Montgomery Clift

Robert Anderson was born 14 Jun 1805 in "Soldier's Retreat" near Louisville, Kentucky.  He graduated from the United States Military Academy at Westpoint, New York in 1825.  He received a commission as a brevet second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Artillery.  He served as a colonel in the Black Hawk War of 1832, and as a first lieutenant in the Second Seminole War in 1833, becoming an assistant adjutant general.  He was wounded in the Mexican-American War for which he received a brevet promotion to major.  In 1839 his book ''Instruction for Field Artillery, Horse and Foot'' was published.  He received a permanent promotion to major in 1857.

Even though he was a native Kentuckian and commanding officer at Fort Sumter, Charleston, South Carolina he remained loyal to the Union.  When South Carolina voted to secede, he refused to surrender his fort.  He held out for four months, finally surrendering on 14 April 1861.  This battle began the Civil War.

"Colonel Robert Anderson, the Union commander of Fort Sumter, whose brilliant and heroic defense of that Charleston fort in 1861 (he refused to surrender to Jefferson Davis and evacuated only after four months of intensive fighting) marked the beginning of the Civil War." (Bosworth, p. 9)

Anderson's actions at Fort Sumter made him an immediate national hero. He was promotion to brigadier general. He retired from the Army on 27 Oct 1863.

 

He married, late in life, the much younger widow [[#Elizabeth Clark|Elizabeth (Clark) Clough]].  They had three daughters: Sophie, Erba and [[#Maria Latham Anderson|Maria]] whom he nicknamed "Bobbie" after himself.

 

They lived in Washington, DC, but in failing health, he and his wife went to Europe hoping to improve his condition, where he died at Nice, France in 27 Oct 1871.  His body shipped back to the United States, was buried in West Point Cemetery.