"We have the honor to notify you that he will open the fire of his Batteries"

Today is the 150th anniversary
of the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, which began the U.S. Civil War. In a
fascinating entry from the New York Times "Disunion" series, which has been "covering"
the war since last fall, Adam Goodheart describes how Maj. Robert Anderson,
commander of the fort's garrison, learned of the attack. Two Confederate aides
handed him this note:

Sir

By authority of Brig
General Beauregard commanding the provisional forces of the Confederate States
we have the honor to notify you that he will open the fire of his Batteries on
Fort Sumter in one hour from this time.