Fort Sumter Death Toll:             1 horse, no humans Death Toll From Lincoln’s Response to Fort Sumter:          670,000 humans (including 50,000 Southern civilians); thousands of horses This certainly seems like a measured, prudent, statesmanlike response by Lincoln.  I’m beginning to understand why the Lincoln cultists at the Claremont Institute, Hillsdale College, and elsewhere make such a big deal about Lincoln’s “prudence” and “statesmanship.”  Or at least I’m beginning to understand how they define these terms.