The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-04-15

Up to this hour (three o'clock Friday afternoon
| they have failed to produce any serious effect.
Dispatches received at headquarters from the
various forts report that all is going on admirably
| and no men hurt.
Major Anderson has the greater part of the da,
been directing his fire principally against For
| Moutrie, the Stevens and Floating Battery, these
| and Fort johnson being the only five operating
| against him. The remainder of the batteries arr
| held in reserve.
Some fifteen eighteen shots have struck the
| floating battery, but made not the slightest i'm
preston upon its ironcased sides. The Stevens
battery is also eminently successful, and does ter
| rible execution on Fort Sumter.
The excitement in the community is indescriba
| BILE. With the very first boom of the gun thou
| sands rushed from their beds to the harbor front
and all day every available place has been thronge6
| by ladies and gentlemen, viewing the solemn spec
taele through their glasses. Most of these have re
latlves In the several fortiications, and many a
fearful eye attested the anxious affection of the
mother, wife and sister, but not murmur came
| from a single individual.
The spirit of patriotism is as sincere as it is uni
| versa. Five thousand ladies stand ready TO-DAY
to respond to any sacrifice that NAV be required OF
| them.
The brilliant and patriotic conduct of Major An.
ders3n speaks for ITSELF and silences the attacks
lately made at the North upon his character and
patriotism.
Business is entirely suspended. Only those stores
are open which are necessary to supply articles
quired by the army.
Governor Pckens has all day been in the resi-
dence of gentleman which commands view oi
the whole scene, a most interested observer. Gen
eral Beauregard commands in person, the entire
operations, and thus far they have moved with the
utmost system and success
1t is reported that the Harriet Lane has received
shot through her wheehouse. She is in the
offing. No other Government ships are in sight up
to the present moment, but should they appear
the entire range of batteries will open upon them
Troops are pouring into the town by hundreds,
but are held in reserve for the present the force
already on the island being ample. People are
also arriving every moment on horseback, and by
every other conveyance Within an area of fifty
miles, where the thunder of the artillery can be
heard, the scene is magnifcently terrible.
CHARLESTON, April l2-6 p. M.-Captain R. S.
Parker brings dispatches from the floating bate
ry, stating that to this time only two have been
wounded on Sullivau's Island. he had to row
through Major Anderson's warmest fire in a small
boat.
Senator Wigfall in same manner bore dispatches
to Morris Island, through the fire from Fort Sum-
ter.
Senator Chesnut, another member of the staff
of Gen: Beauregard, fired gun, by way of amuse-
ment, from Mount Pleasant, which made large
hole in the parapet.
| Quite number have been struck by spent pieces
OF shell, and knocked down, but none hurt serious
ly. Many fragments of these missiles are already
| circulating in the city.
and every shot from the land tells
Three ships are visible in the oing, and it is be-
lieved an attempt will be made to-night to throw
reinforcements into Sumter in small boats.
1t is also thought, from the regular and frequen
firing of Major Anderson, that he has much large
force of men than was supposed. At any rate, h
| is fighting bravely.
There have been two rain storms during the da,
| but without effect upon the battle.
| Everybody is in ferment. Some of those fight
| ing are stripped to the waist.
THE LATEST FROM CHARLESTON
CHARLESTON, April 12-1l p. MA heavy rail-
caused suspension of hostilities between sever
and eleven o'clock, except an occasional gun.
Major Anderson is busy repairing damages. HI
received twenty-nine full shots from Stevens bat
cry alone, making the bricks fly from the walls il
all directions.
1t is estimated that from twelve to eighteen
hundred balls and shells were fired during the day.
Over one hundred shell took effect inside the
fort.
Orders have been issued to send Major Anderson
bomb from all the batteries every twenty minutes
during the night, to keep him wide awake, making
about two a minute.
Major Anderson fired only two barbette guns
Two more were dismounted. His shots at Fort
Moultrie were generally bad, most of the balls GO
ing over The same was the with the float
ing battery, to which he was very particular in
bis attentions. A ball penetrated the Moultrie
House, where party of gentlemen were sitting in
the parlor, watching the fight. 1t entered the Sc
cond story and travelled into the kitchen. The
gentlemen scattered misceilaneousy.
The first shot was fired from Fort Johnson on
Morris Island, bv Capt. James, and the second by
Lieut.. U. H. Gibbs This not answered until
three O'Clock this afternoon. The first shot from
Stevens battery was fired by the venerable Ed
mund Rulin, of Virginia. That ball will do more
for the Of secession in the Old Dominion than
volumes of stump speeches.
1t is a most remarkable fact that, after fifteen
hours heavy cannonadng, not one person has been
placed hors de combat.
THE DAY BEFORE THE FIGHT.
The Charleston Courier of Friday says:-Thurs-
day is among the days that will never be wiped out
of the memory of the inhabitants of Charleston.
Since the glorious struggle in which we engaged
was begun, our community has been often wrought
upon by high degree of excitement. But never
has the tide risen to so high point as it reached
Thursday. The feeling was fed by the dispatches
which appear in another column, by numerous items
of news mentioned in subdued terms, and by count
less reports which were without foundation. Ru-
NOR had free access to every ear. Business was
suspended, and had it not been that anxiety dark
ened every face, ignorant of the course of
events would have supposed that we were keeping
holiday.
The bulletin boards were surrounded by groups
till the stars out, and then the offices were
filled with eager readers. The hour of noon found
knots of ladies and gentlemen on the battery, and
before sundown that beautiful promen ade was Gov
cred with anxious spectators 1t having been
bruited that at the ringing of the first bell, the bat
teries would be opened upon the defiant fortiica-
tlOn, hundreds of eyes were looking out upon the
rut1led bay, and there the impatient and anxious
stood despite the raw east wind, their number in
creasing every moment till patience and strength
were exhausted, and they retraced their weary
way homeward.
The prepare tions for defence, under the eye of
this anxious multitude, added not little to the
feeling under which they had left their homes
There, on the green grass of White Point Garden,
stood the white tents of the Citadel Cadets, geam-
ing in the mellow light of the stars. And the man.
full forms of the brave young soldiers were seen
about the cannon, which, had they been called to
shot and sight, would have reduced the number of
South Cardinals foes.
report from the sea intensified the universal
excitement Late in the afternoon one of our pi-
lots reached the city and stated that be had seen
steamer off the bar which he was confident was the
Harriet Lane. The vessel stood towards him, but
he did not desire to give any information he kept
on his course.
1t was confidently believed that before the day
was passed the booming of cannon would be heard,
when another fact was communicated from mouth
to mouth. At about two o'clock p. NJ, Col. James
Chestnut, Jr., of Gen. Beauregards staff, accompa-
MED by Coils. Chisom and Lee, left the city for
Fort Sumter, bearing the summons to Major An
derson for the surrender of that fortifcaon. They
returned between FIVE and six O'Clock, with the re-
ply. As the precise nature OF his answer has not
yet transpred, we pass it over in silence.
We might indulg in plausible predictions and
conjectures concerning this important mission and
the events OF the day, but we torDear.
At about 10 o'clock the Commanding General
again communicated with Major Anderson, and he
was given until l o'clock to return answer.
The city is quiet. Were it not for the uniforms
in the streets we would not suppose we were on the
eve of battle. We will not penetrate this placid
exterior. The nature of the crisis can be perceiv-
ed in our h ONES. Many a woman's heart is throb-
bing wildly, and the couch of hundreds of mothers,
sisters and wives will be watered with tears But
though there may be weeping and anguish, no
trpmhliDO hlanchpd
fear.
Honor is dearer than life to South Carolinians
1t is better to die freemen than to live slaves We
are tranquil under the shadow of the gathering
cloud. We repose implicit confidence in the brave
hearts and strong arms of the noble army that has
forth to beat back the base invaders of our sa
cred soil. The God of Battles is with our host, and
certain of victory.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE COMMANDMENT.
From our missing Charleston exchanges, which
reached US on Saturday morning, make up the
following summary of domestic intelligence at the
"seat of war;"
FoRTIFICATIoNs OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
Hon. ID. +. Jamison made to the Convention a
report from his department. from which we present
subioined extracts showing the number and force of
the fortifcations erected in the harbor of Charles
ton, and along the sea coast of South Carolina.
1t is, however, very likely that since the date of
this report (March 25th) the number of batteries
has been largely increased in order to meet the
exigencies of later events.
The corps of Engineers, the report says, have
fully replaced at Fort Moultre all the dsmounted
guns, amounting to thirty eight in number, of va
rious calibres, have been protected by well con-
structed merlons, the mag gazne has been made
| bomb-proof, and other works lave been erected
for the security of the garrison. To the east of
Fort Moultrie on the same island, the entrance to
Maffit's channel has been defended by battery OF
one Sinch howitzer, two 32-pounders, and two "a
| Founders. Between that battery and Fort Moul-
tre there is mixed battery of three 10-inch NOR
| tars and two 32-pounders. West of Fort Moutrie,