The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-05-02

AiueS eApiooeu, scdIterlng the towers
and upper portion of the building in
every direction. The crash of the
beams, the roar of the flames, the
rapid explosion of the shells, and the
shower of fragments of the fort, with
the blackness of the smoke, made the
scene indescribably terrific and grand.
This continued for several hours.
Meanwhile, the main gates were burned
down, the chassis of the barbette guns
were burned away on the gorge, and
the upper portions of the towers had
been demolished by shells.
There was not portion of the fort
where breath of air could be got for
hours, except through wet cloth.
AN INdPROMPTU ACCOUNT OF THE sEIGE
OF SUMTER.
While the reporters were seated at
table busily engaged in the various
statements they had received from the
officers of Major Anderson's command,
an officer who had previously stood
quietly in the background, suddenly
addressed them in most emphatic man.
ner, substantially as follows: "Gentle-
men of the press, / earnestly sentreat
that you will clearly set before your
countrymen at the North the fact that
Fort Sunater ,oas not ecacudted aohile
there aoas a cartridge to fire, Of, po,cder
enough to make one aoith. Never did
famished men work more bravely tn an
those who defended the fortress, know
ing, as they did, that if successfully
defended and held by them, there was
not even a biscuit left to divide among
them. They never would have left it
while protecting wall stood around
them, had they been provided with
provision and ammunition. Every
man was true and faithful to bis post,
and the public may be assured that
hunger and want of ammunition alone
caused US to leave Fort Sumter. We
were all exposed to most terrible FIRE
from all quarters, and it was only by
exercising the utmost care that the Off
GERS were enabled to preserve the men
from terrible slaughter. You may
further state, Gentlemen, that Fort
Sumter is hardly worth the holding ;
had there been the full fighting COM
plement within its walls, the fort would
net have afforded suitable protection
for one half of them. The enemy's
shot rained in upon and about us like
hail, and more men in Sumter would
only have made more havoc. AS it
was, we are fortunate in having escap-
led without the loss of one of those
brave men who were willing to die for
the flag which waved over them. 1t
was painful sight to all to see the
Stars and Stripes finally hauled down,
but we all felt that we had done our
duty. and must submit. The fort was
not surrendered, but evacuated almost
, upon our own terms"
, INCIDENTS.
, An incident occurred during the can
nonading, which, for its peculiarity,
deserves particular mention. Roger
,, A. Pryor, of Virginia, ex-Member OF
Congress, was one of the second depu.
tations that waited upon Major Ander.
son. He was the very embodiment OF
Southern chivalry. Literally dressed
| to kill, bristling with bowie knives and
revolvers, like a walking arsenal, he ap.
I peared to think himself individually
: capable of capturing the fort, without
any extraneous assistance. Inside ol
the fort he seemed to think himself
master of everything-monarch of all
, he surveyed-and, in keeping with his
f pretensions, seeing upon the table what
: appeared to be glass of brandy, drank
, it without ceremony. Surgeon Craw
: ford, who witnessed the feat, approach
ed him and said Sir, what you have
drank is poison-it was the iodide o
, potassium-you are a dead man" The
q representative of chivalry instantly col
, lapsed, bowie knives, revolvers, and all
' and passed into the hands of Surgeon
, Crawford, who. by purgings, and puk
! ings, defeated his own prophesy in re
; gard to his fate.
2 The last that was seen of Pryor b,
the officers he was going out leaning
e upon the Surgeons arm, presenting 8
! somewhat comical appearance, with hi
e colored shirt, large spurs, belt ant
n sword, revolver and bowie knife
The doctor gave the great bowie
4 knife hero dose Of ipecac, which pro
dueed the desired effect. Pryor die
q not express himself as having had
particularly pleasant visit to Fort Sum
ri ter.
u No braver men ever lived than th'
: defenders of Fort Sumter, and wher
y y all showed such lofty courage and pat
riotism it would be invidious to mak'
distinctions, but the ardor and endnr
ance of the musician Hall of Co. E
was remarked by every man in Sum
: ter, and the Company intend to pre-
:. sent him with testimonial. He wa
at the firing of the first guns, ant
!, fought on all day and would not accep
= , either of the three reliefs. He was NJ
: at the first shot next day, and worked
!. without cessation till night. His ex
u ample and words of cheer had great ei
. feet. This is the. more worthysof re
> mark as he belonged to the musicians
and he was not obliged to enter int
J the engagement at all.
e DETAILS OF THE PLAN TO REINFoRcl
ri SUMTER.
o The following highly interesting PAL
It ticulurs concerning the movements Q
~ oc Al l.. e.