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Battles of the American Civil War by Theater,April 12, Confederate soldiers fired upon the Federal
YearLincoln's victory in the presidential election of 1860troops stationed at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South
triggered South Carolina's secession from the Union.Carolina, until the troops surrendered. Lincoln called for
By February 1861, six more Southern states hadall of the states in the Union to send troops to
seceded. On February 7, the seven states adopted arecapture the forts and preserve the Union. Most
provisional constitution for the Confederate States ofNortherners hoped that a quick victory for the Union
America and established their capital at Montgomery,would crush the nascent rebellion, and so Lincoln only
Alabama. The pre-war February peace conference ofcalled for volunteers for 90 days. Four states,
1861 met in Washington, as one last attempt to avoidTennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina, and-most
war; it failed. The remaining southern states as yetimportantly, Virginia-which had repeatedly rejected
remained in the Union. Confederate forces seized allConfederate overtures now decided that they could
but three federal forts within their boundaries (they didnot send forces against the seceding states. They
not take Fort Sumter); President Buchanan made noseceded and to reward Virginia the Confederate
military response, but governors in Massachusetts,capital was moved to Richmond, Virginia, a highly
New York and Pennsylvania began secretly buyingvulnerable location at the end of the supply line. Even
weapons and training militia units to ready them forthough the Southern states had seceded, there was
immediate action. On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincolnconsiderable anti-secessionist sentiment in certain
was sworn in. In his inaugural address, he argued thatscattered localities in the seceding states. Eastern
the Constitution was a more perfect union than theTennessee, in particular, was a hotbed for
earlier Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union,pro-Unionism. Winston County, Alabama issued a
that it was a binding contract, and called the secessionresolution of secession from the state of Alabama.
"legally void". He stated he had no intent to invadeThe Red Strings were a prominent Southern
southern states, but would use force to maintainanti-secession group. Winfield Scott, the commanding
possession of federal property. His speech closed withgeneral of the U.S. Army, devised the Anaconda Plan
a plea for restoration of the bonds of union. The Southto win the war with as little bloodshed as possible. His
did send delegations to Washington and offered toidea was that a Union blockade of the seacoast would
pay for the federal properties, but they were turnedstrangle the rebel economy, then capture of the
down. Lincoln refused to negotiate with anyMississippi would split the South. Lincoln adopted the
Confederate agents because he insisted theplan but overruled Scott's warnings against an
Confederacy was not a legitimate government. Onimmediate attack on Richmond.