The first shots of the American Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, Confederate artillery batteries surrounding the harbor began bombarding the Union-held Fort Sumter, marking the start of the war

. Specifically, the opening shot was a 10-inch mortar round fired from Fort Johnson as a signal to commence the general bombardment from multiple Confederate batteries, including Fort Moultrie and others around Charleston Harbor

. This attack followed South Carolina's secession and demands for the U.S. Army to evacuate the fort. The Union garrison, commanded by Major Robert Anderson, surrendered after about 34 hours of bombardment

. It is worth noting that an earlier incident occurred on January 9, 1861, when South Carolina militia fired on the merchant ship Star of the West as it attempted to resupply Fort Sumter. Some historians consider this the first hostile shot related to the conflict, but the widely recognized start of the Civil War is the bombardment of Fort Sumter in April

. In summary, the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861, at 4:30 a.m., initiating the conflict between the Confederacy and the Union