The upper photograph shows Confederates on Monday the fifteenth of April, 1861--one day after the momentous event which Holmes dimly prophesied in "Brother Jonathan" (page 44). The picture below, with the two following, were made on the 16th. As April wore on, North and South alike had been reluctant to strike first. When Major Robert Anderson, on December 26, 1860, removed to Fort Sumter, on an island at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, he placed himself in a position to withstand long attack. But he needed supplies. The Confederates would allow none to be landed. When at length rumors of a powerful naval force to relieve the fort reached Charleston, the Confederates demanded the surrender of the garrison. Anderson promised to evacuate by April 15th if he received no additional supplies. His terms were rejected. At half-past four on the morning of April 12th a shell from Fort Johnson "rose high in air, and curving in its course, burst almost directly over the fort." The mighty war had begun. [Illustration: A GUN TRAINED ON CHARLESTON BY ANDERSON] [Illustration: TWO DAYS AFTER THE BOMBARDMENT OF SUMTER, APRIL 16, 1861 COPYRIGHT,1911. REVIEW OF REVIEWS CO.] Wade Hampton (the tallest figure) and other leading South Carolinians inspecting the effects of the cannonading that had forced Major Anderson to evacuate, and had precipitated the mightiest conflict of modern times--two days before. [Illustration: COPYRIGHT, 1911, PATRIOT PUB. CO.] RECORDS OF THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES By MARCUS J. WRIGHT, Brigadier-General, C. S. A. _Agent of the United States War Department for the Collection of Military Records_ The war which was carried on in the United States in 1861-5, called "The War of the Rebellion," "The Civil War," "The War of Secession," and "The War Between the States," was one of the greatest conflicts of ancient or modern times. Official reports show that 2,865,028 men were mustered into the service of the United States. The report of Provost-Marshal General Fry shows that of these 61,362 were killed in battle, 34,773 died of wounds, 183,287 died of disease, 306 were accidentally killed, and 267 were executed by sentence. The Adjutant-General made a report February 7, 1869, showing the total number of deaths to be 303,504.