Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1861-05-18
BOMBARDMENT OF FORT SUMTER.
!, Official Report of Gen. Beauregard.
HEADQUARTERS PROVISIONAL ARMY,
Charleston, S. c., April 81, 1861.


Charleston, S. c., April 81, 1861
Brig. Gen. Copper, A,J't. Gcncrut {. S. H.:
Sir: have the honor to submit the fol-
lowing detailed report of the bombardmcnt
and surrender, of Fort Sumter. and the inc-
dents connected Herewith. Having compile
ted my channel dcfcnccs and batteries in tho
harbor, necessary for the reduction of Fort
Sumter, despatched two of my Aids at 22O
Il. NJ, on Thursday the 1lth Of April, with
communication to Major Anderson, in com
mand of the fertilization, demanding it, cyac-
/ uation L offered to transport himself and
command to any port III the United States lie
| might select, to allow him to move out of the
fort with company arms and property, and all
private property, and to salute his flag on low
crlngt. He refused to accede to the demand
as my aids were about leaving, Major Andor-
son remarked, that if we did not butter him to
pieces hc would be starved out in fow days,
or words to that effect.
This bcing reported to nc by my Aids, OIL
their return with his refusal at 5. 10 T.. NJ, I
deemed it proper to telegraph the purport of
his remark to the Secretary of War. | re-
ccivcd by telegraph the following Instructions
at 9.lO L. NJ: "Do not desire nccllcssly to
lombard Fort Sumter. If Major Anderson
Will state the tinc at which, as indicated by
MN, he Will evacuate, and agree that in the
meaptimc he will not use his guns against us,
unless ours should be employed against Fort
Sumter, you are authorized thus to avoid the
cftusion OF blood. II this or its equivalent be
refused, reduce the fort as your judgement
decide to be most practicable" At IL 2.
NJ, sent my Aids with communication to
Major Anderson, based upon the foregoing
instructions. 1t was placed in his hands ut
l2.45 y. NJ, 18th inst. lie expressed his
Willingness to cvacuatc the fort on Monday
afternoon, if provided with the necessary
means of transportation, and if he should not
receive contradictory instructions from his
Government or additional supplies. But ho
declined to agree not to open his guns uron
us in the event of any hostile demonstration
on our part ngoinM his .Nay. This reply,
which was opened and shown to my Al Is,
| plainly Indicated that if instructions should
be received contrary to his purpose to cvacuntc,
or II nc should receive his supplies, or f the
Confederate troops should fire on hostile troops
OF the unitcd States, or upon transports bcur-
ing tho United States flag, containing mcu,
munitions, and supplies, designed for hostile
operations against US, he would still feel him
self bound to fire upon us and to hold posses,
sion of the fort As, in consequence OF
communication from the President Of the
United States to the Governor of South Caro-.
.;iia. we we're in momcntary expectation of an
attempt to reinforce Fort Sumter, or of de-
scent upon our coast, to that end, from the
United States acct--thcn lying off the cn-
tmncc of the harbor-it was manifcstly an
apparent necessity to reduce the fort rs speed
| ny as possible, and not to wait until the ships
and the fort should unite in n combined at
tack upon US Accordingly my Aids, carry
ing out my Instructions promptly refused to
accede to the terms proposed by Major Andcr-
son, and notified him in writing that our bat
terl's would open upon Fort Sumter in enc
| hour. This notification was given at 3 20 A.
| NJ: of Friday, the 12t:l Instant. The signal
shell was fired from Fort johnson at.l 30 A.
NJ. At about o clock the lire. iron, our bat.
open !.c until I o'c!ucil, when it commenced
with vigorous hrc upon the Cummings
Point Iron Battery. The enemy noXt direct.
ed his fire upon the Enfloda Battcry, on Snl,
ivan's Island, constructed to sweep the para
pct OF Fort Sumter, to prevent the working OF
the barbctte guns, and to dsmpunt them--
This was also the aim of the Floating Battery,
the Duhlgrccn Battery, and the gun batteries
at Cummings Point. The enemy next opened
fire on Fort NIoultric, between which and
Fort Sumter a steady and almost constant fire
was kept up throughout the day. These three
points, Fort Moutre, Cummings Point and
tho end of SnllivanS Island, where the Float.
ing Battery, Daherecn Battery, and tile En-
hlade Battery were placed, were the points to
which the enemy seemed almost to confinc
his attention, although he fred number of
shots at Captain Buffers Mortar Battery, sit
uatcd to tho cast of Fort Moutrc and few
at Capt. James Mortar Batteries, at Fort
johnson During the day Q2th nst) the
lire OF my batteries was KEEP. mp most spirited
~, the guns and mortars being worked in tile
coolest manner, preserving the prescribed in
tervals of firing Towards evening it bccamc
evldont that our fire was very effective, as the
epomv was driven from his barbcttc guns,
which no attempted to work in the morning,
and his fire was confined to his cascmated
guns, but in less active manner than in the
morning, and it was observed that several of
/ his guns en- Jarbcttc were disabled
During the whole Of Friday night our NOR
tar batteries continued to throw shells, but, in
obedience to orders, at longer intervals The.
night was rainy and dark, and as it was conf
IDENTIFY expected that the United States fleet
would attempt to land troops upon Che islands,
or to throw nicn into Fort Sumter by means
of boats, the greatest vigilance was observed
at all our channel batteries, and by our troops
on both Morris and Sulliyan's Islands Ear.
y on Saturday morning all our batteries re-
loponed upon Fort Sumter which responded
| vigorously for timo directinp IL, fro sncc;ol