Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1861-04-20

course would be inconsistent with the du-
ty he was required by his Government to per-
form. The answer was communicated by the
Gcncral-inC Chief to President Davis.
At about o'clock, General Bcaurcgarl re-
ccivcd reply from President Davis, by
which he was instructed to inform Major An
dcrson that if lie would cvacuatc the fort he
held when his present supply of provisions
was exhausted there would be no appeal to
arms. This proposition was borne to Major
Tndcrson ny the Aids who had delivered the
first message, and he rufuscd to accept the
condition. The General. .imChicf forthwith
gave the order that the batteries be opened
at haIf-past four o'clock on Friday morning
Major Andcrson's reply was decisive of the
momcntous question, and General Brauregurd
determined to apply the last argument.
The stout soldier had resolved to make
desperate defence, and the bloody trial of
strength must be cSsaycd, The sword must
cut asSundcr the last tie that bound us to a
people, whom, in spite of wrongs and inus
tlce wantonly inflicted through Il long series
ot years, we had not yet utterly hated and
despscd. The last expiring spark of affcc-
ton must be qucnchcd in blood Some of the
most splendid pages i'll our glorious history
must be blurred. 4 blow must be struck
]
can fanatic tingle, and whose dreadful effects
will be felt by generations vet to come We
must transmit heritage of ranking and un-
dying hate to our children
The crisis had arrived, and we were fully
prepared to meet It, The work that awaited
the morrow was of momcntous character, but
we had counted the cost, and had resolved to
do it or die in the attempt
Al the gray of the morning of Friday the
roar of cannon broke upon tic car The OK
p"ctcd sound was answered by thousands
! The houses were in few minutes empticd of
their excited occupants, aud the living stream
poured though all the streets leading to the
whares and battery.
At thirty minutes past four o clock the con
ilct was opened by the discharge of shell
from the howit2cr battery on James Island,
under the command Of Capt. Geo S. james,
who followed the riddcd Palmetto bunucr on
| the bloody battle fields of Mexico
The sending of this harmful messenger to
Major Anderson was followed hy dcufcning
explosion, which was caused by the blowing
up building that stood in front of the
battery.
While the wlite smoke was melting away
! into the air another she'll which Lieut.. W.
Hampton Gihbcs has the honor of having
fired, pursued its noisccss way toward the
hostile fortifcation.
The honorcd miSSive described its hcauti-
full curve through the balmy air, and falling
within the hostile fortress, scattered its dead
| y contents in all dircction Fort Muultrie
then took up the tale of death, and in a mo.
ment the guns from the rcdoubtablc Gun Bat
terry on Cummings Point, from Captain Nc
Crcadys battery, from Capt. James liaml-
| ton iloatng battery, the infladc battery, and
other tortlcatons spit forth their wrath at
the grim fortress rising 50 dcGamtly out of
the sea.
Major Anderson received the shot and
shell in silence. But the deepening twilight
revealed the Stays and Stripes floating proud
Iy il the breeze The batteries continued at
regular intervals to bclch 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 succeed bricks Of
Fort Mou.tric. The cmbraSurcs of the hos.
tile fortress gave forth 10 sound again till be.
tween six and seven o'clock, when, as if
wrathful from enforced delay, from easement
and pNrapct the United States officer poured II
storm of iron hail upon Fort Moultric,
Stevens Iron battery and the Floating Bate
ry. The broadalde was returned with spirit
by the gallant gunncrs at thcimportant posts
The firing now began in good earnest.
y boat bearing dispatches TO Gen. Bcaurc-
gard FROM Morris Island, reached the city
about nine O'Clock, reported that ali the bat
tcrics were working admirably; that no one
was injured, and that the men were wild with
enthusiasm.
\ short time after that happy news was re-
ceiycd, the schooner i'cnii ilom Hog island
Channel, reported that the shot from Stevens
Iron Battery had told upon the walls of Fort
Sumter. And also that Fort Moutrc had
sustained no damage.
About halfpn nine o'clock, Capt r. S.
Parker reported from Sullivan's Island to
Mount Pleasant that everything was in fine
condition at Fort Moultric, and that the sol
dicrs had escaped unhurt
The same dispatch stated that the ombra
surcs of the Floating Battery were INDIANA
gcd by the shock of the shot, and though
that formidable structure had been struck
eleven times, the balls had not started single
bolt. Anderson had concentrated his fire
upon the Floating Battery. and the Dablgrcn
Battery, under command of Lieutenant Ham
iIton. a number of shells had dropped into
Fort Sumter, and one gun cnbarbctte had been
dismountcd
The following cheering tidings wcrc brought
to the city by Col Edmund Yates, acting
Lieutenant to Dozier, of the Confederate
States Navy, from Fort johnson. Stevens
Battery and the FlOatino Battery arc DOING