From the accounts I have heard, Major Anderson was a remarkable war leader. Not only was he a graduate and professor at West Point, he was also a veteran of the Mexican-American War, and supporter of the Union. As the first seven states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America, he was already stationed at Ft. Sumter. The Confederates saw this as an intolerable danger to their fledgling nation, as the base was occupied by soldiers of a "different" country. General Beauregard, authorized by CSA to blockade the Union operated base, fired upon Ft. Sumter after chasing off a shipment. Anderson and Beauregard knew one another fairly well--Anderson had been Beauregard's professor several years before and they counted one another as friends. Beauregard was the superintendent of West Point before his home state, Louisiana, seceded. Anderson was extremely disappointed in his friend, as a teacher is disappointed in a pupil.
What is interesting about it all is that Beauregard, after learning that the fort's barracks were made of wood, ordered some Confederate soldiers to row out to extinguish the fire. He had known Anderson and his men were inside and was deeply affected by the news of fire. When I heard of this, my professor asked us, "Would Beauregard have had compassion if he had fired on someone he didn't know? Would you have?" I don't think I have an answer. "When a good man is hurt, all who would be called good must suffer with him." - Euripides
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