The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-04-26
The Bcmbardment of sumter.

dersOus reply, declining to surrender, was
made. Suntinels wore Withdrawn from the
parapets, tho postorns closed, tho flag drawn
up, aud troops ordered not to leave the
bomb proofs unlcss summoned by tho
drum. At 80 bomb shcll was thrown
! by tho traitors and burst right over tho
Fort, aud then all the rUbel batteries opun-
cd. Not shot was roturncd until the SOL
dbrs had breakfast. AT o'clock Sumter
opened, by the rolief under Capt. Double.
day, that officer firing tho first gun. For
tour hours the firing was kept up with groat
rapidty, the enthusiasm Ut the mon being
such thai the second aud third roieis could
not be- kupt from tho guns. TINS accounts
tor the fact that for tho first four hours
double tho number OF guns were fired than
! atlerward. Shells bust in every portion
OF the work, hurling brick aud stonU mud
solting fire to tho wood work. Tho bursting
of shells made it death TO visit tho lUwur
tier of easements, aud prevented tho work.
ing of the barbottO or upper uncovered guns,
which wcro tho heaviest metal, aud by which
alone could shells be thrown.
Ga Friday before dunGr vessels OF tho
tleot woro seen through tho port holes !;
thuy dipped their nag aud Sumtcr's flag
was dipped in return, while shells were
bursting all around aud tho il'gstutf in tho
open parade ground. AT noon tnu cartridges
gave out and mon went to ,ho uagaZuo 10
make moro from blankets aud shrts, tho
sooves OF tho latter bong readily converted
tor that purpose. There was nothing in
which to weigh tho powder nnd this dcs-
troyod accuracy of firing. On Friday the
barracks were on fire aud put out by tho
mon under CALLING fire threo times.
Tho guns on tho purapot which had boon
ehs a l,nf,,
timely by some mon slipping up On top Ou
Friday afternoon u missile struck SER
geant and knocked him down. lie jumped
up aud ON being asked il hurt said mo
was Knocked down temporarily" aud wcu
to work again. Meals woro served ut tho
guns. FRIDAY night the port holes wero
closed, but the traitors kept up thuir fro
all night. On Friday night tho mon en-
deavored TO c NIB the flagstaff to fasten now
baliairds, tho old ono having been shoe
away, but tho flag remained fast, and new
ropes could not be put up.
On Saturday morning the traitors fired
hot shot, and it wns impossible TO put out
tho fires OF the barracks; tho whole gar
iison wont 10 work to remove tho powder
from tho magazine, rolling ninety barrels
of it through the hro and throwing il into
tho water Moro could not be got out, the
iilmes becoming 80 hos. aud the doors were
closed and locked and tho fire allowed to
rage. The men could not SEQ each other
for tho smoke, and wure obliged to cover
their facus with cloths. A lew cartridges
we're lett, and tho guns fred slowly to lot
tho tleot and tho people know the Fort had
not surrendered, but tho mou could not sec
where to aim,
Tho shells and ammunition in tho upper
service magazines exploded, carrying away
tho upper portions o: tho buildings. There
was not place in tho Fort whore breath OF
uir could bo got for hours, except through
u wot 9th. The mems quarters were on
fire, upd endangered tho pUwder tukon out
of tho naguzinus. The men won't through
tho fire aud covered tho barrels with wet
woolen bankots. But three cartridges wore
left, and those wore in the guns. The flag
staff .was shot I'll fifty iUet from the truck,
being tho nlu, h limo the staff had been hit
Instantly Licut,,llail rushed forward and
brought tho flag away, and thon nuilod ii
TO tho statf and planted It on tho ramparts,
when oyory battery was playing on tho Fort
Soon Con. WigtaIl was seen with white
flag tied to his Swoid, aud asked admission.
and was admitted at an embrasure. Wig
tall said he noticed tho fig was down.
Lieut.. Davis said il was up again. Wigfal
asked that some ono hold his dag outside
Davis said, no sir wo don't raise a white
flag; If you want your batteries TO atop,
you must stop them. W,gtaIl thon hold
tho flag out ut tho embrasuru, and thon u
corporal was ordered to relieve him. Sh0i
foil all around. and starting back, put tho
dag in Wigialls face, saying, D-u it, wont
hold tho flag, for they don't respect il.
The flag was then placed outside tho en.
brasuro, aud Wigfall had an Interview with
Anderson. and afterwards with officers sent
by Gen. Beaurogard, and the terms OF sur
render wero entered Into.
Roger A Prior was ono of the party from
tho traitors, and sdoing glass OF what he
supposed was liquor. drank it, but the sur
geon told him il was poison, and taking him
to tho hospital gave MIR. =. some Ipccac
that relieved tho gentleman.
The evacuation took place at ca o'clock,
Sunday morning.
An officer addressing tho reporters said
"Goutlemen of tho press, l earnestly EN-
troat that you will clearly set before our
coantrymen ut tho North the fact that FORT
Sumfrr iras not rrdcudied tchiie there ipds a
cartridge 10 fire 0" po,odtr enough icj1 10
make Que riM," Never did iainisned man
work moro b:avely Than those who detended
that fortress knowing, as thoy did. that it
successfully defended aud hold then, there
was not even q biscuit lott to divide among
them. '.