The crisis was not long postponed.  Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbour, the port of South Carolina, was held by a Federal garrison.  The State had demanded its surrender, but no reply had been vouchsafed by Lincoln.  On April 8 a message was conveyed to the Governor of the State that an attempt would be made to supply the troops with provisions.  This message was telegraphed to Montgomery, still the capital of the Confederacy, and the Government ordered the reduction of the fort.  On the morning of April 12 the Southern batteries opened fire, and the next day, when the flames were already scorching the doors of the magazine, the standard of the Union was hauled down.

Two days later Lincoln spoke with no uncertain voice. 75,000 militia were called out to suppress the “rebellion.”  The North gave the President loyal support.  The insult to the flag set the blood of the nation, of Democrat and Republican, aflame.  The time for reconciliation was passed.  The Confederates had committed an unpardonable crime.  They had forfeited all title to consideration; and even in the minds of those Northerners who had shared their political creed the memory of their grievances was obliterated.

So far Virginia had given no overt sign of sympathy with the revolution.  But she was now called upon to furnish her quota of regiments for the Federal army.  To have acceded to the demand would have been to abjure the most cherished principles of her political existence.  As the Federal Government, according to her political faith, had no jurisdiction whatever within the boundaries of States which had chosen to secede, it had not the slightest right to maintain a garrison in Fort Sumter.  The action of the Confederacy in enforcing the withdrawal of the troops was not generally approved of, but it was held to be perfectly legitimate; and Mr. Lincoln’s appeal to arms, for the purpose of suppressing what, in the opinion of Virginia, was a strictly constitutional movement, was instantly and fiercely challenged.

Neutrality was impossible.  She was bound to furnish her tale of troops, and thus belie her principles; or to secede at once, and reject with a clean conscience the President’s mandate.  On April 17 she chose the latter, deliberately and with her eyes open, knowing that war would be the result, and knowing the vast resources of the North.  She was followed by Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina.* (* Kentucky and Missouri attempted to remain neutral.  Maryland was held in check by the Federal Government, and Delaware sided with the North.  The first three, however, supplied large contingents to the Confederate armies.)