Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-05-12
HEADQUARTERS Provisional ARMY.
Charleston. S. c.. April %, 1861.

Charleston. s. c.. April %, 1861.
Brio. Gen. Cooper, Adatant General O. S. A.:
SIR:-I have the honor to submit the following
detailed report Of the BOmbardment and Surrender
of Fort Sumter and the incidents connected there
with. Having completed my Channel defences and
batteries in the harbOr necessary for the reduction
of Fort Sumter / dispatched two my Aids at 20
PM On Thursday. the 18th Of April, with commu-
nication to Major Anderson, III command OF FORTH
cation demanding its evacuation. lotered to trans
mort himself and command to any port In the Uni>
ted States he might select; TO allow him to move
out of the fort with company, arms and property,
and all private property, and to salute his flag on
lowerinp it. He refused to accede to the demand
As nv Aids were about leaving, Major Anderson
remarked that if we did not batter him to pieces
| he would be starved out in few days, or words
| to that effect
This being reported to me by my Aids, on their
| return with his refusal at $40 ?. NJ, ! deemed it
proper to telegraph the pnrPort OF his remark to
the Secretary of War. | received oy telegraph the
| following instructions at go T. Mo not de-
sire needIessly to lombard Fort Sumter. If Major
| Anderson will state the time at which, as indi-
| Gated bv him. he will eyacuate, and agree that in
the meantime he will not use his guns against u.s.
| unless ours should be employed against Fort sum
| ter YOU are authorized thus to avoid efrslon OF
blood If this or its equivalent be refused, reduce
the fort as your judgment decide to be most prac-
| t;cahlen AtlI p NJ sent my Aids with COM
| munication to Major Anderson. based upon the
| foregoing instructions. 1t was placed in his hands
az las A. NJ, 18th inst. He expressed his willing
ness to evacuate the fort on Monday afternoon II
| proyided with the necessary means Of transporta-
ton and if he should not receive contradictory in
structions from his Government or additional sup
niles But he declined not to agree to open his guns
upon us in the event of any hostile demonstration
on our part against his flag. This reply which was
onened and shown to my Aids plainly indicated that
if instructions should be received contrary to his
puruose to evacuae or if he should receive his Eup>
| plies or if the Confederate troops should hre on
hostile troops of TIE United States, or upon trans
ports bearing the United States flag, containing men,
munitions and supplies, designed for hostile opera
tons against US, he would still feel himself pound 70
fire upon u.s. and to hold possession OIL the lori AS
| in consequence of a communication from the fresi-
dent of the United States to the Governor OF south
| Carolina we were in momentary expectation OF an
| attempt to reinforce Fort Sumter, or of descent
upon eur coast to that end from the United States
feet then lying off the entrance OF the harbor, 1t
was manifestly apparent necessity to reduce the
fort as speedily as possible and not 70 wall until
the shps and the fort should unite In combined
| attack upon u.s. Accordingly my Aids carrying out
nv instructions promptly, refused to accede to the
terms proposed by Major Anderson, and notified
him in writing that our batteries would open
| upon Fort Sumter in one hour. This notification
was given at 500, AN, of Friday, the 18th in
slant The signal shell was fired from Fort John
son at 4.3O AN. At about five o'clock the fire
from our batteries became general Fort Sumter
did not open fire until seven O'Clock. when it com
meneed with = vigorous fire upon the Cummings
Point Iron Battery, The enemy next directed his
fire upon the Enflade Battery SUlliVan's Island
| constructed to sweep the parapet of Fort Sumter
to prevent the working of the barbete guns, and II
dismount them, This was also tie aim Of thG
Floating Battery, the Dahgren Battery, and th'
gun batteees at Cummings Point The enemy
next opened fire on Fort Moultrie, between whloL
and Fort Sumter, a steady and almost constant hr'
: was kept up throughout the day. These tnre.
points Fort Moultrie Cummings Point, ana Ine ems
y of Sullivans' Island, where the Fioatng DAY.
J, Dahgren Battery, and the Enfade battery w.
placed, where the points to which the enemy -
| almost TO eonfne his attention, although ne nrsu