The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-04-20

on board Wednesday afternoon, and anchor
| cd off the battery, The Baltic had living
/ from her main mast head, the tag OF or
Sumter and at her foremost mast the nag
from Moultrie.
Major Anderson landed at the battery ana
was received BY an immense crowd. MS
carriage vas surrounded by the people VINO
EXPRESSED in cheers and other demonstra-
| tons. their congratulations, and be was TOT
lowed by an immense ihrong through broao,
way to the Brevoors House, where ne joined
| his wife.
| Can't. Doubleday, of Major Anderson's
command, makes the following statement:
| The demand to surrender Sumter was
made on the llth, and refused not only py
| Anderson, but by the unanimous voice OF
his command. On Friday morning az >
| O'Clock the rebels sent word that tire wonid
! be opened in an hour; and at O'Clock the
| FIRE was opened on US from every direction,
| including hidden battery. Fire opened
with . yolley from mortars, firing ten inch
| shells and shot from 33 guns, mostly CO.
| lumbiads. We took breakfast, however,
very leisurely. The command was divided
/ into three watches, each under direction OF
/ two officers. After breakfast they immedi-
ately went to their guns and open fire on
/ Moultrie, Cummings Point and Suiiiyan,s
Island. The iron battery OF Cummings
| Point was of immense strength, and most OF
our shots glanced of. Major Anderson re-
/ fusad to allow the men to work the guns on
| the parapet, on account OF such terrinc
| fire, There was scarcely room lett IN
| Moultrie inhabitable. Several shots went
through the floating battery, but 1t was little
damaged. Two guns on the iron battery.
ware dismounted. man was stationed
who cried, shot or SHELL when the rebels
tired, and the garrison were thus enabled to
dodge. At first the workmen were reluctant
to help work the guns, but afterwards they
served most willingly and effectively against
the iron battery. The barracks caught lire
several times on Friday, but were extinguish-
ed by the efforts of Mr.. Hart OF New York,
and LYMAN of Baltimore, both volunteers.
On Saturday the officers quarters caught tire
! from the shell, and the main gates were
burnt. The magazine was surrounded by
! fire, and 90 barrels of powder were taken out
and thrown into the sea. When the maya
zine was encircled by fire, all our materials
were cut off. and we had eaten our last bis
cult two DAYS before The men had to lay
| Oh tue STOuuu VIII NSe hahNNNi W.
| their faces to prevent smothering, and a
favorable steady wind was all that saved our
lives. The cartridge bags gave out and five
out of our shirts, blankets, sheet, etc. 1t
will take half million dollars to repair
Fort Sumter's interior. Most of their shots
were aimed at the flag.
The following is the conversation between
Major Anderson and Wigfall:
The latter said Gen. Beaaregard wishes
to stop this: sir.
Anderson only replied, swell, Wells
| Wigfall- tYou've done all that can be done
and Gen. Beauregard wishes to know upon
what terms you will evacuate the Fort.
Anderson-Gen. Beauregard is already
acquainted with the terms.
Wigfal-Do understand you will evac.
uate on the terms proposed.
Anderson Yes, and only on those.
Wigfa!l-Thcn retire.
A few minutes after, Col. Chestnut and
others came from Gen. Beauregard, asking
| if Anderson wanted any help, stating that
! Wigfall had not seen Beauregard for two
days, and had no authority for this demand
on Anderson, to which the Ma jor only re-
piled: "We've been sold-we'll hoist the
| flag again." but they requested him to keep
| Il down until communication with Gen.
BeauTeoa-d.
The firing then ceased, and three hours
after, another deputation came, agreeing to
the terms previously decided upon.
On Saturday morning the steamer Isabel
came down and anchored off the port, when
all the baggage was put on the steamer
Clinch. The troops were under arms. A
portion were told to salute the flag, and
when the last Of tie so guns were fred, the
flag was lowered amid loud and hearty
cheers of the men, when they embarked to
the tune of Yankee Doodle.
Two men were killed on the second round
of salute by the premature explosion of
shell. Four were wounded-one badly
and were left at Charleston.
The Baltic arrived off Charleston on FRI
day morning, after the firing commenced on
Sumpter. The Pawnee and Pochahontas
arrived next day. The Powhattan and At
lantic have not been seen. The steam tugs
have been blown to sea, and have not been
seen. The day that Anderson evacuated,
preparations to reinforce him had been made
for that night. A schooner was seized and
an agreement made to pay the pilot and
captain $500 to put men into the fort, but
| the fort was evacuated before the attempt
could be made. Capt. Fox had instructions
to attempt to provision the fort without
troops, and if fred on, he was instructed to
do the best he could, but the gale prevented
the arrival of the tugs and transports.
Among the many incidents of the battle
is that of Mr.. Hart, a VOLUNTEER, who when
the flag was shot down, and the rebels fire
concentrated on the flag staff; calamity nail
ed the Stars and Stripes to it, amid deadly
| fire, and the cheers of the U. S. troops.
| Maj. Anderson has sent to the Secretary
| of War his reasons for the surrender which.
were, that after seige of "a hours he was
in danger of being blown up in the Fort,
and had no food upon which to subsist.
Had there been no danger Of an explosion,
they had nothing to eat for two days but
pork.
The Virginia Convention, on the 10th
inst, in secret session, passed an act of Sc
csssion. The news of this action on the
part Of Virginia. causes the widest enthu.
siasm all through the South. ,-- .
! Gov. Letchcr has issued proclamation
dated the 18th; recognizing the independ-
ence of the Confederate States. He saws
the President has no right to call an extra
ordinary force against the foreign power,
and believes the improper exercise of force
against the people should be repelled. He
orders all the militia to hold themselves in
readiness for immediate service.
The Harper's Ferry Armory was fred, on
Thursday night, and abandoned by the U.
S. troops.
The latest from Norfolk received at the
Navy Department Thursday afternoon, is
that when Capt. Pendergrast ascertained the
fact that the channel was obstructed, he
placed his ship broadside to Norfolk and
Portsmouth, aud demanded that the obstruc.
ton in the river be removed, else he would
level both places. 1t is added that the citi.
zens complied with the demand.
Gov. Ieteher's reniy to Serreto,y C,~o,