St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-04-25
Evacuation of Fort Sumptcr.

Capt. Doubleday, who was the first to fire a
gun from Fort Sumpter after being attack ed
by the rebels, gives the following particulars &:
The demand TO surrender Sumptcr was made
on the 18th, and refused, not only by Andcr-
son, but by the unanimous voice of his COM
mand. On Friday morning, at three O'Clock,
the rebels sent word that firing would be
opened in an hour. and at four o'clock "a fire
was opened on us from every direction, in
Guiding u hidden battery. The fire opened
with a battery from seventeen mortars, firing
ten inch shells AMI shot from thirty three
guns, mostly columbiads. We took breakfast,
however, very leisureiy. The ommand was
divided into three watches, each under direc-
ton Of two officers.
After breakfast, they Immediately went to
their guns and opened Il fire upon Moultrie,
Cumming Point and Sullivan Island. The
iron battery of Cumming Point was of i'm
mcnse strength, and most of our shot glanced
off. Anderson refused to allow the men to
work the guns on the parapet, on account of
such a terrific fire. There was scarcely a room
left in Moultric inhahitahle. Several shots
went through the floating battery. but it was
little damaged. Two guns on the iron bate
~ were dismantied. A man WAS stationed
who cried : shot or - shell - when the reb-
els fired, and the garrison were thus enabled
to dodge. The barracks caught fire several
times on Friday, but were extinguished.
On Saturday the officers quarters caught
fire from shell, and the main gates were burnt,
the magazine was surrounded, and ninety bar
rcis of powder were taken out and thrown into
the sea. When the magazine was encirCled
by fire. all our materials were cut off, and We
had eaten our last biscuit two days before. The
men had to lay on the ground with wet hand
kerchiefs on their faces to prevent smothering,
and a favorable eddy of wind was all that
saved our lives. The cartridge bags gave out,
and five men were employed to manufacture
them out of orr shirts, blankets and sheets.
Wigfall had no authority to make terms,
but Chestnut and others from Beauregard came
and asked Anderson if he wanted help when
the fort was discovered on fire, rs is customary
in civilized warfare. and this led to the eracua-
ton but not surrender.
The firing then ceased, and three hours af
ter another deputation came agreeing to the
terms previously decided upon. On Sunday
morning the steamer Isabel came down an
chorcd off the fort, when all the baggage was
put on the steamer Clinch. The troops We're
under arms. \ portion were told to salute
the flag, and when the last of 30 guns were
fired, the flag was lowered amid loud cheers
of the men. who then formed and embarked
to the tune of = Yankee Doodle Two men
were killed on the second round of salute by
the premature explosion Of a gun, and four
were wounded, one badly and left at Charles
ton.
Fort Sumptcr has not been reinforced on
any occasion.
The Baltic arrived off Charleston on the
morning of Friday, after the firing COM
menced on Sumpter. The Pawnee and Poca-
hontas arrived next day. The Powhatan and
Atlantic have not been seen. The steam tugs
1 49, -. ll..n .n-t $500. 49, -
seen. The day that Anderson evacuated
preparations to reinforce him hal been made.
For an attempt that night a schooner was
seized, and agreements made to pay the pilot
and captain $500 TO put men into the fort, but
the fort was evacuated before the attempt
could he made.
Capt. Fox bad instructions to attempt to
provision the fort without troops. If fired on,
he was to rush in the best he could. but the
gale prevented the arrival of tugs and trans
ports.
The following is Major Anderson's despatch
to the Secretary of War
SIR Having defended TT. Sumpter thirty
four hours, until our quarters were entirely
burned, the main gates destroyed by fire, the
gorge wall seriously injured, the magazine
surrounded by flames, and its door closed
from the effects of heat, four barrels and three
cartridges of powder only being available. and
no provisions but pork remaining, l accepted
the terms of evacuation offered by General
Beauregard. being the same offered by him on
the 18th inst, prior to the commencement of
hostilities, and marched out of the Fort on
Sunday afternoon, the l4th inst. with coloIs
flying and drums beating, bringing away
company and private property, ana saluting
my flag with fifty guns.
lSignedl Robert ANDERSON,
Major LIST Artillery, U. s.. A.