The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-31 00:00:00

TILE ATTACK UPOIV THE STAR OF

THE WEST.

The following graphic account of the scene that
ensued in the Charleston harbour upon the arrival
of the Star of the West at that port is given by a
reporter of the New York Evening Post:—

Wednesday, Jan. 9.

I awoke at 3 o'clock this morning and went immediately
to the upper deck, where I found the captain, mate, pilot,
and two military officers. I learned that we arrived in the
vicinity of the Charleston Bar about midnight ; that all the
coast lights had been extinguished, and that thus farit bad
been impossible to find the main channel. It is evident
from these indications that the hospitable South Carolinians
do not mean that we should go in without a salute.
A light was seen on the coast, but we could not make
out what it was. A little after three o'clock, we disco-
vered the light on Fort Sumter, and with these exceptions'
everything was dark. It was, of course, impossible to get
over the bar without the lighthouse, and so we awaited the
break of day.

I have never seen a finer morning than the one which
dawned upon us. The sky was clear, and the moon, a
faint crescent of silver, had just arisen, and the low coast
looked like a ddnse forest of evergreen. Tho spires of
Charleston became visible in the approaching daylight, and
on the walls of Sumter we descried the American flag float-
ting in the breeze.
Now, about half-past 6 o'clock we see the lighthouse ;
and now, too, we discover that the mysterious light just
mentioned was that of a steamer at our right. Now the
situation of the channel is ascertained, and we are under
weigh, and now the steamer at our right is burning red and
blue lights, and now she sends up rockets. There is no
mistaking her movement; she is giving the alarm signal
to Fort Moultrie.

On we go ; the soldiers are below with loaded muskets,
and the officers are ready to give the word if there is any-
thing to do. Now it is broad daylight, and'we are making
directly into the guns of Fort Moultrie, whose black walls
are distinctly visible. The little steamer at our right is
burning a signal light aft, and is making all possible head-
way up the harbour. Now we discover a red Palmetto
flag at our left on Morris Island, a little village called Cum-
ming's Point, and apparently but little more than a mile
rtvua rv.t,

"Is it possible that those fellows have got a battery off
here ?" asks one.

"No," answers another; " there is no battery there."

But there is. It is now a quarter past 7, and we aro
about two miles from Forts Sumter and Moultrie, which
are equi-distant from us, and suddenly whiz-z I comes a
ricochet shot from Morris Island. It plunges into the
water and skips along, but falls short of our steamer. The
line was forward of our bow, and was of course an invita-
tion to stop. But we are not ready to accept the proffered
hospitality, and the captain pays no attention to it except
to run up the stars and stripes at the masthead—the gar-
rison flag mentioned before. A moment of anxious suspense,
and bang goes a heavy cannon from the same masked bat-
tery. The shot falls short of us 100 yards or more, and
bounds clean over our vessel aft, nearly on a line with the
head of a sailor, but luckily a little above it.
On we go, and7--whiz-z again goes the smaller gun
first fired, and another ricochet shot skips along the water
and falls short of us.
" Booh 1" exclaims the captain, "you must give us big-
ger guns than that boys, or you cannot hurt us."
On we go, without heeding the compliments of our
Charleston friends. Another moment, and bang I again
goes the heavy gun. The ball now strikes our ship in the
fore chains, about two feet above the water. A seaman was
holding the lead to take the soundings, and the ball struck
directly under his feet. It is not surprising that, under the
circumstances, Jack was strongly inclined to take to his

heels, and he begins to scramble up with might and main,
when the captain assures him there is no danger, one ball
having struck so near him ; on the principle, I [suppose,
that lightning never strikes in the same place. Jack, re-
assured, patiently takes his place and drops the lead again.
The ball, fortunately, was too far spent to go through the
side of our vessel, although it left an honourable scar.
The battery continues to play upon us, and a huge ball
comes clean over us, near the wheel-house. We are net yet
within range of the guns of Fort Moultrie, and yonder is a
cutter in tow of a steamboat, preparing to open fire upon
us. A moment longer and we shall be in range of these
three batteries. The gunners on Morris Island are growing
confident ; if they get a right range they will send a shot
through our side, scattering death and destruction. Moul-
trie, directly in front, will bring her heavy guns to bear, and
will drive their deadly missiles into our bow, while the cut-
ter will open on our right.
Why does not Major Anderson open fire upon that bat-

tery and save us ? We look in vain for help ; the American
flag flies from Fort Sumter, and the American lag at our
bow and stern is fired upon, yet there is not the slightest
recognition of our presence from the fort from which we
look for protection. The unexpected battery on Morris
Island has cut off all hope of escape by running the vessel
aground near Sumter and taking to the boats. Is it possible
that Fort Sumter has been taken by the South Carolinians ?
If it has not, why does not Major Anderson show that he
will protect us, or at least recognise us in some way f To
go within range of the guns of Fort Moultrie is to expose
vessel, men, and stores to almost instant destruction, or to
capture by the enemy.
•' Helm out of port I" shouts the captain, and the Star of

the West is turned about without any great loss of time
as you may well imagine. We turn without accident, and
steam away, with the stars and stripes still floating., and the
battery still playing upon us by way of a parting salute.
As we steam away the steamer near Moultrie having the
hostile cutter in tow, steams away into Swash channel, evi-
dently with the intention of cutting off our retreat ; but she
soon abandons the chase, and we sail out, without a man
killed or wounded, with our stores unharmed, and proceed
unmolested, probably on our homeward journey.
After the brief but exciting experience of the morning, I
am prepared, 'without hesitation, to concur with the captain
in the opinion that it is very unpleasant to be fired at with
hard cannon balls without any chance to fire back. I wish
to say, however, that no one on board displayed any symp-
toms of fear. Captain M'Gowan and the pilot, Mr. Brewer,
were probably especial marks for the Morris Island battery,
since a good.shot through the wheel-house would have been
most disastrous. The soldiers, although two-thirds of them
are recruits, appeared to be quite indifferent to the music,
while the officers agreed that it was scandalous that they
could not fight back.
Soon after crossing the bar of the Charleston harbour, on
our homeward muse, we met a fine sailing vessel, the
Emily St. Pierre, of Charleston. Captain M'Gowan
stopped and hailed her.
'• Where do you hail from ?" said he.
"From Liverpool," was the reply,
" Whither bound ?"
" To Charleston."
"What flag do you sail under ?"
" So far under the American flag."
"Then you can't go into Charleston," said our captain.
"They will not let the American flag go into that port. I
was just driven out of there. They fired upon me when I
was sailing under the American flag."
" Then I suppose I must go in under tho Palmetto
flag," said he of the Emily St. Pierre.
" Then I ought to take you," shouted our captain, with
energy; " war has been declared ; they haye fred upon
me, and you are a lawful prize."
"You can do what you like," replied the other, with a
voice which seemed to be tremulous from one cause or
another," you are the stronger par: y."
Capt. M'Gowan concluded that, inasmuch as he had not
at present a commission from Government, he would let
the Emily St. Pierre go her way, but declared that if he
had his commission it would be delightful to bring her off,
after the treatment he had received this morning from
Charleston.

The military men on board highly complimented the
South Carolinians on their'shooting in this first attempt.
They say it was well done ; that all which was needed was
a little better range, which they probably could have ob-
tained in a few minutes. • Their line was perfect ; and the
opinion is expressed that some one had charge of the guns
who understood his business.

" It Wit. 3 very good sport for them," remarked one of our
officers, " to shoot at us, and there was nothing to trouble
them. Thoy had it all,their own way. But when Uncle
SIAM gets a man-of-war in the channel, throwing shells
into that sandhill, they will learn the difference."

Two guns were employed; the smaller, it is believed, a
12-pounder, end the larger a 32-pounder. This, however,
is only conjecture. Whatever their size, they were well
manned. They were fired rapidly, and with a will.

One of the officers hazarded a joke soon after we left the
Charleston harbour. " The people of Charleston," ho re-
marked, "pride themselves upon their hospitality; but it
exceeds my expectation. They gave us several balls before
we landed."

It is believed that if the South Carolinians had not made
a mistake we should have partaken of their hospitality,
whatever it may be, as prisoners. If the battery on Morris
Island had waited 10 minutes longer before firing we should
have been completely at their mercy. It was only neces-
sary for them to wait until we were within range of the
guns of Fort Moultrie, and escape would have been impos-
sible. So that, had it not been for this new and unex-
pected battery on Morris Island, and its premature firing,
we should inevitably have fallen into the hands of the
enemy if we had escaped shooting and drowning.
Although we had a surgeon on board, he had no instru-
ments or medical stores.
It is believed that the cutter which was in tow of the
steamboat was the William Aiken, which was treacherously
surrendered to the South Carolinians by its commander.

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