Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. II.djvu/326

 262 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS South Carolina under Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard, and after a long bombardment the fort surrendered on April 13, 1861. The president instantly called for a force of 75,000 three-months militiamen, and three weeks later ordered the enlistment of 64,000 soldiers and 18,000 seamen for three years. He set on foot a blockade of the southern ports, and called congress together in special session, choosing for their day of meeting July 4. The remaining states of the south rapidly arrayed themselves on one side or the other; all except Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri were drawn into the secession movement, and the western part of Virginia, adhering to the Union, under the name of West Virginia, separated itself from that ancient commonwealth. The first important battle of the war took place at Bull Run, near Manassas station, Va., July 21, 1861, and resulted in the defeat of the National troops under Gen. Irwin McDowell by a somewhat larger force of the Confederates under Gens. Joseph E. Johnston and Beauregard. Though the loss in killed and wounded was not great, and was about the same on both sides, the victory was still one of the utmost importance for the Confederates, and gave them a great increase of prestige on both sides of the Atlantic. They were not, however, able to pursue their advantage. The summer was passed in enlisting, drilling, and equipping a for midable National army on the banks of the