150 Years Ago Today the U.S. Civil War Began
 

On April 12, 1861 the South, which did not yet include all the Confederate States, began the shooting in the Civil War by firing upon Ft. Sumter in Charleston Harbor. By the time Federal Major Anderson agreed to evacuate the fort after 32 hours of shelling, only a few men were wounded and none were killed. Ironically the only men killed were those near a gun that exploded during the surrender ceremonies. This occurred the day after the battle ended.

However there would be well over 600,000 Americans who would die before the war petered out in Texas more than four years later.