April 12 -- 151 years ago -- the bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor

Bombardment of Fort Sumter by Currier & Ives (1837–1885)

For many people, the bombardment of Fort Sumter marks the official beginning of hostilities in the American Civil War, though we might identify any number of acts of war that predate it (e.g, the seizure of Federal arsenals, installations, and shipyards in various southern states).  I’m pleased to say that the 17^th Annual CompuServe Civil War Forum Battlefield Conference will be held in Charleston next April, with Fort Sumter and the CSS Hunley important parts of the itinerary. More on that to come. 

Submarine Torpedo Boat H.L. Hunley Dec. 6 1863, by Conrad Wise Chapman