On this day in 1861, a U.S. merchant steamship, the Star of the West, was fired upon by separatists in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina. The attack was a key moment in the buildup to the Civil War. South Carolina had seceded from the U.S. a few weeks earlier and refused to allow the ship to supply Fort Sumter, which South Carolina said belonged to them, not the federal government.
The soldiers inside the fort were running out of food and supplies and surrounded by what now purported to be a separate country. The ship, notably not built for military use, at first reported that the approach to the harbor was going smoothly. But the message also mentioned that the rebels had started putting up gun emplacements. The secretary of war saw what was coming and tried to recall the ship, but it was too late.
When the Star of the West attempted to make land, it was greeted by cannon fire and was lightly damaged. Some say they were the first shots of the Civil War, and some say the war started months later. The soldiers in the fort refused to rescue the ship, fearing that any action could kick off a wider conflict. Luckily for the crew, the steamship managed to turn around and escape.
After that, the ship was used as a troop transport out of New York City. A few months later, once the war had kicked off, the Confederates seized it, going on to use it as a hospital ship in New Orleans. Eventually it was sunk in an effort to block the passage of Union ships attempting to flank Confederate soldiers using the Tallahatchie River.
Jan. 9, 1861, was also the date that Mississippi seceded from the U.S., following South Carolina's lead. It was just a coincidence, though – the state had voted to secede two days earlier.
To learn more about the Star of the West incident, check out this article from the Bill of Rights Institute.
