Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1861-04-17
From the Charleston Courier, 18th inst
HOSTILITIES C0MMEACED
EombardmeRt Of Fort Sumter!

1t about OelOcR, on the aiieI!io'A y
Thursday, General Bea,regard made de
ln;.;,l on Maj " Anderson for the immediatt
surrender Of Fort Sumter, through his Aids
Col. James Chestnut, Jr, Col C"i>olm ant
Cspt. Ice Major Anderson replied that sucl
co,l:, would be inconsistent with tile duty
he MAS required By. his government TO per
fnn. The answer was communicated by u,
G,ne.al in. Chief to President Davis
rais visit, and lii. refusal uf tie comman
iaut OF Fo:t Sumter to acc sde to the demand
,a;; q hv General Bcaulegard, passed from
;oa.,r 70 tongue, and soon the whole city
W.. =, uussrss:ya of the startling intelligence
H:;u>.sra1n slc * wont to do, shaped the fact
to -ut hrr purposes, enlarged their ditnen
si,ils, aid gave them complexion which
tLvy had no; worn when fresh lrcln the pure
apt! artlsss hands of truth.
\ hall an hour after the return OF the or
Jc lie, il was confidently believed that The
batteries wnuli open fire 1T eight O'Clock, anc
10 c.::ar:tatiun o; seeing the b,ginnns Of The
co ..:ici !.u",lrcds c3n.regated upon the bat
,c:y anl ,lcwhnrves, 'oking out un tie bay
r..r~. tilcv stood. s;rlning their eyes orel
: tie dirk cX,'aii>e .! water, waiting to see tie
i flash AMI; hear the boom of the first gun
The clock told the hour Os eleven, and still
they gazet! and listened. but the eyel!ds grew
wear. and ut the noon of the night the larger
portion of the disappointed spectators were
pl,iding their way homewari.
At about nirc O'Clock, General Brauregard
received reply from Prcsiden, DAVIS, to the
telegram in relation to the sure der OF Sum.
ter, bv which he was instructed to inform
Major anderson that if he would evacuate the
fort lie held when his present supply Of pro-
visions was exhausted there would be NO all-
4 peal to arms This proposition was borne to
M,j5r Anderson by the Aids who had deliv-
cred the first message, and lie refused to &C
c.pt the condition. The Grneral-in.C
forthwith gave the nldcr that the batteries lie
opencd at halt-past four O'Clock OIL Friday
morning. Major Anderson's reply was de
cIsive Of the molnemtuuS question, and Grer-
al Bcauregard determined to apply the last
argument.
The stout soldier had resolved to make a
desperate defence, and the bloody trial Of
strength must be essayed. -fI5 sword must
cot asupder the, Tv=y;r l$ss.3,s tie that bound
no 10 people. whom, in spite Of wrongs and
;n;nst:ce waatcrly inflicted ,.2-,.r,l a -.ns
ssr:cs of wears, we had not yeti 'utterl hated
md ,lcsniscd. The las; cxpirna spark OF ;,f-
i,.c,ion must ne quenched in h!"oi' S'Ine 81
the most splendid pages in"ur sl"riou> nlS'o-
tory must be buried. y blow must ne struck
that would make the ears of every RsIahli-
can fanatic tmgle, and whose dreadful effects
will he lelt by generations yet TO come. we
must transmit heritage Of ranking and l'n-
tivin. hate TO our children
We paused 10 contemplate the terrible pros
pcci. Hurried on by Tie rsEd COURSE o'
events, vexcd and distracted by Increasing IT.
rIt.,ions a<touadcd by the giaraS Irctchcry
ur our enemies, lost in wonder n thar eSreg-
i6;,s stupidity, we lad fully con?rehen'icd
III, nat Ire o! the work We were about 10 ne.
gin. Now, Will the ear was waiting i"r thr
roar of cannon We saw clearly the inagnItG'r
of the crisis While those solemn hours we're
passing silently away, we contemplate, The
tremendous undertaking III a!l 'is ASPECTS:
hearings and consequences.
We paused, but il WAS hot the pause OF he's
i,a,ion or doubt We had long since made
ourselves familiar with the dangers tIat dark
cned over our pathway, and had they been
,en-fold greater we would have dared DO what
we have done, with the same steady courage
and ilnnuvablc resolution. We had marked
OF, way for our feet and we would pursue
this road LEI What may op:Ia our progress
Til, ua;uw:y was traced by the finger OF hon
or. and ..iiJasci. : unn liz III rests npon 1t
During those dark hours. heavy with the an
r,liSh of mothers, sisters and wives au;i Wet
with their tears, we paused To reflect and
prav. We refreshed our spirits will! glorious
meiuores. We felt the inspiration ot u jas
S.,i,li,u.. .,,,, q md
d;srns;c,l with childish t!i!llng and st::tic'
nertiI,.. We locked to Heaven for direction
ard blessing, and turned our bscks forever
upon our former brothers.
Tie crisis had arrived, and we were full,
preuared to meet it. The work shat awaited
the morrow was OF a moiueHtous character,
I'm, we had counted the Cost, and had reSoly-
e,l to do it or die in the attempt.
1t the gray of the morning OF Friday the
roar Of cannon broke upon the ear. The cy-
pectcl sound was ans" e.ed by thousands.
The HOUSES were in few minute, etnpticd Of
their excited occupants; and the living stream
nour.sl- -strouSh all tue streets leading 10 th,.
wbarycs aud Battery. On reaching Oar beau
t:Fnl nr,,ocnade We found it lined with ral!k>
&C c,,cr SPECTATORS, and all the wl.r"eS com
n,ndIup a view of the battle wee crowde f;
tb;cklv with human forms. On no gala occa-
s;,n have we ever seen nearly sol.rse un-
Lc- of ladies on our Battery aS graced the
bre.zv walk Oh this erentiui morning. There
they stood with pal Ptaiing hears and paid
f,r.. watching the white smoke rs it rose III
wreaths upon the soft twilight air, AMI breath.
;nr ont fcrvent prayers inv their gallant klnS-
I'm; ~ ,h.. r,in: u what Il Conflict ragged
N r,.ose hnavi b"suunS between iure hr
hn.2a.,ds an SONS and love tor o''r c";ri''i"l'
no,hrr. wrne ins;iiird iionn::i;;: l;a;rii'!c'.
s,;1y l,.l called her faithful children to-l.e
iei,-uny yuincd Iie'd.
thirty minutes past far "c!oc TIE
c,;,,;ic; was opened by the discharge ot q
s,,.li from the I[uwiz.r R,:;.'ry na lanes
I.i,n.d un!er ,I.n cpnmani u &arEin q -.
,i.u.<. *. % f,!!.,wrti 'ir ri lc.i Palmetto
La,,,,cr an tie !,l"n1y hal:l,' :i: 9: 1i.xic".
il,r ..n,;i:,. "f III : ar:itd! messenger t''
NJ; =. 4 Au,:crS.ar WI, t,ii,w,ri irv '.",:c.rns
rx,,,,.i,.n, which " u caused h: H. hl;viig
u;, ,r :. b..ii liry ,la! S;"ni IN i:":'t "t tie
ul.t"rJ.
in,o ,i,a ar another Shell, which l.,en'. W..
!. II ,np;o, lilnh.e !ias the !'"a"r ut ha"i1
A., plr-s.l is l,.i..l.s, WY '"warI the
,l,,, :: r:i,.s.;v. { >,.i.cf il, Lcs"t:iui
cu, ;ri.,.,.,.= t!iv h.',ns -. at "!'"s
4. to lic ;..rircs,. 81 = -; - ''e.!
" c,,n:.;I. ia al i.!ecli,l,S tsii .'":i!Iit
Il r,,tl,o tale Of u,utr, si.d III u luo-