Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-04-25
the Charleston Mercury gives the following ac


thronced the battery through Ike night onxious
and weary. had sought their homes. ihe Mount.
ed Guard which had kent watch and word over
the city, with the first gray streak of morning
were nreparinp TO retire. when two runs in
quick succession from Fort Johnson announced
the onep;ng of the drama. IInon that SIGNAL
the circle of batteries with which the grim for
tress of Fort Sumter is belcaguered onened fire.
The outline of this great volcanic crater was H.
lumned with a line of twinklinp lights. the
clustering shells i'll minated the skv above il
the balls clattered thick as hail unon its sides
our citizens. aroused to a forgetf1lness of their
fatigue through many weary hours. rushed again
TO the points of observation; and SO. at the
brcok of dov amid tbe burst;n, oS Lon,bs anJ
the roaring Of ordnance. and 6efore tbonsands
of spectators. whose homes and liberties and
lives we're at stake. was enacted This fire, orca,
scene in the openinp drama of what il is nrc.
sumed, will be n most momeptous military dct
"IIour after hour had the fire ON hotb sides
been kent nm. deliberate and unaooo;ng Tho
steady, frequent shock of the cannon's boom,
accompanied by the hiss of balls. and the bor.
rid, hurting sound of the flying shells. are now
perfectly familiar to the peopie of Charleston
While the early sun was yeiled in mist. we saw
shell bursting within and Illuminating Fort
Sumter, or exploding in the air above. leayinr
a small thick cloud of white smoke 10 mark the
place. We saw solid shot striking the darl,
walls, and in each instance followed by n flme
of dust from the battered surface. One man
was visiby stricken nrostrote ON tbe wharf ond
carried in the fort; and several runs we're dis
mounted. The walls. too. in several snots
were damaged. And while Sumter has Ger.
tainly and manifestly been Injured. no loss is
vet sustained on our nart. Fort Noultrin is in
tact, so far as fighting capacitv is concerned -
The iron battery is ready for continued work
after full and fair trial of its mowers of resIs
tance; also the floating battery. The nractice
of our soldiers as marksmen. has been excellent
and highly satisfactory to officers of science and
experience.
at affords us infinite nloasure to RECORD ,bo,
Fort Moutrie has fullv sustained the nres,ige
of its glorious name. II fred vcrv nearlv g,7n
for gun with Fort Sumter. We counted The
guns from eleven to twelve o'clock and connd
them to be forty-two to fortv-six. while the nd-
vantage was unouestionably upon the side Of
Fort Moultrie. In that fort not n pun was dis
mounted. not n wound received moi tho sl;ybt
est permanent injury sustained bv any of its
defences. while every hall from Fort NToultrio
left its mark upon Fort Sumter. MANY of it's
shells were dronped info that fort and Iieut
John Mitchell tho worthy SON of that notriot
sire. who has so noblv yindico,ed tho canso y,
the South. has the honor of dismountinp two
of its parapet guns bv n single shot from onr
of the columbiads. which Mt tbe time he had the
office of directing. The famous iron batteries
the one at Cummings Point-pamed for Mr.
c. II. Stevens. the inventor. and the cele.
brated floating battery. constructed under the
direction of Can't Hamilton. have fully vim
dcated the correctness of their conception.--
Shot after shot fell upon them and glanced
nurmieSs away WnIle from thelr iavoraole posi-
"r and the % oonibnost M nornoreo u upon ndoo tho Gro
of the Stevens battery, at nighlfall, if not ac-
tually preached, was badly damaged. At this
battery the honor of firing the first gun was ac-
corded to the venerable Edmund Ruifin of Vir-
gnia, who marched TO the rendezvous at the
sound OF the alarm on Monday night, and who,
when asked by some persons who did not know
him, to what company he belonged, replied,
TO that in which there is vacancy.
at were vain to attempt an exhibition of the
enthusiasm and fearless lntrepidity OF our ctl-
zens in every department OF this eventful day.
Boats passed from post to post without the
slightest hesitation under the guns of Fort Sum-
ter, and with high and low, old and young, rich
and poor, In uniform or without, the common
wish and constant effort was to reach the posts
of action; and amid bombardment resisted
with the most consummate skill and persever-
ance, and with the most efficient appliances o
military art and science it is a most remarka
BILE circumstance, and one which exhibits the
infinite goodness of an overruling Providence
that, so far as we have been able TO learn from
the most careful inquiry, not the slightest iniur,
has been sustained by the defenders of the
country"
orurp Accorvrs
,1. NJ v -,
-, '"'Pe,' '"' oo''e'ponue"' u tno -'e" LUZ
Iimes, who was expelled from Charleston OF
Saturday, says:
"a witness of the cannonadino of Fort Sum
ter for six hours. and having had full descrip
tion of il by n gentleman who Witnessed il n,
70 Saturday nj . ~ M. 7 can ncrhons give
far more accurate account of il than the nh
surd ones sent North bv the teleoranh A
| 10 minutes mast o'clock precisely. Frida,
morning. the first shot was fred from the Fiy,
mortar battery on James, Island. followed /,
quick succession by the iron battery at Cum
mings' Point. the floating battery. Fort Moul
trie. and the one at Mount Pleasant. At61-
o'clock precisely. the first gun was fired from
Fort Sumter. directed at Stevens Point nm,
soon the conflict became general on either side
The sun rose on as beautiful morning as th
world has ever seen, but soon the clouds gath
cred thick and fast, and natured poured fortl
her torrents as though frowning on the infam
Gus spectacle. At times the fort was complete
ly hidden from view, vet the iron hail sped OIL
its murderous work. and the distinctive sound
OF shot and shell could be clearly marked ou
as they cut the thin air with fearful rapidity.--