Yes, sir, and on those conditions only." "Then, sir," said Wigfall, "I understand that the fort is to be ours?" "On those conditions only, I repeat," firmly declared Anderson. "Very well-that's all I have to do. You military men will arrange everything else on your own terms," said the modest Wigfall, and retired. He now left in his boat, his white handkerchief waving from the rampart where it had been placed at his request, but the United States flag nailed to the broken staff was no longer standing. Shortly after his departure, Major Lee, the Honorable Porcher Miles, Senator Chesnut, and the Honorable Roger A. Pryor, the staff of General Beauregard, approached the fort with a white flag, and said they came from General Beauregard, who had observed that the flag had been down and raised again a few minutes afterward. The General had sent over, desiring to know if he could render any assistance, as he had observed that the fort was on fire. Major Anderson, in replying, requested them to thank General Beauregard for the offer, but it was too late, as he had just agreed with General Beauregard for an evacuation. The three, comprising the deputy, looked at each other blankly, and asked with whom? Major Anderson, observing that there was something wrong, remarked that. General Wigfall, who had just left, had represented himself to be the Aid of General Beauregard, and that he had come over to make the proposition. After some conversation among themselves, they said to Major Anderson that Wigfall had not seen General Beauregard for two days. Major Anderson replied that General Wigfall's offer and its acceptance had placed him in a peculiar position, and ordered the United States flag to be raised again. They then requested him to place in writing what General Wigfall had said to him, and they would lay it before General Beauregard, and at the same time urged him to leave the flag down in the meanwhile, with which request Anderson complied. After the note reached General Beauregard, he sent his adjutant-general and other members of his staff, including the Honorable Roger A. Pryor and Gover SURRENDER OF FORT SUMTER. nor Manning, proposing the same conditions which Major Anderson had of fered to go out upon, with the exception only of not saluting his flag. Major Anderson said that he had already informed General Beauregard that he was going out. They asked him if he would not accept of the terms without the salute. Major Anderson told them, No; but that it should be an open point. General Beauregard soon after sent word that Major Anderson's terms had been accepted, and that he would send the Isabel, or any other vessel at his command, to convey him and his men to any port in the United States he should choose. The terms of evacuation were, that the garrison should take all their individual and company's property with them; that they should march out with their side and other arms, with all the honors in their own way and in their own time, and that they should salute their flag and bear it away with them. It was late on Saturday night when the terms demanded were finally agreed to by General Beauregard. Next morn 151 ing, on Sunday, the Isabel came April down from Charleston and an14. chored near Fort Sumter, and the little steamer Clinch lay alongside the wharf to transport Major Anderson and his men to the larger vessel. When the baggage had been all put on board the Clinch, the soldiers being inside of the fort under arms, a number were detailed to salute the United States flag. At the fiftieth gun, the flag was lowered and the men set up a loud cheer. In firing, however, this last discharge, a premature explosion took place which killed one man instantaneously, seriously wounded another, and injured less seriously two other men. These were the only casualties of moment during the whole conflict. The troops, now being formed, were marched out, while the band played "Yankee Doodle" and "Hail to the Chief." Remaining on board the Isabel during the night, in consequence of the state of the tide, Major Anderson and his command were transferred next morning to the Baltic, and during the evening of the day after sailed for New York. CHAPTER XIII. Cannonade of Fort Sumter.-Its severity.-Damage to the Fortress.-The "Impress of Ruin."-The Interior of the Fort. Its condition.-The Parade.-Dismantled Guns.-Walls hanging in Fragments.-The shattered Flagstaff. ---The Parapet.-Its damaged condition.-The Guns.-Confusion.-The condition of the Guns.-Dismantled.Flung everywhere.-Cracked.-Broken.-The effect of a Ninety-six Pounder.-The risk to the Magazine.-Grenades, Balls, Shells, Rammers, charred Timber, etc., etc.-The Exterior.-Peppered Walls.-Indentations of the Balls. A threatened Breach.-Outside the Fort.-Effect of the Fire of Fort Sumter upon the Enemy's Works.Fort Moultrie.-Its damaged condition.-Battered Archways.-Splintered Rafters. -Dropping Ceilings.-Innumerable Balls.-Barracks and Officers' Quarters.-The Confederate and Palmetto Flags.-How many times struck.-The Exterior.-No Hot Shot from Sumter.-The Battery at Point Cummings uninjured.—Indentations in its Iron Armor. -The interest of the People of Charleston at the approach of the Struggle.--Alert with expectation.-Firing of Signal Guns.-Alarm.-The City of Charleston aroused.-The Call to Arms.-The mustering of the Soldiery.-Deserted Homes.-The Guards trebled.-The Flotilla of Guard Boats.-A veteran Secessionist fires the First Gun.-A thronging Multitude spectators of the scene, Night and Day.-The raising of the Confederate Flag upon Fort Sumter."A merry Peal."-A People "wild with joy."-General Beauregard's Order. -Announcement of Victory. -Delight in the Seceded States.-The effect of the news in Virginia.-The news in the North.-Conflicting Telegrams.-Effect.-Doubt and Fear.-The Truth at last.-Opinions of the conduct of Anderson.-His Life.—Birth.— Military Education.-Early Services.-Promotion.-Gallantry in the Mexican War. His conduct at Fort Sumter. -Want of Concert with the United States Fleet explained. His report of the Fall of Fort Sumter.-Complimentary tribute from the Government.-Anderson's Popularity.-His Personal Appearance and Character.-A pious Scene. -The United States Flag raised.-Determination to Reinforce Fort Pickens.-The Forts in Pensacola Harbor seized by the Insurgents of Florida.-General Bragg, of the Confederate Army.-Better known as Captain Bragg, of the United States Army.-Description of Fort Pickens.-Its Construction and Strength.-Fort McRae.-Description.— Its Construction and Strength.-Fort Barrancas.-Its description.-Construction.-Strength.-Movement of Lieutenant Slemmer.-First successful attempt to Reinforce Fort Pickens.-The second attempt.-Arrival of the Atlantic. --Debarkation of Troops and Supplies.-Arrival of the Powhatan.-Arrival of the Illinois.--Debarkation of Troops and Supplies.--Colonel Brown in command of Fort Pickens.--Force and threatening position of the Enemy. 1861. ture. ALTHOUGH not a man had been killed | walls hung in fragments, ready to totter or seriously wounded on either side by down. The parade was strewn with a hostile gun during the bombard- fragments of shell and of the shattered ment of Fort Sumter, the cannon- buildings. Four guns lay dismounted ade was certainly very heavy and well on the ramparts, and every step was imdirected, as is proved by the condition peded by portions of the broken strucof the works after the engagement. The remnant of the shattered flagstaff showed the marks of four balls. The parapet was torn in many places, and the guns were knocked in scattered confusion everywhere. Some were turned on their sides; some were entirely forced from their places, and many were so bruised and cracked, as to be no longer of use. The largest gun had been dismounted by its own. All parts of Fort Sumter, except the outer walls and casemates, "bore the impress of ruin," declared a Southern writer. The interior structure was described as roofless, bare, blackened, and perforated by shot and shell, while the * Some have persistently declared that the Confederates suffered a great loss, but concealed it. There seems to be little doubt that not one of their men was killed. THE FORTS AFTER THE BOMBARDMENT. recoil. In the magazine there was a hole made by a red-hot shot which had forced and bored its way half way through the wall of brick. A ninetysix pound shell, after shattering a granite block to pieces, had finally exploded against the magazine and forced the iron door from its place, thus exposing the powder within to the next shot. Grenades, balls, shells, rammers, charred timber, and fragments of brick and masonry were mingled in confusion everywhere. 153 eye falls upon the battered walls of the archway, with openings in some places large enough for windows. In other places may be seen the hanging splinters of the rafters, large pieces of ceiling seemingly about to drop, while the holes in the roof throw a clear light over the scene of destruction, which renders it painfully impressive. It would be an almost impossible task to count the number of balls discharged at this devoted fortress. The walls of the officers' quarters were battered with eight or ten balls, which had penetrated the whole depth of the building. The west The exterior walls, though not materially injured, presented the aspect, as described by a writer,* as if the strong-ern wall on the upper balcony was enhold had just recovered from an attack of small-pox, so "pitted" was it with the indentations of balls, which had torn away, as they struck, the brick-work by "bushels-full." There was, however, no breach made in the walls, though at the southeast angle there was sufficient damage done already as to threaten it. Upon the rim of the island, at the base of the fort, the stones were strewed with fragments of brick, concrete, shells, and cannon-balls. tirely shot away. The barracks were almost entirely destroyed. The furnace for heating hot shot was struck four times, the flag of the Confederate States received three shots, and the Palmetto flag four-a rather singular and peculiar circumstance, when viewed in connection with the seven Confederate States. The merlons of sand-bags, etc., remain unbroken. "On the outside walls we counted over one hundred shots. Laborers were engaged in clearing away fallen bricks, etc. It will be necessary to pull down the old walls and rebuild them. Even the beds and bedding in the officers' quarters and the men's barracks were cut and torn into splinters and shreds. Had it not been for the bomb-proof shelter, the loss of life would no doubt have been appalling. One shell entered the brick wall of Major Ripley's bedroom, ran down the wall, and burst on the bureau immediately over the head of the bed. Our limited time prevented us from visiting the battery to the north of Fort Moultrie. We learn, however, that though many of the buildings around it had been struck several times, and fences, trees, etc., cut away, the battery sustained no injury. Providentially, no hot shot was thrown from Sumter-probably from the fact that the garrison had no fuel." The battery on Cumming's Point had escaped without damage, beyond six indentations in its iron armor, showing the accuracy of the firing of Fort Sumter, as well as proving the invulnerability of the novel structure. The greatest interest had been naturally displayed by the people of Charleston at the approach of and during the bombardment of Fort Sumter. The enthusiasm was described as "intense, and the eagerness for the conflict, if it must come, as unbounded." For days before the attack, the citizens of Charleston were alert with expectation. Thus, at midnight, on one occasion, a discharge of the signal guns of Citadel Square being fired, the whole city was aroused. Hundreds of men left their beds, hurrying to and from their respective posts. In the absence of sufficient armories, the armed citizens gathered at the corners of the streets, in the public squares, and other convenient places, and all night long the roll of the drum, the steady tramp of the military, and the gallop of the cavalry resounding through the city betokened, apparently, the approach of the long-expected hostilities. The Home-Guard corps of old men, who from their age were exempt from the ordinary military duties, rode through the city, arousing the soldiers to arms, and doing other duty required by the emergency. Numbers of citizens were up all night. The Seventeenth Regiment, eight hun dred strong, mustered in an hour, and left for the fortifications. The Rutledge Mounted Riflemen, the Charleston Dragoons, the German Hussars, and Phenix Sharpshooters, composed of the citizens of Charleston, followed, and in a short space several thousand homes were bereft for a time of all their male members capable of bearing arms. The guards of the city were trebled. One hundred "beat men," armed with muskets and revolvers, who, at the first sound of the "bell of St. Michael's," would be reinforced by eight hundred more, patrolled the streets, in addition to the usual horse and foot police. A flotilla of small boats, with flaming torches, guarded the bar every night. A veteran Southern politician, well known as a secession agitator throughout the South, the Honorable Edmund Ruffin, of Virginia, a man over sixty years of age, shouldered his rifle and marched to the works as a private ;* and even boys, hardly in their teens, volunteered to serve in the ranks, and bore part in the conflict. From the firing of the first gun at Fort Sumter until its surrender, the intensity of interest continued unabated. Day and night the streets were thronged with people, "full of excitement and enthusiasm." The housetops, the Bat He fired the first gun against Fort Sumter. |