150th Anniversary of the Civil War

Four years of commemoration under way

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The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps begins four years of coverage of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War at a re-enactment of the first shot fired.

Kid Reporters Faith and Zach Dalzell were at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, on January 8, 2011 — one day before the January 9 anniversary — when cadets from The Citidal, the Military College of South Carolina, re-enacted the event.

The Cadets were ordered 150 years ago by the school superintendent to fire on The Star of the West, a civilian ship bringing supplies and 200 U.S. soldiers to Fort Sumter. The first two shots missed, but the third shot hit the ship, causing the captain to turn around and return to New York. The Star of the West was unarmed and unable to fire back.

The Civil War officially began a few months later on April 12, also at Fort Sumter. It ended four years later on April 9, 1865, when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House.

Click Play Video for a report on this historic occasion.

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