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Allegiance: Fort Sumter, Charleston, and the Beginning of the Civil War – A Tense Drama of Political Passions, Military Restraint, and America's First Shot
Original and deeply human, this tense and surprising story, filled with indecisive bureaucrats, uninformed leaders, hotheaded politicians, and dedicated soldiers, is a clear and intimate portrait of the prolonged drama that unfolded at Fort Sumter and incited the first shot of the Civil War on April 12, 1861.
The six-month-long agony that began with Lincoln's election in November sputtered from one crisis to the next, and finally exploded as the soldiers at Sumter neared starvation. With little help from Washington, D.C., Major Robert Anderson, a soldier whose experience had taught him above all that war is the poorest form of policy, almost single-handedly forestalled the beginning of the war until he finally had no choice but to fight.
Skillfully re-created from a decade of extensive research, Allegiance exposes the passions that led to the fighting, the sober reflections of the man who restrained its outbreak, and the individuals on both sides who changed American history forever.
The six-month-long agony that began with Lincoln's election in November sputtered from one crisis to the next, and finally exploded as the soldiers at Sumter neared starvation. With little help from Washington, D.C., Major Robert Anderson, a soldier whose experience had taught him above all that war is the poorest form of policy, almost single-handedly forestalled the beginning of the war until he finally had no choice but to fight.
Skillfully re-created from a decade of extensive research, Allegiance exposes the passions that led to the fighting, the sober reflections of the man who restrained its outbreak, and the individuals on both sides who changed American history forever.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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May 18, 2023
I don’t think I've ever read a foreword to a first edition that actually critiques the book that it introduces. While historian Gene Smith is generally positive about Detzer’s work, he raises an eyebrow at Detzer’s fondness for unusual phrases, his habit of calling some indecisive characters a “ninny,” and the book's "unfortunate chapter headings" including one "particularly wince-producing" one.
Though it’s an odd way to start the book, Smith’s points are well taken. At its best, Detzer’s writing can be casual, conversational, accessible and sometimes dryly witty. At its worst, he can try too hard and his writing calls too much attention to itself (one Peter Piper-esque description of Charleston begins by observing that "a city is simply a passel of people packed in a pot like pickles…" which is as wince-producing as it is alliterative).
I don’t mean to begin a generally positive review with quibbles but, hey, Smith started it.
Detzer’s take on the run-up to the attack on Fort Sumter excels in its on-the-ground focus on how the crisis unfolded in Charleston, at Major Robert Anderson’s initial posting of Fort Moultrie, and eventually inside Sumter itself. Anderson and his subordinates are all introduced with thorough mini-biographies, and we learn about the details of everyday life at Moultrie as tensions in the city rise. Detzer provides a dramatic description of Anderson's nighttime move from Moultrie to Sumter, and of the Buchanan administration’s abortive Star of the West reinforcement effort.
All of this is covered in any book about the beginnings of the Civil War. But in Detzer’s telling, Anderson and his adversary, South Carolina’s governor Francis Pickens, are not mere abstract chess pieces manipulated by the real decision-makers in Washington or Montgomery, who get most of the attention in other takes on this same time period. Instead, they’re both portrayed here as having their own personal agency and making their own decisions about war and peace in the tense months after Lincoln’s election, in the absence of orders from Washington or a functioning Confederate government in Montgomery. Anderson frequently showed cautious restraint in trying to avoid war, while the more impulsive Pickens somehow managed to avoid war in spite of himself. Ultimately, both did end up frustrated at being treated as pawns once tensions neared a breaking point and the next moves in the crisis were indeed orchestrated from afar.
Detzer does incorporate the views from Washington and Montgomery, but these sections are not as detailed, nor are they as strong or insightful. President James Buchanan, for one, doesn’t come off too poorly, only because his actions and inaction are not considered very deeply, and you don’t get a good sense of what he did, what he didn’t do, and what he could have done. Some complicated situations that might bog down the story are dispensed with concisely and efficiently, including Lincoln's deliberations on how to handle the crisis, Secretary of State William Seward's meddling, and how the ultimate decision to resupply Sumter was made.
Some of this efficiency, though, can lead to oversimplification or just plain bad takes. Detzer makes a particularly snarky and unfair characterization of Lincoln's letter to Anderson informing him of the resupply mission. In the letter, Lincoln expresses confidence Anderson will "act as becomes a patriot and a soldier" and authorizes him to evacuate if "capitulation becomes a necessity." On its face, there’s nothing untoward about the letter. If one is determined to read between the lines, one interpretation might be that Lincoln is showing some early unease in his role as commander-in-chief, displaying a lack of confidence in his military knowledge as he defers to Anderson to use his own judgment about what to do instead of giving him clear instructions.
Detzer, however, interprets the letter as Lincoln "covering his backside," raising "subtle questions about Anderson's honor and courage" while putting the onus on Anderson to decide for himself what to do so that he could be scapegoated later if necessary. Moreover, he writes, the letter failed to recognize how Anderson had bravely served over the course of many months while Lincoln "had whiled away his time… making postmaster appointments and telling whimsical stories.” That’s certainly a unique take, but it just reads as a low blow that didn’t ring true to me and left a sour taste behind.
Since Detzer is far better at relating events in Charleston than in Washington, he and the book return to form once the bombardment of Sumter begins. Ironically, this climax of the entire story is not actually very dramatic, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Detzer doesn’t inject false drama to portray a frantic, frenzied battle. Instead, he describes how cannonballs began landing near and inside the fort, one by one, in the middle of the night, and Anderson calmly waited until after breakfast to begin firing back. He describes the arduous, lengthy and labor-intensive process of aiming, loading and firing a cannon. The back-and-forth battle comes across as rather more methodical and much slower-paced than one might expect - and yet he draws you into the battle nonetheless, and helps you visualize what it was like, especially if you’ve been to Sumter or other forts that are laid out like it.
Of the several Sumter-related books I’ve read over the past year, Lincoln's First Crisis: Fort Sumter and the Betrayal of the President was best on the political front, with its deep dive into Lincoln’s deliberations. Days of Defiance: Sumter, Secession, and the Coming of the Civil War was best at portraying the public mood in Charleston and the country at large. Allegiance: Fort Sumter, Charleston, and the Beginning of the Civil War is best at portraying events from the perspective of those who served in Sumter itself. Together, the three of them provide a very well-rounded view of all aspects of the crisis. If you’re only inclined to read one, though, this one may not always be perfect, and it may be lacking in details the others provide. But it’s the best of the bunch in taking you inside Sumter, and making you feel like you were there to see for yourself the spark that started the Civil War.
Though it’s an odd way to start the book, Smith’s points are well taken. At its best, Detzer’s writing can be casual, conversational, accessible and sometimes dryly witty. At its worst, he can try too hard and his writing calls too much attention to itself (one Peter Piper-esque description of Charleston begins by observing that "a city is simply a passel of people packed in a pot like pickles…" which is as wince-producing as it is alliterative).
I don’t mean to begin a generally positive review with quibbles but, hey, Smith started it.
Detzer’s take on the run-up to the attack on Fort Sumter excels in its on-the-ground focus on how the crisis unfolded in Charleston, at Major Robert Anderson’s initial posting of Fort Moultrie, and eventually inside Sumter itself. Anderson and his subordinates are all introduced with thorough mini-biographies, and we learn about the details of everyday life at Moultrie as tensions in the city rise. Detzer provides a dramatic description of Anderson's nighttime move from Moultrie to Sumter, and of the Buchanan administration’s abortive Star of the West reinforcement effort.
All of this is covered in any book about the beginnings of the Civil War. But in Detzer’s telling, Anderson and his adversary, South Carolina’s governor Francis Pickens, are not mere abstract chess pieces manipulated by the real decision-makers in Washington or Montgomery, who get most of the attention in other takes on this same time period. Instead, they’re both portrayed here as having their own personal agency and making their own decisions about war and peace in the tense months after Lincoln’s election, in the absence of orders from Washington or a functioning Confederate government in Montgomery. Anderson frequently showed cautious restraint in trying to avoid war, while the more impulsive Pickens somehow managed to avoid war in spite of himself. Ultimately, both did end up frustrated at being treated as pawns once tensions neared a breaking point and the next moves in the crisis were indeed orchestrated from afar.
Detzer does incorporate the views from Washington and Montgomery, but these sections are not as detailed, nor are they as strong or insightful. President James Buchanan, for one, doesn’t come off too poorly, only because his actions and inaction are not considered very deeply, and you don’t get a good sense of what he did, what he didn’t do, and what he could have done. Some complicated situations that might bog down the story are dispensed with concisely and efficiently, including Lincoln's deliberations on how to handle the crisis, Secretary of State William Seward's meddling, and how the ultimate decision to resupply Sumter was made.
Some of this efficiency, though, can lead to oversimplification or just plain bad takes. Detzer makes a particularly snarky and unfair characterization of Lincoln's letter to Anderson informing him of the resupply mission. In the letter, Lincoln expresses confidence Anderson will "act as becomes a patriot and a soldier" and authorizes him to evacuate if "capitulation becomes a necessity." On its face, there’s nothing untoward about the letter. If one is determined to read between the lines, one interpretation might be that Lincoln is showing some early unease in his role as commander-in-chief, displaying a lack of confidence in his military knowledge as he defers to Anderson to use his own judgment about what to do instead of giving him clear instructions.
Detzer, however, interprets the letter as Lincoln "covering his backside," raising "subtle questions about Anderson's honor and courage" while putting the onus on Anderson to decide for himself what to do so that he could be scapegoated later if necessary. Moreover, he writes, the letter failed to recognize how Anderson had bravely served over the course of many months while Lincoln "had whiled away his time… making postmaster appointments and telling whimsical stories.” That’s certainly a unique take, but it just reads as a low blow that didn’t ring true to me and left a sour taste behind.
Since Detzer is far better at relating events in Charleston than in Washington, he and the book return to form once the bombardment of Sumter begins. Ironically, this climax of the entire story is not actually very dramatic, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Detzer doesn’t inject false drama to portray a frantic, frenzied battle. Instead, he describes how cannonballs began landing near and inside the fort, one by one, in the middle of the night, and Anderson calmly waited until after breakfast to begin firing back. He describes the arduous, lengthy and labor-intensive process of aiming, loading and firing a cannon. The back-and-forth battle comes across as rather more methodical and much slower-paced than one might expect - and yet he draws you into the battle nonetheless, and helps you visualize what it was like, especially if you’ve been to Sumter or other forts that are laid out like it.
Of the several Sumter-related books I’ve read over the past year, Lincoln's First Crisis: Fort Sumter and the Betrayal of the President was best on the political front, with its deep dive into Lincoln’s deliberations. Days of Defiance: Sumter, Secession, and the Coming of the Civil War was best at portraying the public mood in Charleston and the country at large. Allegiance: Fort Sumter, Charleston, and the Beginning of the Civil War is best at portraying events from the perspective of those who served in Sumter itself. Together, the three of them provide a very well-rounded view of all aspects of the crisis. If you’re only inclined to read one, though, this one may not always be perfect, and it may be lacking in details the others provide. But it’s the best of the bunch in taking you inside Sumter, and making you feel like you were there to see for yourself the spark that started the Civil War.
October 10, 2017
Most history books are read for facts and/or interpretation. They are almost never page turners. That is not the case here. Detzer describes the machinations, miscalculations, and maneuvers in detail and without pointing to the inevitable ending; when the Star of the West approached I was actually gripped with fear that a war could start. He is also good at making the major players real people, particularly Robert Anderson, the tragic hero of the story, a man who does not want war, even sympathizes with the South, but will not surrender the fort. His portrayal of James Buchanan is more empathetic than most, coming right before the current round of Buchanan hatred, not that such hatred is unwarranted given Dred Scott and Lecompton.
There are really only two villains per se. One is Francis Pickens, depicted as hot-headed and inconsistent. The other is Abraham Lincoln, but to a lesser degree. Lincoln, being the Jesus Christ of American history, is still praised. Detzer though does not hide away his grave errors, inconsistent signals, and his rejection of last minute compromise measures. As such the war is a tragedy, brought about when men such as Pickens and Lincoln failed to do what a republic requires: debate and compromise instead of bullets. Lincoln and Pickens and their allies chose bullets. You can hear George III circa 1775: "Blows must decide whether they are to be subject to this country or independent." Because Lincoln died at the moment of victory, he is seen as a hero instead of as a man. The real Lincoln died years ago; all we are left with is a demi-god. Here at least, the war is not depicted as a good thing. It is a tragedy, but like all American tragedies it has a "happy" ending.
Yet, that was 2001. As of 2017 we are back on the George III track of thinking. A telling statement is on page 274, where Detzer praises Anderson's abhorrence of war and condemns Abner Doubleday's political radicalism and thirst for combat. The current tide of history is swinging back to Doubleday. Perhaps Robert Penn Warren was right when he said the war did not create true unity or nationhood. Perhaps it did, but we want a new nation, a new conception of America. The fact that of the three great crisis points in US history, two came to civil war (1775 and 1861) makes me less hopeful right now. Both were predated by a collapse in the political system that sustained the previous period, with the system being rewritten after 1775. In both times the better side won, but I still feel for the losers; I find the current glee of people celebrating the South's destruction to be psychotic.
I am wary of our fate. I wish we had more Anderson instead of Pickens and Doubleday. As such, this was a hard book to read. It played on my emotions.
There are really only two villains per se. One is Francis Pickens, depicted as hot-headed and inconsistent. The other is Abraham Lincoln, but to a lesser degree. Lincoln, being the Jesus Christ of American history, is still praised. Detzer though does not hide away his grave errors, inconsistent signals, and his rejection of last minute compromise measures. As such the war is a tragedy, brought about when men such as Pickens and Lincoln failed to do what a republic requires: debate and compromise instead of bullets. Lincoln and Pickens and their allies chose bullets. You can hear George III circa 1775: "Blows must decide whether they are to be subject to this country or independent." Because Lincoln died at the moment of victory, he is seen as a hero instead of as a man. The real Lincoln died years ago; all we are left with is a demi-god. Here at least, the war is not depicted as a good thing. It is a tragedy, but like all American tragedies it has a "happy" ending.
Yet, that was 2001. As of 2017 we are back on the George III track of thinking. A telling statement is on page 274, where Detzer praises Anderson's abhorrence of war and condemns Abner Doubleday's political radicalism and thirst for combat. The current tide of history is swinging back to Doubleday. Perhaps Robert Penn Warren was right when he said the war did not create true unity or nationhood. Perhaps it did, but we want a new nation, a new conception of America. The fact that of the three great crisis points in US history, two came to civil war (1775 and 1861) makes me less hopeful right now. Both were predated by a collapse in the political system that sustained the previous period, with the system being rewritten after 1775. In both times the better side won, but I still feel for the losers; I find the current glee of people celebrating the South's destruction to be psychotic.
I am wary of our fate. I wish we had more Anderson instead of Pickens and Doubleday. As such, this was a hard book to read. It played on my emotions.
June 17, 2020
An incisive look at the days between secession and the actual firing on Fort Sumter. Books about the Civil War don't gloss over these few months per se, but usually after the declaration of a Confederate States of America, the larger scope of those books tend to relegate Fort Sumter to a few paragraphs or
few pages. Makes sense: gotta get to the big battles.
Detzer skillfully builds up the tension between the actual break from the Union through the decision to fire on Fort Sumter. It wasn't random; in fact, Lincoln seems to know that the war will inevitably erupt there and is determined that the South fire first! Never knew that. The actual bombardment and the actions of the people inside are more fully fleshed out than typically, and it is genuinely terrifying. The politics and vitriol of Charlestown to the "yankees" in their midst are also examined. A breezy read (of 300+ pages) for those who want to see the precise actions that tipped America into Civil War.
few pages. Makes sense: gotta get to the big battles.
Detzer skillfully builds up the tension between the actual break from the Union through the decision to fire on Fort Sumter. It wasn't random; in fact, Lincoln seems to know that the war will inevitably erupt there and is determined that the South fire first! Never knew that. The actual bombardment and the actions of the people inside are more fully fleshed out than typically, and it is genuinely terrifying. The politics and vitriol of Charlestown to the "yankees" in their midst are also examined. A breezy read (of 300+ pages) for those who want to see the precise actions that tipped America into Civil War.
January 24, 2023
Everyone who has studied US history knows that the first shots of the Civil War were aimed at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. In this extraordinary and deeply moving book David Detzer brings that historical event to life.
June 12, 2015
This is a good book. I started it wondering whether or not a 320 page book about one tiny battle would be able to hold my attention. It did. Detzer's writing is excellent, highly readable, and free from academic jargon. His research on the topic is exhaustive: he knows what he is talking about.
Detzer provides a fine snapshot of antebellum Charleston, its commerce and society, its colorful characters and politicians, and its slaves. He does a good job of pointing out the sad ironies of slavery amidst a free people: he's not preachy but at times very cutting.
Detzer sugar-coats no one, although he comes close in his portrayal of Major Robert Anderson, who is presented as a man of high character and leadership skills, who is blessed with equal but contradictory doses of pacifism and duty to country.
The final chapter was outstanding, and presented a very sensitive and appropriate retrospective on the later lives of some of the major characters as well as Charleston and Fort Sumpter.
It's an excellent book. There are a few weaknesses, all relatively minor. Dezter is a professional historian, but he gets pretty snarky in places. I'm still trying to decide whether it's endearing or irritating. He does a good bit of editorializing, as well. Usually in just a sentence, never more than a paragraph or two at a time, but liberally sprinkled through the book.
One example is his almost-gratuitous passage on the meaning of the flag, on pages 127-128, claiming that there is no true meaning of a flag. In fine postmodern fashion, Detzer intimates that the flag means whatever its wielder wishes it to mean. He then goes on to complete the book demonstrating (unconsciously, perhaps?) that it stands for the sovereignty of the nation whose emblem it bears. There seems to be no confusion about the meaning of the flag for either the soldiers in Sumpter or the civilians in Charleston--and they both seem to ascribe to it the same significance.
Another weakness in his writing is his tendency to skip around in chronology from one paragraph to the next without giving the reader due warning. I found on repeated occasions, well into the paragraph, that the matter being expounded happened before the matter in previous paragraph. I'm no fan of slavish chronology, but I would appreciate a warning when the time of the scene shifts backwards, otherwise it can be (and was) a little confusing.
All these petty gripes are minor in view of the excellence of the account Detzer has created. I recommend the book to anyone who has an interest in Civil War era history.
Detzer provides a fine snapshot of antebellum Charleston, its commerce and society, its colorful characters and politicians, and its slaves. He does a good job of pointing out the sad ironies of slavery amidst a free people: he's not preachy but at times very cutting.
Detzer sugar-coats no one, although he comes close in his portrayal of Major Robert Anderson, who is presented as a man of high character and leadership skills, who is blessed with equal but contradictory doses of pacifism and duty to country.
The final chapter was outstanding, and presented a very sensitive and appropriate retrospective on the later lives of some of the major characters as well as Charleston and Fort Sumpter.
It's an excellent book. There are a few weaknesses, all relatively minor. Dezter is a professional historian, but he gets pretty snarky in places. I'm still trying to decide whether it's endearing or irritating. He does a good bit of editorializing, as well. Usually in just a sentence, never more than a paragraph or two at a time, but liberally sprinkled through the book.
One example is his almost-gratuitous passage on the meaning of the flag, on pages 127-128, claiming that there is no true meaning of a flag. In fine postmodern fashion, Detzer intimates that the flag means whatever its wielder wishes it to mean. He then goes on to complete the book demonstrating (unconsciously, perhaps?) that it stands for the sovereignty of the nation whose emblem it bears. There seems to be no confusion about the meaning of the flag for either the soldiers in Sumpter or the civilians in Charleston--and they both seem to ascribe to it the same significance.
Another weakness in his writing is his tendency to skip around in chronology from one paragraph to the next without giving the reader due warning. I found on repeated occasions, well into the paragraph, that the matter being expounded happened before the matter in previous paragraph. I'm no fan of slavish chronology, but I would appreciate a warning when the time of the scene shifts backwards, otherwise it can be (and was) a little confusing.
All these petty gripes are minor in view of the excellence of the account Detzer has created. I recommend the book to anyone who has an interest in Civil War era history.
January 11, 2009
An excruciating history is revealed here, reminiscent in some ways of the prelude to World War I. Detzer tells the story of the shelling of Fort Sumter. We have all heard about this event in school, but little do we know of the political matters and the vainglorious romance that prefaced it.
The first few chapters move slowly as statesmen probe and waffle, soldiers do their duty to the best of their understanding. No one wanted this, but it happened. As Detzer points out, not a single actor had participated in or even heard the details of an internecine conflict. They went ahead anyways, the South with secession, the North with its refusal to turn over Federal property to the rebels.
Detzer gives us the city of Charleston as it unexpectedly was in 1860-61, the Southern sympathizing officer who became a hero to the North, and the frenzy that led to the emplacement of guns around Charleston’s harbor, all aimed at the brick bastion positioned to choke off all shipping to the port. We see the slaves and the freemen, the white working class, the gentry who climbed up onto their rooftops to watch the bombardment in the early hours of the morning.
When it gets to the action, the author tells us of the intricacies of manning the guns and the extreme exhaustion of the Federal garrison. Civil War buffs will find this an interesting read that will fill in their knowledge of the months that led to war and the first days of a conflict that would ultimately wreck a whole section of the country. Read this slowly for the details, Savor the blunders, the blindness, and the prejudices that cleaved a nation.
The first few chapters move slowly as statesmen probe and waffle, soldiers do their duty to the best of their understanding. No one wanted this, but it happened. As Detzer points out, not a single actor had participated in or even heard the details of an internecine conflict. They went ahead anyways, the South with secession, the North with its refusal to turn over Federal property to the rebels.
Detzer gives us the city of Charleston as it unexpectedly was in 1860-61, the Southern sympathizing officer who became a hero to the North, and the frenzy that led to the emplacement of guns around Charleston’s harbor, all aimed at the brick bastion positioned to choke off all shipping to the port. We see the slaves and the freemen, the white working class, the gentry who climbed up onto their rooftops to watch the bombardment in the early hours of the morning.
When it gets to the action, the author tells us of the intricacies of manning the guns and the extreme exhaustion of the Federal garrison. Civil War buffs will find this an interesting read that will fill in their knowledge of the months that led to war and the first days of a conflict that would ultimately wreck a whole section of the country. Read this slowly for the details, Savor the blunders, the blindness, and the prejudices that cleaved a nation.
October 19, 2013
I don’t think you’ll find a lot of new information or insights here, but it is a pretty good account of Fort Sumter. Detzer is good at presenting the viewpoints of both sides.The book is very straightforward , and is quite riveting at times. He moves back and forth smoothly between the experiences of the garrison, the people of Charleston, and the decisionmakers in Washington.
Many of Detzer’s observations are rather obvious and unnecessary (“Southerners in general, and South Carolinians in particular, were a prickly bunch, proud of their independence”). I also think he sometimes overplays the importance of Anderson’s maneuvers and decisions during the siege. He also gets into weird tangents (McDonald’s likes to fly the American flag for instance). And some of the chapter titles are particularly cringe-worthy ( “takes two to tango, but only one to do the twist”).I also felt the maps could have been better scaled and detailed.
However, Detzer gives us a really good portrait of Robert Anderson and the unenviable position he found himself in. We also get a great portrait of antebellum Charleston, and he’s good at portraying the experiences of the ordinary people caught up in these extraordinary events.
Many of Detzer’s observations are rather obvious and unnecessary (“Southerners in general, and South Carolinians in particular, were a prickly bunch, proud of their independence”). I also think he sometimes overplays the importance of Anderson’s maneuvers and decisions during the siege. He also gets into weird tangents (McDonald’s likes to fly the American flag for instance). And some of the chapter titles are particularly cringe-worthy ( “takes two to tango, but only one to do the twist”).I also felt the maps could have been better scaled and detailed.
However, Detzer gives us a really good portrait of Robert Anderson and the unenviable position he found himself in. We also get a great portrait of antebellum Charleston, and he’s good at portraying the experiences of the ordinary people caught up in these extraordinary events.
February 9, 2016
I feel very badly giving this book 1 star but it was just too painful to read for me to give it anything else.
There were some fun facts throughout. I also didn't realize how much of a building tension there was leading up to the main events at Fort Sumter. It was also nice to read about some of the lesser known civil war characters.
Overall the book was just TMI.
There were some fun facts throughout. I also didn't realize how much of a building tension there was leading up to the main events at Fort Sumter. It was also nice to read about some of the lesser known civil war characters.
Overall the book was just TMI.
July 27, 2024
Fort Sumter is located near Charleston, South Carolina. The fort is built on an artificial island, with the purpose of protecting the interests of the port and the harbor from invasion. The fort was constructed after the War of 1812, with construction being completed in 1829. The fort was bombarded by the South Carolina militia on April 12-13, 1861. The goal was to get federal military forces out of South Carolina, as it was one of the states that had ceded from the Union. The United States Army eventually surrendered, and the Civil War began. This book discusses all of the political issues and the key figures of this battle, which was extremely educational to me.
I was fortunate enough to be able to tour Fort Sumter a few years ago, and I was looking forward to reading this book to give more context to the experience that I had. I do have a lack of interest in US History, despite that being one of my majors, but I decided to bite the bullet on this since I am in two classes that surround this topic. I thought the book was very informative, especially for someone like me who isn't super into this topic. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
I was fortunate enough to be able to tour Fort Sumter a few years ago, and I was looking forward to reading this book to give more context to the experience that I had. I do have a lack of interest in US History, despite that being one of my majors, but I decided to bite the bullet on this since I am in two classes that surround this topic. I thought the book was very informative, especially for someone like me who isn't super into this topic. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
February 26, 2024
Excellent book about the Battle of Fort Sumter and the start of the civil war. The author's description of the people involved and their emotions through it all was very moving. The details and experiences help you to understand more of what these soldiers went through and how they felt about their country. Mostly told from the eyes of the Union, but still giving information about the Confederate side as well. A wonderful book for anyone that enjoys history.
Just make sure you have a dictionary nearby as the author has a very extensive vocabulary!
Just make sure you have a dictionary nearby as the author has a very extensive vocabulary!
October 28, 2018
Excellent book—reads like a fictional work, however the author has knit together facts and historical research to bring actual events and conversations to life in a fascinating glimpse into the past. Detzer has a book on the Cold War; though I am more a Civil War buff, I intend to read that book to obtain a better perspective of the political wrangling that occurred during this time in US history.
August 21, 2022
This was one of many books that were passed on to me by a Civil War enthusiast. What a gift! I was not drawn into history while in school; I guess I didn’t happen to get an enthusiastic teacher. All I had in my head was that the war began when somebody fired on Fort Sumpter, but the story behind that and all of the people who were involved is fascinating!
David Detzer writes with a passion for history and brings it to life. Now I’m hooked!
Map, extensive footnotes and bibliography, index.
David Detzer writes with a passion for history and brings it to life. Now I’m hooked!
Map, extensive footnotes and bibliography, index.
December 29, 2022
Very few history writers deliver a story in such an entertaining manner. Detzer takes a topic, the events at an otherwise obscure, unmanned fort in the port of Charleston, and makes it a page turner.
In the book, we begin in 1860 during the final weeks of the Buchanan presidency. Major Robert Anderson assigned to Fort Moultrie across the waterway moves to Sumter in anticipation of a southern attack, thus launching a series of events that will lead to America's bloodiest and costliest war.
In the book, we begin in 1860 during the final weeks of the Buchanan presidency. Major Robert Anderson assigned to Fort Moultrie across the waterway moves to Sumter in anticipation of a southern attack, thus launching a series of events that will lead to America's bloodiest and costliest war.
August 3, 2020
Liked this book so much I went to Fort Sumter for my 40th bday. I felt the details and the plot moved along well. There was a lull about 3/4 of the way through the book, but finished well. Overall, it gave a great explanation of the beginning of the Civil War.
March 12, 2013
In preparation for a trip to Charleston, I thought I should brush up on my history. Found this book in my local book shop.
Nowadays, history books in grade and high school usually devote a paragraph or at least a long compound sentence to the start of the war at Sumter. This book fills in all the details.
Like many battles, in war, politics, social unrest or even private battles in day to day life, the details and personal drama of the people involved, right there, on the ground, living, bleeding, suffering and overcoming, get lost in the shuffle, in the smoke and mist of history when the tale is told. If we would all take the time to search out these details, would we learn? Would we still make the same mistakes? - I wonder. But I (as is said) digress.
David Detzer takes us through the days leading up to those first shots of the Civil War by having us follow and learn about Major Robert Anderson - A good man falling into a responsibility that he neither asked for nor was trained for and yet, due to his courage and personal committment to all those things we (should) all hold dear - life, peace, his country, his men, his family and his God, found the courage and fortitude to do what he thought best and in my opinion, succeeded beyond his "pay scale".
We see a bumbling government (as usual), headed by an inexperienced President Lincoln, himself both bumbling and playing politics to cover his own interests and backside, divided at all levels by a warped allegience to individual states and a way of life that required the enslavement of fellow human beings. We see the compound effect of many small details, errors and bad luck utilized by people in power to maneuver thier own interests, and we also see why this war was inevitable. The road to this war was begun when the Constitution was born in 1787. Through it all, we learn what really happened at Sumter in April 1861 and how the orchestrated events fell on the shoulders of one man and his small command.
Well worth reading, if only to resurrect the memory of Major Anderson and as a lead in to the Civil War as a broader subject.
I wondered as I read, why we Americans seem to have lost our skepticism of government as of late. Not much in politics seems to have changed since 1861.
I also wondered, why stories such as this are all around us and yet Hollywood continues to dish out subjects like Hangover III. This book would make a great movie. Best left for another discussion....
Nowadays, history books in grade and high school usually devote a paragraph or at least a long compound sentence to the start of the war at Sumter. This book fills in all the details.
Like many battles, in war, politics, social unrest or even private battles in day to day life, the details and personal drama of the people involved, right there, on the ground, living, bleeding, suffering and overcoming, get lost in the shuffle, in the smoke and mist of history when the tale is told. If we would all take the time to search out these details, would we learn? Would we still make the same mistakes? - I wonder. But I (as is said) digress.
David Detzer takes us through the days leading up to those first shots of the Civil War by having us follow and learn about Major Robert Anderson - A good man falling into a responsibility that he neither asked for nor was trained for and yet, due to his courage and personal committment to all those things we (should) all hold dear - life, peace, his country, his men, his family and his God, found the courage and fortitude to do what he thought best and in my opinion, succeeded beyond his "pay scale".
We see a bumbling government (as usual), headed by an inexperienced President Lincoln, himself both bumbling and playing politics to cover his own interests and backside, divided at all levels by a warped allegience to individual states and a way of life that required the enslavement of fellow human beings. We see the compound effect of many small details, errors and bad luck utilized by people in power to maneuver thier own interests, and we also see why this war was inevitable. The road to this war was begun when the Constitution was born in 1787. Through it all, we learn what really happened at Sumter in April 1861 and how the orchestrated events fell on the shoulders of one man and his small command.
Well worth reading, if only to resurrect the memory of Major Anderson and as a lead in to the Civil War as a broader subject.
I wondered as I read, why we Americans seem to have lost our skepticism of government as of late. Not much in politics seems to have changed since 1861.
I also wondered, why stories such as this are all around us and yet Hollywood continues to dish out subjects like Hangover III. This book would make a great movie. Best left for another discussion....
February 4, 2012
David Detzer provides an excellent look at the earliest days of the Civil War and the events that led to its outbreak in his three book series. Book one Allegiance looks at the motives and the occurrences that put the nation into Civil War. While war may have seemed inevitable in retrospect, for the days leading up to Fort Sumter it was not a forgone conclusion. Detzer follows not only Sumter but the two other forts in Charleston harbor that put the nation into war. While inactive government on both sides prolonged the conflict both sides ineptitude would lead to war. Bravery and quick thinking on the union side would stave off disaster while the confederacies lack of resources bought time that lead to the hope of the Union.
To echo the other reviewers I have to point out that this is one of the better written history books out there. It flows quickly and with an interesting story that is characteristic of Detzer's books and brings the reader in quickly wanting to know what happens next. It is a fascinating way to read history and it gives not only a military and political perspective but takes you into the personal lives of the people who defended and attacked Fort Sumter. For those who want to see what was occurring in the days before the civil war this is the best book to do it.
To echo the other reviewers I have to point out that this is one of the better written history books out there. It flows quickly and with an interesting story that is characteristic of Detzer's books and brings the reader in quickly wanting to know what happens next. It is a fascinating way to read history and it gives not only a military and political perspective but takes you into the personal lives of the people who defended and attacked Fort Sumter. For those who want to see what was occurring in the days before the civil war this is the best book to do it.
February 12, 2011
Detzer tells the story of the decisions made at and around Charleston and Fort Sumter in the months leading up to the Civil War. I have never been a war history buff, but picked this up because I felt the need to understand the war better in the light of the approaching 150th anniversary. The beginning of the book was slow going for me--descriptions of personalities and minor events were difficult to keep straight. As the action moved towards the first shots of the War, the pace of the book picked up and so did my interest. In fact I found myself wanting to slow events down, wondering if things might have been done differently, if maybe some of the devastation could have been prevented...it's a measure of the skillful way in which this tale is told that I forgot, more than once, that all of this was over and done with so long ago; and that the events on one tiny island over those fateful few months were just one piece in the puzzle. To me, reading the story--as to Robert Anderson, commander at Sumter during this time, and his men--the Fort became the unstable fulcrum on which the nation was balanced.
November 27, 2008
I just finished this, and I'd give this about a 4.2. It's fairly well-researched, and the author does a decent job of breathing new life into a much-published topic. He obvious feels, and wants to convey, sympathy for Major Robert Anderson, the poor commander of the Federal forces in Charleston who was left hanging by both the Buchanan and Lincoln administrations, unable to act on his own behalf yet forced to deal personally with the increasingly hostile secessionist elements in the town.
The comedy of errors that surround this event speak volumes about the ineptitude of government bureaucracy, the interference of maverick, yet well-meaning individuals, the fortitude of individual character, and the fiery nature of a group of amateur soldiers caught up in the excitement of attacking a symbol of detested authority. This is a very fast read, and I recommend it for anyone interesting in studying the opening days of the most tragic period in US history.
The comedy of errors that surround this event speak volumes about the ineptitude of government bureaucracy, the interference of maverick, yet well-meaning individuals, the fortitude of individual character, and the fiery nature of a group of amateur soldiers caught up in the excitement of attacking a symbol of detested authority. This is a very fast read, and I recommend it for anyone interesting in studying the opening days of the most tragic period in US history.
August 14, 2011
Allegiance is another great history of the lead-up to and first shots of the Civil War that began 150 years ago. Detzer has written a clear narrative of the political and military decisions that resulted in the war starting in Charleston. Although history buffs would be most interested in this book, the story flows and is not burdened by huge amounts of arcane details, making it a great book for anyone interested in more detail about the early stages of the war and the people involved including Major Robert Anderson, Governor Pickens of S. Carolina, James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln. This book is a great detailed read in conjunction with a more general look at the path to war in 1861: The Civil War Awakening.
September 7, 2007
This was a very informative book about the days leading up to the start of the Civil War at Fort Sumter. I was suprised at how much back-and-forth there was between the Confederates in South Carolina and the Union troops at Fort Sumter. There was almost 2 years of tension between these two groups about who would attack first. I was also suprised to learn that the Union troops were literally starving to death in the Fort. Anyone who is interested in the minutiae of the Civil War should read this book.
July 5, 2015
This is a historical book at its absolute finest. Detzer builds up the same tension for the reader that the United States had felt during the Secession Crisis, culminating in an explosive climax at the shelling of Fort Sumter. Focusing on Major Anderson, the Union leader of the Fort, not only added a human element that provided an excellent, readable narrative, but it really drove home how, exactly, honor was such an important factor in the Civil War. Easy to understand without ever being condescending, Allegiance is easily one of the best books I have ever read on the subject.
July 27, 2007
Most people know that the American Civil War was sparked by the events at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Detzer delivers the details and the stories behind the history in this in depth look at the beginning of the conflict.
October 20, 2012
Detzer deftly weaves together the personalities & events surrounding the firing on Fort Sumter, and the result is a an insightful, highly readable narrative. Highly recommended.
June 2, 2017
A very readable history of the events surrounding the first shots to the Civil War.
May 3, 2017
Detzer does an excellent job of building a narrative that does not telegraph a foregone conclusion for the attack at Fort Sumter. The ebb and flow of personalities, events and decisions are presented as they unfold, creating a sense of the dynamism of history.
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