The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-04-16
THE BoMBARDMENr OF FORT
SUMTER.
THE FIRST DAYS FIGHT.
HIGHLY INTERESTING DETAILS
GALLANTRY OF YIRGINIANs, &c.

| The Charles ton papers of Saturday furnisl
detailed accounts of 'the opening of the frs
| engagement between the United and the Con
gives later intelligence, but with view t.
crafty the public desire to learn everythin.
connected with the bombardment of Sumter
we publish the following from the Courier:
| At the grey of the morning of Friday tn,
| roar OF cannon broke upon the ear The ex
pected sound was answered by thousands -
The houses were in few minutes emptied OF
their excited occupants, and the living stream
| poured through all the streets leading to the
wharyes and Battery. On reaching our bea IL.
tiful promenade we found it lined with ranks
of eager spectators, and all the wharyes com
mandlng a view OF the battle We're crowded
thlckly with human forms. On no gala occn-
sion have we ever seen nearly SO large mum
Der OF ladies on our Battery as graced the
breezy walk on this eventfuI morning There
they stood, with palpitating hearts and paid
faces, watching he white smoke as it rose in
wreaths upon the soft twilight air and
breathing out fervent prayers for their gal :
liant kinstolk ut the guns. o what Il conflict
ragged in those heaving bosoms between love
for husbands and sons, and love for our com
mon mother, whose insulted honor and i'm
periled safety had called her faithful chill
dren to the ensanguned field.
At thirty minutes past four o'clock the con-
nict was opened by the discharge of a shell
from the HowitZer Battery on James Island
under the command of Capt. Geo S James
who followed the riddled Palmetto banner on
the bloody battle fields of Mexico
The sending of this harmful messenger to
Major Anderson was followed by a deafening
explosion, which was caused by the blowing
up OF Il building that stood in front of the bat
terry.
While the white smoke was melting away
into the air another shell, which Lieut. w
Hampton Gibbes has the honor of having
fired, pursued its noiseless way toward the
hos tile fertilization.
The honored missiye described is beautiful
curve through the balmy air, and falling
within the hostile fortress, scattered its dead.
ly contents III all directions. Fort MouItrie
then took up the tale of death, and in mo-
ment the guns from the redOubtable Gun Bat
terry on Cummings Point, from Captain Nc
Creadys Battery, from Capt James Htmil-
tons Floating Battery, the Enflade Battery
and other fortiflcations spit forth their Wra in
at the grim fortress rising so defiantly out of
the sea.
Major Anderson received the shot and shell
in silence And some excited lockers on, ig-
norant of the character OF the foe, We're fluent
with coniec lures and predictions, that re-
viyed the hope fast dy ing out of their hone
full and tender hearts. But the short-liVe ed
hope was utterly eXtingushed when the deep-
ening twilight revealed the Stars and STRIPES
floating proudly in the breeze. The batteries
continued at reguler intervals to beIch iron
vengeance, and still no answer was returned
by the foe. About an hour after the booming
began, two balls rushed kissing through the
air, and glanced harmless from the stuccoed
bricks of Fort Moultrie. The embrasurrs of
the hostile fortress gave forth no sound again
Till between six and seven o'clock, when as if
wrathful from enforced delay, from casemate
and para pet the United States officer poured a
storm of iron hail upon Fort MouItrie. Ste
vens' Iron Battery and the Floating Battery
The broadslde was returned with spirit by the
gallant gunners at these important posts
The firing now began i'll good earnest The
" an b.a
pieces of friend and foe, and the Earring boom
rolled at regular intervals on the anxious
ear. The atmosphere was charged with the
smell of villainous saltpetre and as if i'm
sympathy with the melancholy scene the sky
was covered with heavy clouds and eyerv-
thing wore Il sombre aspect.
boat bearing dispatches to Gen Beaure-
gard from Morris Island, reached the city
about nine o'clock, reported that All the bat
teries were working admirably that no one
was injured, and that the men We're wild
with enthusiasm
A short time after that happy news was
received, the schooner Petril, from Hog Isl
and Channel, reported that the shot from
Stevens Iron Battery had told upon the
walls or Fort Sumter. And also that Fort
Moultrie had sustained no damage.
About half past nine o'clock, Captain r.
:. Parker reported from Sullivans Island to
Mount Pleasant that every thing was in fine
at Fott Moultrie, and that the SOL
dieTs had escaped unhurt.
The same dispatch stated that the embra-
sures of the Floating Battery Were undam-
aged by the shock of the shot and though
that formidable structure had been struck
eleven times, the balls had not started a single
bolt. Anderson had concentrated his fire upon
the Floating Battery, and the Dahlgren Bat
terry, under command OF Lieutenant Hamilton
A number of shells had dropped into Fort
Sumter, and one gun enbarbette had been dis
mounted.
The following cheering tidings We're brought
70 the city by Col. Edmund Yates, Acting
Lieutenant to Dozier, of the Confederate
states Navy, from Fort johnson. Stevens
Battery and the Floating Battery are
ioing important service. Stevens Bat
-ery has made considerable progress in
preaching the South and Southwest walls of
Fort Sumter. The North west wall is suffer
ng from the well aimed fire of the Floating
Battery, whose shot have dismounted several
II the guns on the parapet, and made il impos
lble TO use the remaining ones. The EowitZer
Battery connected with the impregnable q un
Battery at Cummings Point, is managed with |
onsummate skill and terrible effect.
Eerea octock.--A messenger from Morris |
sland brings the glorious news that the shot |
lance from the iron covered battery, at Cum |
niDgs' Point, like marbles thrown by q child |
N the back OF a turtle. The upper portion |
4 the Southwest wall of Fort Sum ter shows |
,lainly the effect OF the terrible cannonade /
rom the formidable product of Mr.. q. H.
teyens' patriotism and ingenuity.
A half an hour la ter the gladsone tidings
anne that Stevens Battery was fast damag-
lg the Southwest wall Of Sumter.
Henry B1ist Is doing gallant service with
he Palmetto Guards. delighting all hearts by
DING on we'll at the Iron Battery, which was
till proof against sixty-eight Founders, and
he men In good spirits.
A boat reached the city from the Floa ting
artery about half past twelve o'clock, and
'ported that shot fron Fort Sumter pene- I