Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-04-19
BOMBARDMENT
FORT SU M T Err


day. General Beuufegard made a den,und OH
Major Anderson Tor the immediate surr-nder Of
d. Fort Sumter, through, his Aids. Col. Jnmes
Chesuut, Jr. Col. Chisoln aud e'npt.' Lee Ma
jor Anderson replied tllstsuch a course would DO
inconsisteht with lie duty he was required 10y
hissGoxefuuient to perform The answsar was
communicated by the Genrral-in-Che to Presi.
dent Dass.l., ~ n stys !
At about o O'clock, General Iseauresard re-
ceiyed a reply from President Davis, by which
he was instructed toiufornl III jor Anderson that
II he would evacuate the fori lie held when his
present supply of provisions was exhausted fhers
would be no appeal To arms. This Proposition
was borne to Major Anderson by. the Aids who
had delivered the first message. and i,e reflsedt
to-acrept the condition Tho General, ,ins sOhisf
forthwfis gave tht ordor that the batteries 6eS
opened af half past four o'clock Oh Friday morn
ing. Major Anderson's reply MAS decisive Of
tho momenlous question, and General Beaure.
gard determined to apply the last argument
The stout soldier had resolved to make n
desperate defence, and tho bloody trial Of
strength must le essnycd. The sword must cut
asunder the last tic that bound us to a rspple
whom, in spite otwrongs aud injustice wan,only
inflicted through long series of years wc had
no, ye, utterly hated aud dessised. The last TX
p;ring spark Of affection must he Iweuchcd in
blood Some Of themost splendid pages in our
glory history most be blurred. A blow mus,be
struck that wcud make the ears of every Re.
fests will be fek by generations yet to
come. We must transmit heritnge OF rank
Ting and underlying hate to our children.
The crisis had arrived. and we were fully
prepared to meet it. The work that awaited the
morrow was of n momentons character, but we
had counted the cost, and had resolved to do
it or die in the attempt.
At the gray Of the morning Of Friday the
roar of cannon broke upon the elf. The rx
pected sound was answered thousands. The
houses weIein few minutes emptied of their
excited occupants. and tho living stream poured
through all the streets lcading To the wharyes and
battery. -
At thirty minutes past four o'clock the conn:c,
was opened by tie discharge of shell from the
howitzer battery OH james Island, under the
command of Capt. Geo. S. James, who followed
The riddled Palmetto banner oil the bloody but
tie fields of Mexico
The sending Of tho harmful messenger to Ma.
jor Anderson was followed by d-afeninc ex.
piosion. which was caused by the blowing up of
building that stood in front Of the battery
'" hile the white smoke was melting away into
tho air another shell, which Lieut. w. Hampton
Gibbes has the honor Of having fired, pursued its
noseless way toward the hostile for,ificatiou.
Ihes4honoied missfve DESCRIBED it's beautiful
curve Through the balnly air, and falling within
the hostile Fortress scattered its deadly contents
IN all c:iections. Fort Moutrie then took I'M
fhe tale of death. and in a moment the guns
from the redondtable Gun Battery on Cummings
Point, from Captain McCreadyS battery. from
Capt. Jas. Hanilton's floating battery. ihe inf
Iade battery, and other ratification spit forth
their wrath at the grim fortress rising so def :.
antly out OF the sea. ..
Major Anderson received the shot and shell in
aIience. But The deepening twilight revealed
the Stars and stri pes floating proudly in the
breeze. The batteries continued ut regular in.
tervals TO belch iron vengeance and sill no an
Bwer was returned by the foe About an hour
alter the booming began. two balls rushed Kissing
through the mir, and gunced harmless from the
stuccoed bricks of Fort Moultrie The embra-
sures of the hostile fortress gave forth no sound
again till between six and seven o'clock, when,
as It wrathfli from enforced DELAY, from cuso-
ment and pnrapettle United Stutes officer noured
storm OF iron hail upon Fort Momlirie Ste.
ven's Iron Battery and tile Floating Battery.-
'Ihet moadslde was returned with spirit by the
ga!ant gq1ners at the important posts The
'hriBg now began in guod earnest
boat bearing dispatches to Gen. Benrrc-
gard from Morrl' Island. reucllcd tl,e cty'ubout
nine o'clock, reported that all the batteries were
working admrably; that no one wus niured;;
and. that tile men were wild with enthusiasm, -
short time alter that happy news was re-
cetgedi the schooner PetriI, from Hog Island
channel, gePorted that The shot from Stevens
spm.sr. Aad also that Fort Mouhrie had suso
tained no damage. e.
Spout haf-,nst >uine O'clock, Cnpt. R. s.
rarker reported from SuIfvan,s island 70 Mount
f!sasant that everything was fn fine condition.
atEort MlSsitri. l and that the soldiers had es-
The same despactl,es stated The eu,bsasures Of
.hs.L .hs : .9sa.,ag BatteEy we'&nhdamagsd by the
shock 81 the shot. aud thouhh tt,at formid.hIa
ssrsctsre had been struck clever, tirnej the balls
had not started q single bolt, Anda,eon had
Sogeentraiea his fiIe upon the FLOATING Is tterv
f.i the Nstltgfssh Battery. under command Of
i,aentenant Hsmilton. A number Of sholls had
SS.oPpsd INTO Fort Sumter, and one gun en-
barbette had beep;dsmounted = -
The following Cheering tidiucs vera b,o,rbts
to:the city by COL Edmund Yaies, Actfna Lien.
tenant oDozier, oftlts Confederate States Nav.
rom 1fs foltSoiinsoa,. Stevens' Battery and tLe
Eieat.EEB BaherYdlEe doing imporfant Service
slcvem battery has made considerable pfcpresst
la m oreasH1ng Tho South and west walls of Fort
sumter. ;. tse Northwest wali.is suffering from,
:d1esselI .ained. frS ;of tbs Floating Battery:
Ehps&shdt tlays dnm eunted saEeraI az the pt,i,,s
the parapsst EEid made Siit ln,possjf51e ID
nse remaining epes The sFfowitzer'sa CON.
neetad 9th be imrresnabfe Gun battery 5at
TTg.sgs .laa lalSt Z nsnassd With e6nsumnate
HHddsa ahgi hss 6spped. The troons
lrssin ths bsa spirits, Two Of The etmsat Fort
SgDteF appear 10 be idi.sbisd Considerable
daa.Sgs Aas assa done q DC rsos of Us ofissss
aIs soag-iss. .ss, received Il i,oun
nSsEiaaa asalanS.s Two epnt ins Stevens, battery
s,ss fe j. ssss9ss ne ssag @
IN ~. see fsptarsd spesdilY It is thought that
re-, Tort sun,tsrsh bbsachsd dusttsso hours
~. tasee stsam yesssisa aof wsf wtre seeir Of tina
das,s s .sassef asm supposed g be ,is Harriet
s,ou'Ia ~apS ~ fetker reach a,hsseity from Fort