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Primary sourceDocument18 April 1861

Telegram Announcing the Surrender of Fort Sumter

Robert Anderson · 18 April 1861

A telegram in which Major Robert Anderson tells the Secretary of War that Fort Sumter has fallen, the opening blow of the Civil War Buchanan had tried to prevent.

Records the fall of Fort Sumter after Buchanan's own failed attempt to reinforce it with the Star of the West.

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Scan of a typed telegram on aged paper, with lines of capital letters and red-brown stains, reading from Sandy Hook and Fort Sumter, signed by Major Robert Anderson, addressed to Secretary Cameron about the surrender of the fort.
Robert Anderson, telegram to Simon Cameron announcing the surrender of Fort Sumter, 18 April 1861. U.S. National Archives.

About this source

What it is

This is a telegram sent on 18 April 1861 by Major Robert Anderson, commander of the Union garrison at Fort Sumter, to Secretary of War Simon Cameron. It describes the 34-hour bombardment and Anderson's surrender of the fort to Confederate forces under General Pierre G.T. Beauregard. It is held by the U.S. National Archives.

Why it matters

The battle at Fort Sumter was the first engagement of the American Civil War. Although it happened after Buchanan left office, it was the culmination of the secession crisis he faced as president, when he had already tried and failed to resupply the fort using the ship Star of the West. This telegram records the moment the crisis turned into open war.

Look closer

  • Why might Anderson describe the fort's damage in such detail?
  • What does the formal, factual tone of a military telegram tell you about how officers reported events?
  • What does this document leave out about the political decisions that led to this moment?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of James Buchanan on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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