Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-04-25


Inc following particulars were derived from
'ne oihcers who returned from Fort Sumter in
the Baltic:
TIE COMMANDMENT.
on Thursday the demand to surrender the
io'' was Hioue' ana declincd-all the officers
having been consulted by Major Anderson in
regard to the summons At about throo o,olooL
on Friday morning notice was given ne ,bat
fire would he opened on us in one hour unless
the demand to surrender was INSTANTLY cor-
piled with Major Anderson resolved NOT to
return fire until broad daylight, not wishing to
waste any of his ammunition. Ere was opened
upon us from all points at once. To our as
tonishment masked battery of heavy colum-
biads opened on us from the part of Sullivan's
Island near the floating Battery, the existence
OF which we had not the slightest intimation.-
1t was covered with brush and other material
which completely concealed it. 1t was skillful.
ly constructed and well secured Seventeen
mortars, firing ten-inch shell, 33 heavy guns,
mostly columbiads, being engaged in the as
sault. The crash made by those shots against
the walls was terrific, and many Of the shells
took effect inside the fort. We took breakfast
at l.2 O'Clock lesurely and calmly, after
which the command was divided into three re-
lefs, equally dividing the officers and men,
The first relief was under Captain Doubleday
of the Artillery and Lieut.. Snyder of the Engi-
neer Corps. This detachment went to the guns
and opened fire upon the Cummings Point Bat
terry, Fort Moultrie and SuIlivan's Island. The
iron battery was Of immense strength and mos
OF our shots struck and glanced off again The
fire was so terrific on the parapet of Sumter
that Major Anderson refused to allow the men
to man the guns. Had they been permitted to
do so, every one Of them would have been sac
rihced. Fort Moultrie was considerably dam
aged by our canonadng, a great many OF our
shots having taken effect on the embrasures-
Several shots are known to have penetrated the
floating battery but little damage was done ~
it.
The reiiefs were changed every four hours.
We succeeded in dismouI ting two Of the guns
on Cummings Point Battery. An new English
gun which was employed by the enemy, was
fired with great accuracy. Several of its shots
entered the embrasures of Sumter, one of them
slightly woundng four men. The full effect Of
our firing we have been unable to ascertain,
having nothing to rely upon but the reports of
the enemy. Our men owed their safety entirely
to the extraordinary care exercised by the
officers in command. A man was kept con
stantly on the lookout, who would cry "shot'
or 'shelf' at every shot the enemy made, thus
aitordlng our men ample opportunity to seek
shelter. The workmen were at first rather re-
luctant to assist the soldiers in handling the
guns, but they gradually took hold and render
ed valuable assistance. The aim of the enemy
was principally directed at our flagstaff, from
which proudly waved the Stars and Stripes
After two days inccssant firing the flag staff
was finally shot away.
The effect of the enemy's shot, on the officers
quarters particularly, was terrific. One tower
was so completely demolished that not one
brick was lett standing upon the other. The
barracks caught fire the first day several
times, and were put out several times by Mr.
Hart of New York, a volunteer, who particular
lydistinguished himsefior his GOODNESS and bra
very, assisted by others. Halfa million ofdollars
will hardly suffice repair the damages to the fort
On the second day it caught fire from 10 inch
Shell, the danger TO be encountered in the at
tempt to extinguish it being great that the
Major concluded not to attempt it. The effect
of the fire was more disastrous than we could
have supposed. The subsequent shots of the
enemy took more effect in consequence the
walls were weakened, and we were more ex-
posed. The main gates were DESTROYED by the
fire, thus leaving US exposed to the murderous
fire of the enemy. Five hundred men could
have formed on the gorge and marched on us
without being able to oppose them. The fire
surrounded the fort on all sides. Fearful that
| PROSTATE them, we commenced taking the pow
der out of the magazine before the fire had full
| ly enveloped it. We took 90 barrels of pow
der out, and threw it into the sea, leaving 200
barrels in. Owing to a lack of cartridges We
| kept five men inside the magazine, sewing
we wanted them, thus using up our shirts,
sheets, blankets, and all the available material
in the fort. When we were finally obliged to
| close the magazine, and our material for car
trdges was exhausted, we were left destitute Of
any means to continue the contest. We had
eaten our last biscuit thirtysi hours before
We came very near being stihed with the dense
livid smoke from the burning buildings. The
men lay PROSTATE on the ground, with wet hand
kerchiefs over their mouths and eyes, gaspinS
for breath. 1t was moment of imminent per-
il. If an eddy Of wind had not ensued, we all,
probably, should have been suiocated. The
crashing of the shot, the bursting OF the shells,
the falling of walls, and the roar of the flames,
made Pandemonum of the fort. We never
theless kept up a steady fire. Toward the close
of the day, ex-senator Wigfall made his appear
ance at the embrasure with white handker-
| chief on the end of a sword, and begged for
admittance. He asked to see Major Anderson
While Wiefall was in the act of crawling through
the embrasure, Lieut.. Snyder called ou, to him.
"Maj. Anderson is at the main gate" lie pass
ed through the embrasure into the casemate,
paying no attention to what the lieutenant had
said. Here he was met by Capt. Foster, Lieut..
Mead and Lieut.. Davis. He said: 81 wish to
see Maj. Anderson l am Gen. Wigfall, and
come from Gen. Beauregard."
He then added, in an excited manner, LET
us stop this firing. You are on fire, and your
flag is down. Let us quit"
Lieut.. Davis replied, "No, Sir, our flag is not
down. Step out here and you will see it wav-
| ing over the ramDarts"
"Let us quit this" said Wigiall. "Here's a
white fag will anybody wave it out of the en-
braSure ?"
One of the officers replied, "That is for you
to do if yon choose"
Wigfall responded at there is no one else
to do it, will" and jumping into the embra-
sure waved the flag toward Modtrie. The
firing still continued from Moultre and the bat
teres of Suliyan's Island. In answer to his
repeated requests one of the officers said one of
our men may hold the flag, and corporal Bng-
hurst jumped into the embrasure. The shot
continuing to strike all around him. he jumped
down again, after having waved the flag few
moments, and said, damn it, they don't re-
spect this flag they are firing at it"
Wigfall replied, "They fired at me two or
three times, and | stood it, and should thihR
that YOU might stand It once"
Wighll then said, "lf yon Will snow whi'e
flag from your ramparts they VIII cease hring'
Lieut. Davis replied, "if you request that