ON THIS DAY IN UNITED STATES HISTORY
January 9, 1861
The Star of the West is fired upon by
Cadets from the Citadel
On this day in 1861, Cadets from the Citadel on Morris Island fired upon the Star of the West.
Although many consider the firing on Fort Sumter on April 8th and 9th as the first shots of the American Civil War,
the Star of the West was on a mission to supply the troops at Fort Sumter, therefore it's fair to say that these
were actually the first shots of the Civil War.
This action caused the Star of the West to abandon its mission leaving the troops at Fort Sumter short on food.
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