Sumter, Thomas, 1734-1832, American Revolutionary officer, b. near Charlottesville, Va. He served with Edward Braddock (1755) and John Forbes (1758) in their expeditions against Fort Duquesne in the French and Indian War, and later he fought against the Cherokee. He settled (1765) in South Carolina. Like Francis Marion, he formed (1780) a guerrilla band in the Revolution and harassed the British in the Carolinas. He and the British leader, Banastre Tarleton, struck at each other through 1780. The "gamecock of the Revolution," as Sumter was called, was successful at Hanging Rock, barely escaped with his life at Fishing Creek, was repulsed in a raid on the British post at Rocky Mount, but won again at Blackstock. After the war, he was U.S. Representative (1789-93, 1797-1801), Senator (1801-10), and minister to Brazil (1810-11). Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor is named for him.

Sumter, Fort: see Fort Sumter.

Sumter, city (1990 pop. 41,943), seat of Sumter co., central S.C.; founded 1785, inc. 1845. It is the commercial, processing, and shipping center of a timber and agricultural region. Chief crops are tobacco and cotton; livestock, grain, peanuts, and sorghum are also important. Industrial systems, textiles, hand tools, processed meats, and forest products are among the city's manufactures. Of interest are the tombs of Revolutionary War Gen. Thomas Sumter and of Joel Poinsett, for whom the poinsettia is named. Swan Lake Iris Gardens, with its numerous species of swans and Japanese irises, attracts many visitors. Morris College and a campus of the Univ. of South Carolina are in the city. Shaw Air Force Base is to the west. Nearby is Poinsett State Park.

Fort Sumter, fortification, built 1829-60, on a shoal at the entrance to the harbor of Charleston, S.C., and named for Gen. Thomas Sumter; scene of the opening engagement of the Civil War. Upon passing the Ordinance of Secession (Dec., 1860), South Carolina demanded all federal property within the state, particularly the forts of Charleston harbor—Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, and Castle Pinckney. On Dec. 26, 1860, Major Robert Anderson removed his U.S. army command of about 100 men from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, a stronger defensive site. Gov. F. W. Pickens of South Carolina had the other two forts, along with the Charleston arsenal, seized, and upon the refusal of President James Buchanan to order Anderson's evacuation, had guns trained on Fort Sumter. On Jan. 9, 1861, an unarmed merchant ship sent to reinforce the fort's garrison was driven back by the South Carolina forces. Pickens's subsequent formal demand for the fort's surrender was declined, and South Carolina prepared to reduce Anderson's stronghold. Pickens hoped to secure the fort before Abraham Lincoln took office, but in Feb., 1861, the newly organized Confederate government assumed the state's part in the controversy, sending Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard to command Charleston. On Apr. 8, 1861, Pickens received Lincoln's notice that a naval expedition would be sent to provision the beleaguered garrison. On Apr. 11, Beauregard called for Anderson's surrender, but the demand was again refused. After a 34-hour Confederate bombardment, begun at 4:30 A.M. on Apr. 12, Anderson accepted terms, and on Apr. 14 the garrison departed with the honors of war. Although no one was killed, the action made manifest the belligerent spirit in both the North and the South. In 1863, Union naval attacks on the fort were thoroughly repulsed. After Sherman forced the evacuation of Charleston, the U.S. flag was again raised over the fort by Anderson on Apr. 14, 1865. Fort Sumter became a national monument in 1948; Fort Moultrie is part of the monument. See National Parks and Monuments, table.

(born Aug. 14, 1734, Hanover county, Va.—died June 1, 1832, South Mount, S.C., U.S.) American Revolutionary officer. He served in the French and Indian War and later moved to South Carolina. In the American Revolution he was commissioned a brigadier general and escaped to North Carolina after the fall of Charleston (1780). He led the state militia to victories over the British in several engagements. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1789–93, 1797–1801) and the Senate (1801–10). Fort Sumter was named for him (see Fort Sumter National Monument).

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(born Aug. 14, 1734, Hanover county, Va.—died June 1, 1832, South Mount, S.C., U.S.) American Revolutionary officer. He served in the French and Indian War and later moved to South Carolina. In the American Revolution he was commissioned a brigadier general and escaped to North Carolina after the fall of Charleston (1780). He led the state militia to victories over the British in several engagements. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1789–93, 1797–1801) and the Senate (1801–10). Fort Sumter was named for him (see Fort Sumter National Monument).

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