Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-02
SLAUGHTER of secessiOntsts at Charleston,

eIauehter of secessiOBtsts at Charleston,
Three or Four Hundred Men Killed
and n Large Number W0uuded, at Fort
mOuitrie Efforts TO UOncea'the Truth.
The telegraph has already mentioned the
slaughter at Charleston, S. O., of three or
four hundred men, and Tuesdays New York
Tribune gives these particulars: ..
A soldier who was drafted into the service
of the rebels in Charleston, aud who served
at the guns in Fort Moultrie, at the siege of
Fort Sumter has mnde TO us the following
statement. His reliability is vouched for,
and we have every reason 10 believe that his
statement is every way worthy OF belief;
Our informant states that be served under
Captain Havens, and went into Fort Moul
THE the day after Major Anderson left for
Fort Sumter. He remained three or four
days after the fight. He belonged TO the
Arlillery, and served at the guns most of the
time during the siege.
The guns of Fort Moultrie opened about
half past four in the morning, but Major
Anderson did not fire a gun for near two
hours after. When he did open, his fire was
| rapid and destructive. The balls from
| Sumter struck the port holes of Moultrie,
and at nearly every discharge somebody was
killed. Their places were supplied by
others. There were in Moultrie more than
1000 men, and between 300 and 400 were
Bept at the guns constantly. Not more
than that number could protect themselves
in the casemates of sandbags, which, while
they afforded excellent protection, were
much torn up and knocked down. 1t was
between nine and ten o'clock on the irst day
that the greatest loss of life occurred.
The barbette guns Of Fort Sumter were
silenced early in the day, and the round
shot from these were most destructive to
Fort Moultrie, and caused the greatest loss
of life. They were fired with great ac.
curacy, and at times the scene in the fort
was terrible. During the siege betWeeH 300
and AGO Goere killed, and large number lcsrs
VOnded. The killed were collected to-
gelher in a mess, and at night placed in
boxes brought down from Charleston, aud
taken away to Potter's Field and Inferred
| during the night. Some of the men were
| horribly maDged, and others were scarcely
dead when thrown into the boxes. Blood
| flowed in streams from these receptacles,
and the sight was horrible. The surgeon al
the fort sent for help and others came down
from Charleston. The wounded were re.
moved to the Hospital, where such as have
not since died still remain.
In order that the truth should not be
known in Charleston, the soldiers were
charged to say that nobody was hurt aud
were threatened with certain death if they
disclosed the facts. There were good many
killed in the dwellings outside the fort. The
Moultrie House was very much damaged
and large number of buildings in the
neighborbood of the fort demolished. The
officers quarters in the fort were riddled
and it is the opinion of our informant tina
had there been 800 men in Sumter, Fort
hm0uittTTie would have been destroyed, and
the rebels driven out or killed almost to q
man. He left Moultrie three days after the
engagement, and went TO Charleston. The
people there would not believe that nobody
had been killed, aud made constant inquiry
for their friends, who, they were assured
were still on Sullivan's Island. Hundred:
of families are yet to learn the truth, which
is kept from them by the greatest vigilance
Our informant was duly discharged from
the service, and with FIVE others, embarked
on board the bark Smithsonian, Capt. Davis
which reached New Y ork on Friday morn
ing last.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY KILLED AMI
WOUNDED ON MORRIS ISLAND.
One Of the Charleston volunteers who was
on Morris Island during the late lombard
nent of Fort Sumter, came here yesterday
by the schooner d. B. Pits. He says thatat
least $50 men were killed and wounded al
the batteries on Morris Island, by the can.
lister of Msjor Anderson. He had occasion
to be at Fort Johnston, also, just before be
left Charleston, and there he learned that on
Sullivan's Island thirty. mine men had been
killed-that a mortar had been blown from
Fort Johnston by a shot from Sumter. dc
had to go to Charleston in a boat with some
passengers, and when there embraced the
opportunity and slowed himself away in the
schooner, and in that way got off. He say
that the dead were all taken and boxed anG
carried away in the night and buried in Pot
ter's- field, where the negroes are buried. HI
says that thousands of negroes only wan
some Of their leaders to give them the word
and great win be the slaughter.