The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-14 00:00:00

THE BOMB,

HARLES T ON.

PHILADELPHIA, August 30.
The following is the communication from Beau-
regard to General Gilmore, protesting against the
opening of the bombardment of Charleston --
" Head-quarters, Department of South Carolina,
Georgia and Florida.
" Charleston S.C., August 22.
Sir,—Last night at 15 mint;teslf
ofll o'clock,
during my absence on a reconnaissance"my
t forti-
fications,h a communication was received
at these
head-quarters, dated Head-quarters, Departmeno
the South, Morris Island, S.E., Aug. 21, demanding
the immediate evacuation of Morris Island and
Fort Sumter by the Confederate forces, on the
alleged ground that the present condition of Fort
Sumter, and the rapid progressive destruction which
it is undergoing from my batteries, seem to render
its complete demolition within a few hours a matter
of certainty,' and that if this letter was not com-
plied with, or no reply thereto was received within
four hours after it was delivered into the hands of
my subordinate commander at Fort Wagner for
transmission, a fire would be opened on the city of
Charleston from the batteries already established
within easy range of the heart of the city. This
communication to my address was without signa-
ture, and was of course returned. About half-past
one o'clock one of your batteries did actually open fire
and threw a number of heavy shells into the city,
the inhabitants of which of course were asleep
and unwarned. About nine o'clock this morning
the communication alluded to was returned to these
headquarters, bearing your recognised official sig-
nature, and it can now be noticed as your deliberate
official act.

" Among nations net barbarous the usages of war
prescribe that when a city is about to ba attacked
timely notice shall be given by the attacking com-
mander, so that non-combatants shall have an
opportunity of withdrawing beyond its limits.
Generally the time allowed is from one to three days,
that is, time for the withdrawal in good faith of at
least the women and children. You, sir, gave only
four hours, knowing that your notice, under exist-
ing circumstances, could not reach me in less than
two hours, and not less than the same time would
be required for an answer to be conveyed from this
city to Battery Wagner. With this knowledge
you threaten to open fire on this city, not to oblige

its surrender, but to force me to evacuate those
works which you, assisted by a great naval force,
have been attacking in vain for more than 40 days.
" Batteries Wagner and Gregg and Fort Sumter
are nearly due north from your batteries on Morris
Island, and in distance therefrom varying from half
a mile to two and a quarter miles. This city, on
the other hand, is to the north west, and quite five
miles distant from the battery which opened against
it this morning. It would appear, sir, that des-
pairing of reducing these works, you now resort to
the novel measure of turning your guns against the
old men, the women, and children, and the hospi-
tals of a sleeping city—an act of inexcusable barba-
rity from your own confessed point of sight, inas-
much as you allege that the complete demolition of
Fort Sumter within a few hours by your guns
seems to you a matter of certainty.
" Your omission to attach your signature to such
a grave paper must show the recklessness of the
course upon which you have adventured; when
the facts that you knowingly fixed a limit for re-
ceiving an answer to your demand which made
it almost beyond the possibility of receiving any
reply within that time, and that you actually did
open fire, and throw a number of the most de-
structive missiles ever used in war into the midst
of a city taken unawares, and filled with sleeping
women and children, will give you a bad eminence
in history, even in the history of this war. lam
only surprised, sir, at the limits you have set to
your demands. If, in order to obtain the aban-
donment of Morris Island and Fort Sumter, you
feel authorised to fire on this city, why did you
not include the works on Sullivan and James
Islands—nay, even the city of Charleston—in the
same demand ? _ .

" Since you have felt warranted in inaugurating
this method of reducing batteries in your imme-
diate front which were otherwise found impreg-
nable, and a mode of warfare which I confidently
declare to be atrocious and unworthy of any sal-

dier, I now solemnly warn you that if you fire
again on this city from your Morris Island bat-
teries without giving a somewhat more reasonable
time to remove the non-combatants, I shall feel

impelled to employ such stringent means of retalia-
tion as may be available during the continuance of
this attack.
" Finally, I reply that neither the works on Mor-
ris Island nor Fort Sumter will be evacuated on
the demand you have been pleased to make.
Already, however, I am taking measures to re-
move all non-combatants, who are now fully
aware and alive to what they may expect at your
hands.—Respectfully, your obedient servant,
" G. T. BEAUREGARD, General Commanding."