Fort Sumter Holds--anyone does that?

NHBL

NHBL

Has anyone done a timeline where Fort Sumter holds until relieved in 1861? It can include earlier reinforcements, different armament, anything reasonable to make the fort reasonably ready for an assault from the land.

If not, what would be needed for the fort to hold? POD can be well ahead of the battle, so long as it doesn't massive butterflies elsewhere.
 

dmg86

That's the issue. The fort was undermanned,under supplied and Winfred Scott commanding General of the US Army felt to properly reinforce it would require 20000 men and 6 months to prepare the tropps . I think he felt they would need to take Charleston as the Fort was surrounded by fortifications. There are just two problems with that. One the entire army only numbered 16000 and many of them were on the frontier months away at best. And two the fort was running out of food and Anderson felt he would out by April.
 

Lycaon pictus

Donor
It would help if the fort were actually finished in 1861. That would cost more money, so there would need to be a reason for the U.S. Army to put more resources into building it.

If there were a war scare between the U.S. and either Britain or France (or maybe Spain) in the 1840s or 1850s — something worse than the Pig War, say — that might give the Army the incentive to complete the fort.
 

dmg86

The fort wasn't finished due to funding issues, sickness, and having to build up an island before starting major work. And even if it was completed the army only put light Garrisons in the forts due to the size of the army and seemingly lack of a need in peacetime. The entire Army garrison was less then 100 men. And given the op saying no butterflies elsewhere it's hard to see what would be done different.
 
NHBL

NHBL

My OP should have been lots clearer. The overall build up to the war needs to be similar, and Lincoln's presidency results in the rebels starting kicking off everything, but smaller changes that can result in a better prepared fort, and/or reinforcements actually getting there, are fine. The results in both the north and south of the fort holding for an indefinite time could be interesting.
 

The Tai-Pan

NHBL said:
Has anyone done a timeline where Fort Sumter holds until relieved in 1861? It can include earlier reinforcements, different armament, anything reasonable to make the fort reasonably ready for an assault from the land.

If not, what would be needed for the fort to hold? POD can be well ahead of the battle, so long as it doesn't massive butterflies elsewhere.
Click to expand...
It happens in my Douglas is elected in 1856 TL.
 

Hugh Third of Five

I think this would require having a president other than Buchanan in 1860. Also simply having Buchanan die in office won't fix things because his VP was Breckinridge, who would be worse.
 
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