Robert Anderson and P.G.T. Beauregard were both graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point. They were classmates in the class of 1829 and were friends at the academy. They served together in the Mexican-American War and were both commanders in the early days of the American Civil War. Anderson commanded Union troops at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, while Beauregard commanded Confederate forces. They were both promoted to major general in the Confederate Army and served in various capacities during the war.