caption serviceyears branch death_place death_date birth_place allegiance unit image_size placeofburial_label birth_date placeofburial rank image article_title name
lithograph of major robert anderson 1825 -- 1863 united states army union army nice , france 26 october 1871 louisville , kentucky , u.s. united states of america union 3rd regiment of artillery 1st regiment of artillery 200 place of burial 14 june 1805 west point cemetery border major robert anderson.jpg robert anderson -lrb- civil war -rrb-
 robert anderson
robert anderson -lrb- civil war -rrb-

robert anderson -lrb- june 14 , 1805 -- october 26 , 1871 -rrb- was a united states army officer during the american civil war .
to many , he was a hero who defied the confederacy and upheld union honor in the first battle of the american civil war at fort sumter in april 1861 .
the confederates bombarded the fort and forced its surrender to start the war .
after sumter fell , anderson was promoted to brigadier general and given command of union forces in kentucky , but was removed late in 1861 and reassigned to rhode island , before retiring from military service in 1863 .
