On April 12, 1861, militia forces from South Carolina opened fire on the United States Army garrison inside Fort Sumter at the mouth of Charleston Harbor. With the firing of their guns – a barrage that would last for 34 hours and end in the surrender of the garrison – South Carolina had initiated the Civil War.

As we’ve written previously, the news from Charleston struck like a thunderbolt across Pennsylvania’s Coal Region. Flags went up and young men rushed to join the effort to save the Union. The conflict didn’t come out of nowhere – the attack on Fort Sumter came at the conclusion of years of vicious debate about the future of slavery in the United States.

In December 1860, South Carolina brought the political crisis into new phase by announcing its secession from the Union, a path followed by numerous states in the South.

The following letter was written in the tiny Luzerne County patch town of Eckley less than a week after Fort Sumter’s surrender. It captures the feelings of that moment as a dozen local men prepared to answer President Abraham Lincoln’s call for volunteers to protect the United States from an armed rebellion.

The following was written by an anonymous correspondent of the Pittston Gazette, and appeared in the May 2, 1861 edition of the newspaper.

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[For the Pittston Gazette.] 

ECKLEY, Pa., 

April 17, 1861. 

MESSRS. EDITORS: 

These “times which try men’s souls” are producing their effects among us. The spirit of patriotism is very manifest in this section of the County. There is but one feeling expressed, and that is, the government must be sustained, and treason, one of the highest crimes, known to human law, effectually rebuked.

Already some twelve of the most likely young men have offered their services to defend their country. A respectable lady said to the writer yesterday, her first feeling, was, (on hearing that the horrors of war were upon us,) one of relief that her sons were too young to be exposed to the dangers of war – but upon reflection it was rather regret that she had no sons to offer for the defence of her country. 

At Hazleton, I understand fourteen have volunteered, one of the sons of Mr. Pardee has already gone, Mr. P. said, should it become necessary he, himself and his other son would march for the defence of the Capitol. He is also understood to have said to the men in his employ, that, should any of them be disposed to go who have families, he would see that the wants of those families be supplied. 

By the way a friend of mine remarked the other day concerning Mr. P. that he thought, that in many respects he was a man very much after the type of Washington.

In Carbon County the feeling of patriotism is strongly manifested; at a meeting in the Court House at Mauch Chunk last evening, a collection of $1200 was made for the benefit of “the Anderson Greys” who are to march tomorrow. 

It is a sad thing that there should be any such necessities upon us, like those which call out the present feeling, but since these difficulties are upon us, I feel thankful that our citizens so cordially rally under the “Stars and Stripes.” 

May God make the right to triumph – Oh, that this may be effected without the great effusion of blood.

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Read more about the Civil War in the Coal Region

Coal Region responses to the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter – April 1861

An illustration of Scranton, Pennsylvania during the Civil War | 1863

Luzerne County Civil War veteran recounts his survival in the infamous Andersonville Prison

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