
In early April, Lincoln sent expeditions of infantry, artillery, and supplies to reinforce both forts, escorted by powerful navy warships. President Abraham Lincoln, inaugurated on March 5, recognized the strategic military value of Sumter, which defended Charleston, the second largest seaport in the Confederacy, and of Pickens, which defended the naval repair base and coaling station at Pensacola. At both forts, the army garrison commanders refused to give in to Rebel requests and instead consolidated their troops behind the guns of the massive brick structures. The Confederates threatened to seize Federal property in the seceded states, demanding the surrender of Fort Sumter in South Carolina and Fort Pickens in Florida. Navy found itself at the forefront of the secession crisis. Navy developed into a powerful weapon that helped the Union win the ultimate victory.Īs 1861 dawned and the last months of peace slipped away, the U.S.

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