Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-04-16
nosrILrrIEs COMMENCED.
Bombardment of Fort sumter! )!
Yrom the cnsrI.stOn Courier. AprII3.

\ FROM the Cnefespon CoaIler' 6P
| At about O'Clock on the afternoon of Thursday
| General Beauregard made demand on MAJOR An-
derson for the immediate surrender OF Fort Sumter
/ through his Aids, Col. James Chestnut Jr., Col.
| Cbisolm and Capt. Lee. Major Anderson repIed
| that such course would be inconsistent with the
| duty he was required by his Government TO perform
/ The answer was communicated Dy the Oeheral-ln-
| Chief to President Davis ur
| This visit and the refusal of the commandant Of
Fort Sumter to accede to the demand made by Gen-
era BeauregArd passed from tongue 10 tongue. ana
and soon the who.e city was IN possession OF the
startling intelligence. Rumor, as she IS wonI " uo'
ped the facts to suit her purposes enlarged tner
| dimensions and gave them complexion whien tney
had not worn when fresh from the pure and artess
hands of truth =. :.
A half hour after the return of the orderlies It
was confidently believed that the batteries would
omen fire AT eight o'clock and in expectation OF see
ing the beginning of the conflict, hundreds congre
gated upon the Ba terry and wharyes LOOKING out on
the bay There they STOOD strsining their over
the dark expanse of water, waiting 70 see the ntsn
and hear the boom of the first gun. The clock told
the hour of eleven, and still they gazed and listened
but the eyelids grew weary and at the noon OF the
night the larger portion of the disappointed speeta
tors were plodding their way homeWard
Atabout nj e o'clock. General Beauregard re-
ceyed reply from President Davis to the telegram
IN relation the surrender of Sumter, by winch ne
was instrr ed to inform Major Anderson that II ie
wonld eyacuate the fort he held when his present
sunply of provisions exhausted there would De
no appeal to arms. This proposition was Oor1e 70
W;6r Sndarson bv the Aids who had delveEed the
first message and he refused to accept the condf
ton. The General-ln-Chief forthwith gave the or
der that the batteries be opened at hai past 1Our
O'Clock on Friday morning. Mayor Andersons re-
ply was decisive OF the momehlous euestloh' anu
General Beauregard determined to apply the last
argument.
The stout soldier had resolved TO make desper-
ate defence and the bloody trial of strength must be
essayed The sword must cut asunder TIE last tie
that bound US TO a people, whom IN spite OF wrongs
and iniu,tice wautobIy inflicted through long Sc
ries of years. Ee had not yet utterly hated and des
pised The last expiring s. ark of affection must be
cuenched in blood. Some Of the most splendid pa
aes in our glorious history must be blurred oio"
must be struck that wou make the ears OF every
Republican fanatic tingle, and whose dreadful ef-
fects viii be felt by generations yet to come. we
must transmit heritsge of ranking and undylng
hate TO our children. -,
We paused to contemplate the terrible prospect
Hurried on by the rapid course Of events, vexed
and distracted By ing irritatons, astounded
by the rlsring treachery OF our enemies, lost IN
wonder ct their egregrious stupidity, We nao not
fully comprehende6 the nature OF the work we
were about to begin. Now, while the ear was
vaitinp for the roar ofcannon we saw clearly the
magnitude of the crisis. While those solemn hours
we're passing silently away, we contemplated the
tremendous undertaking in all its aspects, Dearings
and consequences.
We paused. but IL was not lne pause VI hesA'hhOn
or doubt We had long since made ourselves ia
m;liar with the dangers that darkened over our
halfway, and had they been ten>told greater we
would have dared to do what we have done with
the same steady courage and immoVable resolution.
| We had marked out way for our feet and we
wonId pursue this road let what may oppose our
progress This pathway was traced by the nnger
| of honor and Heavens own light rests upon II
During those dark hours, heavy with the anguish
| uf mothers sisters and wives Ond wet with their
fInaFa and
our spirits with glorious memories. Mefet the IN
| spiration of Just and holy cause, ana suDnme
nurnose and disguised with childish tritiiBg and
studied perfdy we looked to Heaven for direction
| and blessing, and turned our backs forever upon
| our former brothers
The crisis had arrived, and we were fully prepar
Cd to meet it. The work that awaited the morrow
was of momentous character but we nao counted
the ost and had resolved to do 1t or die IN the at
tempt. A. - e
the cannon broke upon the The expected sound
| was answered by thousands. the houses were IN
| few minutes emptied OF their excited occupants
and the living stream poured through all the streets
| leading TO the wharVes AM bat.ery. On reScl
our beautiful promenade we found It lined with
ranks of eager spectators and all the wharyes
| commanding a view of the battle were crowded
thickly with human forms. On no gala occasion
| have we ever seen nearly so large NUMBER OF
ladies on our Battery graced the breezy Walk sd
| this eyentful morning. There they stood with pal
ntatnc hearts and paid faces. watching thee with
smoke as it rose in wreaths upon the soft twlllgnt
air and breathing out fervent prayers ior thelr ea
liant kinsfolks at the guns. o. what CONNECT ra2ed
| In those heavng bosoms between love for husbands
| and sons and love for our common mother. whose
insulted honor and mperilled safety had called her
| faithful children to the enssngulned neid.
| Al thirty minutes past four o'clock the CONFLICT
was opened by the discharge OF sne,l lrouu llle
Hovitzer Battery on James Island, under the COM
| mand of Captain Geo. 5. James, who followed the
rddled Palmetto banner on the bloody battle fields
\ of Mexico.
! The sending of this harmful messener to Major
I Anderson was followed by a deafening explosion,
| which was caused by the blowing up OF building
| that stood in front OF the battery.
! While the white smoke was melting away lnto the
air. another she'll which Lieut. W. Hampton Gi60es
has the honor of having fred, pursued its noseless
| way to the hostile fortihcatiOn.
The honored mIssiye described It's oeauuul curve
through the balmy air and falling within the hostile
fortress scattered its deadly contents IN all dlrec
tious Fort MOultrie then took up the tale OF dea.h
| and in a moment the guns from the rtdouotsoie
! oun battery on Cummings Point, from Capt Nc
Grpadv, q battery from Capt James Hamitons float
ing battery the Enflade battery. and other fortlh-
cations spit forth their wrath at the grim fortress
rising so defantly out Of the sea-
| Major Anderson received the shot and shell in
| silence. And some excited lOokers-on, ignorant of
the character of the foe. were fluent with conJec-
tures and predictions. that revived the hope fast
dying Out of their hopeful and tender hearts. but
4 the short-lived hope was utterly exurgushed
! wbsu the deepening twilight revealed the stars
| and Stripes floating proudly in the breeze. The
batteries continued at regular Intervals to oeieh
| iron vengeance and still answer was returned
| bv the foe About an hour after the booming began
two balls rushed hissrg through the air and glanc
ed harmless from the succeed bricks OF Fort houl
| trie The embrasures of the hostile fortress gave
forth no sound again till between six and seven
| O'Clock when as if wrathful from eHforced delay,
from casemate and psrapet the United States otcer
| pour storm of iron hail upon Fort houtrie, Ste
vens' Iron Battery and the Floating Bsttery. The
broadside was returned with spirit by the gallant
aurners at these important posts
The firing now began in good earnest. The curl,
ing white smoke hung above the angry pieces OF
friend and foe and the Jarring boom rolled at regu>
lar intervals on the aaxious ear. The atmosphere
was charged with the smell of villainous saltpere
| and as if in sympathy with the melancholy scene
the sky was covered with heavy clouds, and every
thing wore 8 sOmbre aspect
| boat bearing dispatches 10 General Beauregard
from Norris Island, reached the city about nins
o'clock reported that oil the batteries were work
| ing admirably; that no one was injured, and tina
the men were wild with enthusiasm.
A short time alter that happy news was received
the schooner Peril from Hog Island Channel re
ported that the shot from Stevens Iron Battery
had told upon the walls of Font Sumter. And ais,
| that Fort Moultrie had sustained no damage
About half past nine O'Clock. Capt r s. Parke
| reported from Sulllvans Island to Mount Pleasap
that everything was in fine condition at Fort Mou
trie, and that the soldiers had escaped unhurt.
The same dispatch stated that the embFasures 0
the Floating Battery were undamsged by the shoe
of the shot, and though that formidable structur
d been struck eleven times the balls bad not star
| ted single bolt. Anderson had concentrated al
, fire upon the Floating Battery and the palngre
| Battery, under command of Lieutenant Hami.oi
A number of shells had dropped into Fort Sulnse'
and enc gun enbsrbette had been dismounteo. /.
The following cheering tidings were orousns /.
the city by Col Edmund fates Acung Le e, r.
Johrson. Stevens Battery and the Floatlg Batter
srs doing imfortant service. Ste, ems Battery hs