Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-05-22
Singular Story about Fort MouI-
trfe.
From the y. Y. Tribune. I

! HEOl4 the ~. 1TlDn1e-
\ soldier who was drafted into the service
of the rebels in Charleston, and who served
at the guns in Fort MouItrie. at the seige of
Fort Sumter, has made to US the following
statement. His reliability is vouched for,
aud We have every reason to believe that his
statement is every way worthy of belief:
Our informant states that he served under
Capt. Havens, and went into Fort MOultrie
the day after Major Anderson left for Fort
Sumter, He remained three or four days
after the fight He belonged to the artillery
and served At the guns most Of the time du-
ring the seige. The guns of Fort M0ultrie
opened about half past four in the morning,
bat Major Anderson did rot fire gun for
near lHo hours after. When he did open,
his FIRE was rapid aud destructive. The balls
from Sumter struck the port holes OF MOul-
trie. and, at nearly every discharge, somebo-
dy was killed. Their places were supplied
by others There were in Moultrie more
than one thousand men, and between three
and four hundred men were kept at the guns
con family. Not more than that number
could protect themselves in the casemates Of
sand bags, which, while they afforded excel
lent protectIOu were much torn 10 and
knocked dogu. Il vas beigeeu rire aud ten
0 o'clock on the 6rst dag that the greatest loss
OF life occurred.
Tue barbet;e guns Of Fort Sumter were 81
lsnced early Ia the day, and the round shot
from these were most destructive to Fort
Moutre, aud caused the greatest less CT life.
+ They we're fred with great accuracy, and IT
times the scene in the fort was terrible
During tie seige JetJ1eea three and four hun
drsd ,oere killed, anI la,yc nmpJer lcere
rounded The killed were collected togeth-
! er in a mass. aud at night, placed IN boxes,
brought dogn frem Charleston, anG taken 10
Potter's Field and iu:erred during the night,
Some of the men were horribly msngled. and
others were scarcely dead when thrown into
the boxes. Blood flowed in streams from
/ these receptacles, ard the Sgbt was horrible
! The surgeon at the fort sent for help, and
/ others came down from Charleston. The
wounded we're removed to the hospital, where
| the wounded that have net since died, now
/ remain.
! In order that the truth should not be
! known IN Charleston, the soldiers were char
! ged to say that nobody was hurt, and threat
/ ened with instant death if they disclosed the
t facts There were : good many killed in
! the dwellings outside the fort. The Moultrie
! House was very much damaged and large
| number of buildings in the neighborhood Of
! the Fort demolished. The officers quarters
| in the fort we're riddled, and it is the opinion
of our informant that had there been three
hundred men in Sumter, Fort Moultrie would
have been destroyed, and the rebels driven
out or killed almost to a man. He eft Moul-
trie three days after the engagement end pro-
ceeded to Charleston. The people there
would not believe that nobody had been kill
led, aud made constant inquiry for their own
friends, who. they were assured. were still on
! Sullivan's Island Hundreds of families are
yet to learn the truth, which is kept from
them By the greatest vigilance.
Oar Informant was duly discharged from
the service, and. iu company with five others
embarked on board the bark Smithsonian,
Capt Davis, which reached New York on
Friday morning last.