Reference Entry
STAR OF THE WEST INCIDENT
In the tense weeks after South Carolina seceded, a small Union relief ship named Star of the West steamed toward Charleston Harbor. Its mission was to bring supplies and reinforcements to Major Robert Anderson’s garrison at Fort Sumter. On January 9th, 1861, as the ship approached the harbor’s defenses, shore batteries manned in part by South Carolina forces and cadets from the state’s military academy opened fire.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
The Star of the West repulsed at Charleston
In the tense weeks after South Carolina seceded, a small Union relief ship named Star of the West steamed toward Charleston Harbor. Its mission was to bring supplies and reinforcements to Major Robert Anderson’s garrison at Fort Sumter. On January 9th, 1861, as the ship approached the harbor’s defenses, shore batteries manned in part by South Carolina forces and cadets from the state’s military academy opened fire. The shots splashed around the vessel, and although Star of the West was not sunk, her captain broke off the attempt and turned back to sea. No formal state of war yet existed, but the exchange was a stark sign that compromise was slipping away. The incident hardened attitudes on both sides and served as a rehearsal for the bombardment of Fort Sumter that would soon ignite full-scale civil war.
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