns; Nicolay gives thirty-six hours of bombardment from half-past four on April 12 and the evacuation at noon on April 14.

Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit. The live 'Indecisive' is not adopted over the frozen result; hour and duration differences are preserved.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty text reads None; the live field reads 15 (US 11; CS 4). NPS says there were no casualties during the bombardment and that one artillerist was killed and three wounded, one mortally, by a premature explosion during the salute on April 14. Anderson says no one was seriously injured by the enemy's fire and that one man was killed and two seriously and three slightly wounded while saluting; Nicolay says the bombardment cost no life in the garrison.

Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap. The salute accident follows the surrender and is not a combat loss; the live 15 has no inspected basis.

supportedunresolved The frozen commanders are Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard and Major Robert Anderson, matching the live page. Nicolay says Beauregard was sent on March 1 to direct military affairs and complete the preparations for capture; that Anderson withdrew his men from the barbette guns; that Captain Abner Doubleday fired the fort's first gun; and that Beauregard agreed to Anderson's proposal. Anderson says he accepted Beauregard's terms.

Command roles from a history and an interested report; neither listed commander receives automatic sole credit.

unknownunresolved

No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. Imported numerical estimates remain unchanged; this pass does not validate them as simultaneous opening forces.

disputedunresolved The frozen force field reads 'Regiments: 580 total (US 80; CS 500)' and the live page gives the same totals. Nicolay counts the garrison as nine officers, sixty-eight non-commissioned officers and privates, eight musicians and forty-three non-combatant workmen, 128 souls in all, against a Confederate volunteer force of four to six thousand supporting the batteries, and puts the armaments at forty-eight guns in the fort and forty-seven in the besieging works, seventeen of them mortars. Anderson reports only 'my little force' and the fire of seventeen 10-inch mortars and batteries of heavy guns.

Figures differ in population: the frozen 80 and 500, Nicolay's garrison with and without workmen, and his range for the force supporting the batteries; gun counts are not personnel. None is adopted as a matched opening strength.

supportedunresolved Nicolay describes Sumter as a five-sided brick work on an artificial island, its walls some eight feet thick and forty feet high, ringed by Confederate works on Sullivan's Island at 1,800 yards, Cumming's Point at 1,300 yards and James Island at 2,500 yards; Anderson's barbette guns, more than half his pieces, were exposed while most Confederate guns were in bomb-proofs of palmetto logs and sand. NPS says the fort was unable to reply effectively.

Ground and works described by a history and a summary; no map or engineer journal inspected.