Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-04-18
Moultrie, or shell from elsewhere, found

u 9s4A ~ ~ ~
N1oultrie, or shell from elsewhere, founc
: a Judgement, where the fact was not appa
rent, and the fire, smoulderipg for time
at length broke forth, and flames and smoke
rose in volumes from the crater of For
: Sumter. The wind was blowing from the
west, driving the smoke across the fort and
into the embrasures, where the gunuers
were at work, and pouring its volumes
through the port holes; the firing at For
Sumter appeared to be renewed with vigor
The fire of the fort, long, fierce and rapid
however, was in fact much abated, and al
though at distant invervals a gun was fred
the necessity of preserving their magazine:
and Of avoiding the flames, left the tenants
little leisure for resistance. But the firing
from without was continued with redoubled
vigor. Every battery poured in its cease
less round of shot and she'll. The enthu
siasm of success inspired their courage,
and gave precision to their action; and
thus, as in the opening, so in the closing
scene, under the beaming sunlight, in view
of thousands crowded upon the wharves and
house tops, and amid the booming of ord
nance, and in view of the fveimmense ships
sent by the enemy with reinforcements
lying idly just out of gun shot on the bar
this first fortress of despotic power fell pros
trate to the cause of Southern Indepen
dence.
At about 9 o'clock the flames appeared tc
be abating, aud it was apprehended that nc
irreparable injury had been sustained bu'
near 10 o'clock a column of white smoke
rose high above the battlements, with az
explosion which was felt upon the wharves,
and with the assurance that if the maga.
zines were not exploded, their temporary
provisions were exposed to the element still
raging. Soon after the barracks to the east
and west were in flames, the smoke rose in
redoubIed volume from the whole circle OF
1.-The fort, aud rolling from the embrasures,
it seemed scarcely possible that life could
be sustained Soon after another column
of smoke arose as fearful as the first. The
guns had long been completely silenced,
and the option left to the tenants of the
fortress seemed to be whether they would
perish or surrender.
At a quarter to one o'clock, the staff from
which the flag still waved was shot away,
and it was long 10 doubt whether, if there
were the purpose, there was the ability to
re-erect it. But at the expiration of about
twenty minutes it again appeared upon the
eastern rampant, and announced that resis.
lance was not ended. In the meantime,
however, small boat started from the city
wharf, bearing Colonels Lee, Manning,
Pryor and Miles, Aids to Gen. Beauregard,
with offers of assistance, if perchance the
garrison should be unable to escape the
flames. As they approached the fort the
flag appeared, and, as the firing from our
batteries was undated, they started to re-
turn, and had progressed perhaps the larger
portion of the way when shout arose from
the whole circle of spectators on the islands
and the main land, announcing that the
white flag of truce was waving FROM the
ramparts An instant after a small boat
was seen to shoot out from Cummings
Point, in the direction of the fort, in which
stood an officer with a white flag upon the
point of his sword. The officer proved to
be Col. Wigfall, aid to the Commanding
General, who entering through port hole,
demanded the surrender. Major Anderson
replied, that "they we're still firing on him. :"
"Then take your flag down" said Col. Wig.
fall "they will continue to fire upon you
so long as that is up" And further inter.
course, resulted in surrender of the fort.
In the meantime the boats with other Aids
from Charleston had returned, and, receiv-
ing Col Wigfall they came over to the city ;
and thus was consummated the closing act
in the military drama.
In the afternoon Coils Chestnut and Man
ming, with other officers and the Chief of
the Fire Department and the Palmetto Fire
Company, went down to Fort Sumter. We
have not now the time to make detailed
description of the fort. 1t is enough to
state at present that the walls are uu.injur-
ed. Upon one of the faces, Ito the west,
exposed to the water battery, it had receiv-
ed eighty shots; the other, equally exposed
to this battery aud to Fort Moultrie, had
received more Many of the doors to the
embrasures had been driven in, but the
permanent injury was slight; the balls peue-
trated but about s to 10 inches, removing
about half bushel of material. The cor
nice of the parapet in many places were
knocked off, bu: all the parapet guns dis
mounted had been restored to their positions,
and their carriages seemed then but little
injured by the flames. The wall was most
disfgured by the balling from Cummings s
Point, but then there was little progress to
breach Some of the casemate guns were
dismounted, and the devastation in the fort
was great; the gunners were covered with
fragments of shells. The barracks were
swept entirely away, and there was nothing
left but loose mass of brick and mortar.
The Bombardment of Fort Sumter.
APRIL l3, lS6l.-Throughout the whole
of Friday night the various mortar batteries
continued their iron rain upon Fort Sum.
ter. At an early hour on Saturday morn
ing the gun batteries, which had been 81
lent during the darkness of the night, re.
opened their fire. About seven o'clock
Fort Sumter vigorously returned their
compliments. The Cummings Point Bat
teries were uuipjured by any shots which
had ham firod AGAINST them had not nffec.