The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-04-16
Rirhmunn pispattb.
FROM CHARLESTON.
IAL CORRESPONDENTS OF rHr pIsrArcH. 4,

CHAKLEsroS, April IL, 1861
And such another day never dawnea on
america, nor, perhaps, upon the world. The
birthday though IL is of the immortal CLAY
vet IL shrouds the nation and the world In
mourning, not on account OF the slain but
that the same family should be so alienated
and enrsged with each other, that an engage
ment in deadly strife should be the result
| write At 10 o'clock =. NJ, and will Try TO
describe the scenes of the day
Last evening Gen. Bcaurrgard demanded
Fort Sumter, and it was denied AIS O'Clock
A. VI he visited Maj Anderson in person, TO
see II some arrangement could not be made 10
save the efrusion OF blood. Major A. would
enter into no negotiations.
At p A. NJ, the frs gun was fired, and in
quick succession another. An interval of Is
minutes. and OF 20 Two others. Three war
steamers reported on tside last night must be
about 70 enter. and tina batteries are playin.
upon them.
or goes the NTH Its deep, terrible report,
the Earring OF the windows and shaking of the
house, only tells its power and its dies tructiNe-
ness. II comes from Stevens Iron Battery
on goes Nos 8, s, Q, 10, in rapid succession
| hasten to the wharf. There goes shell
and huTsts just over Sumter. Quick llashes
81 lurid light are seen, and in twenty seconds
the hoarSe voice Of the dog of war il heard
MOultrie plays into Sumter. There goes n
shot from the Floating Battery-ir strikes
There goes one Of Andersou's shellS-it falls
near 10 his terrible adversary. There goes
another shot from Sumter Barbette | see
the y hite volume of smoke rise at the Iron
Battery; The very earth shakes-it is Stevens
IU-inch Columbtad. There is another flash
and presently the report and the whistle OF
the b,Il. though three miles and more oft il
the Rife cannon There goes M0ultrie again.
and then the Floater. Anderson ans wers each
manfuIy. Another shell bursts lust over
Sumter. All as enyelOped III smoke, and can
re-" neither SHmter nor the Islands.
SIX O clock arrives. our ba ttcries contlrla
but Anderson does rot wer. Shells aud
balls fly ihicN and fast around him, but
he answer, not. Ills nag sun waves what
CSu the matter UC Seven o'clock arrives
He re-IaIHS silUnt. They are pouring ia to him
from Johnson, stevens, th5 Howttzer Bat
gerry, MouItrles the EiO1ter, and two Mortar
Batteries. a heavy shower OF rain Genes uU.
bat II stops not the hoarse throats of tn.
ordnance, nor drives away the thousands of
speCta lining the whaTyes and house
tops. Eight o'clock-~AudersCn opens his ire
from his Columblads in his casemates his
BlrbeNes being deserted on account-of the
shower of shell that falls around him All
the batteries are now fairly playing into him
and he playing upon Stevens on the south
and MoultTie and the Flo1ter on the north
@-at. There goes Stevens >" FxClaims one
che earth trembles again. That is a terrible
gan. All Is now enyeloped in smoke, and the
glass aids me not.
A little iuteTregnum, and the smoke clears
away the nag still flies over Sumter
Nine O'Clock arrives. l think see a breach
iu Sumter's walls | sac 1t with the naked
rya--Lha glass confirms il. a zen tlpfuan SAWS
Il is moe; another confirms me- and another
denies. dispatch from Gen. Beauregard.-
ANS welt, The men behaving admirably
Stevens Iron Battery and the Howitzer deal
ing heavy blows on Sumter. A report that
thirty-iive men are wounded on Sullivan
Ialaud-all are sad.
Ten -aud-a-han oclock-a dispatch from
Gen. Beauregard. AIS well Morris
Island. Anderson keeps up his fire on each
side OF his fort. He fights like a man of pluck.
The balls histo-the shells burst-the con
hict grows hotter. y dispatch from Sulli-
vans Island, with the happy news-no one
killed or wounded up to III o'clock. Terrible
j. the conflict noW-all enYeloped in smoke.
Now il Is clear again. l see distinctly the
breach in sumter. Another dispatch, at /!
o'clock, from Morris Island-tWo of Stevens
guns, under the Iron Battery, sienced but
All will be repaired in two hours and a large
breach in Sumter, and the HoWtZer Battery
and Stevens two guns still pouring into An
derson's breach. Three o'clock, and Amber
sons guns bearing on the Iron Battery 81
fenced but he blazes away with his north
eastern guns upon MOultTe and the Floater.
Five O'Clock and Hon. w Porcher Miles
arrives from MOultrie, and reports all well.
Glorious news.
messenger from the Float. She has been
struck eighteen times-damages very slight
and no one injured, and the messenger brings
piece OF the she'll that has just fallen on her
roof
SIX o'clock, and Anderson ceases his fire ;
but our batteries fire fitty-three times into
him, and dark envelopes all and all are hushed
Has he surrendered No. He is tired out, we
suppose.
Nine o'clock T. NJ Of, and two heavy guns are
heard Those three steamers outside are com
ing in. On the hOuse-tOp 20. Two flashes
on Morris Island, and away high III the air
see two great balls OF fire following each 9TH
er in their curved course, and they fall III close
proximity to, If not into, Sumter. There goes
another it comes from Sulllvan's Island, and
ii mounts higher and higher, and now begins
its descent and bursts Just over the fortress.
1t il now Y L. NJ, and the fire is kept up
Whether Anderson replies, l cannot say; but
all is restless all Is nervous and unhappy,
AID dread hangs over us all, lest those ships
get in on the flood which makes about now.
! must take little rest, and / make this
letter 40 longer to night, only 10 say, the mails
are stopped. the trains are stopped, aud SO is
the telegraph, else / would have given you
the news the first fire.
The Lord regns, let the people tremble."
NIRGINICk.