On April 12th, 1861, the South Carolina Militia fired from shore on the Union (United States) garrison at Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay. These were, both sides agreed, the first shots of the Civil War. The bombardment continued all day, watched by many civilians. The fort had been cut off from its supply line and surrendered the next day. Thus began one of the ugliest, bloodiest wars to date. In the end, 620,000 people died in a fight to preserv…