Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1862-05-01

Y0RKVILLE
From the Savannah Republican, 3d.
The Surrender of Pulaski.
The story of the Charleston prisoners,
obtained from the Federals, varying mate
rally from the accounts that had previous
" reached us through our own sources, we
had a long interview yesterday with Corpo-
raj Charles T. Law, of the Phoenix Rifle
men, who brought up the news of the sur.
render of the Fort, and was present at the
time the Confederate flag was lowered
His statement is minute as to details, and
so entirely consistent throughout, that, IN
dependent of his high character for truth
and honor, it seems to US that no man who
speaks with him can doubt it. We annex
it from notes taken iu the course of conver.
sation, and it will be read with interest,
being much fuller account than has hith'
erto appeared.
Corporal Law arrived at the fort in COM
pany with the signal man, whom he went
to pilot, at 5 o'clock Friday morning-the
day of the surrender. He remained inside
the works during the whole Of the bonn.
bardment on that day, and left as the flag
was lowered, making his way to the South
wharf as the enemy's steamer was approach.
ing the North Landing. When the bonn.
bardment commenced on Thursday, none
of the enemy's batteries on Tybee were
visible, except from the smoke, which
pointed out the different localities to onr
garrison. The shot and shell from the
fort soon removed all obstacles of trees and
sand, when all were discernable. They
were four in number-two mortar, one rifle
and one Parrot gun, the last mentioned
being short distance above the burnt
chimneys, opposite to Kings Landing
They all bore chiefly on the Southeast
angle of the fort.
The firing Of the enemy on Thursday
was not so effective as to create an appre.
heusion that the work would fall. The
enemy were obtaining the range of their
guns for the operations Of night and the
day following. Most of their shells fell
outside the fort, tearing up the earth in
every direction The yard Of the V, or
demiloou, on the West side, was ploWed up
as if dug into pits, by the shell which went
over the fort. Still a large breach was
made in the wall, and the riaed guns pour
ed shot and shell through it, utterly demol-
ishing the bomb.proof timbers, and DANA
ging the officers quarters. The North east
casemates were all in which the garrison
bunked with any security whatever, through
Thursday night; though but little sleep
was enjoyed, as the enemy threw twelve
shells per hour into the fort until daylight.
These facts were obtained from the officers
Of the garrison. ,
Corporal Law witnessed the whole OF
Fridays fight for himself, mingling freely
with the garrison throughout the terrible
scene. It is impossible to give his account
on paper. The firing from both sides was
equally rapid aud destructive, so far as
could be ascertained On the part of the
enemy, one mortar battery was completely
silenced, portion of the rifle battery, and
seven out of ten guns of the Parrott battery
dismouuted One mortar had been plan
ted on the Northwest corner of Cockspur
during the night OF Wednesday, but thus
was silenoed early in the fight, and seven
kegs of their powder captured.
At the close of the fight all the parapet
guns of the fort we're dismounted except
three-two seu.inch columbiads, known as
"Beauregard" and "Jeff. Davis" but one
Of which bore on the island, and rifle
cannon. Every case-mate gun on the
South .east section of the fort, from No. 7
to No. 13, including all that could be
brought to bear on the euemy's batteries,
except one, we're dismouuted, and the case
mate walls preached, in almost every in.
stance; to the extent of the arch, say be.
tween five aud six feet in width. The moat
outside was so filled with brick and mortar
that one could have passed over dry shod.
The officers quarters were torn TO pieces,
the bomb.proof timbers scattered in every
direction over the yard, and the gates to
the entrance knocked off. The parapet
walls on the Tybee side were all gone, in
many places, down to the level of the earth
on the casemates. The protection to the
magazine in the Northwest angle of the
fort had all been shot away, the entire cor
ner of the magazine next the passage-way
was shot off, and the powder exposed while
three shot had actually penetrated the
chamber; Of this Corporal Law is positive
for he examined it for himself before leav
ing.
Such was the condition of affairs, wher
Col. Olmstead called council of oficer
in casemate, and without dissenting
voice, they all acquiesced in the necessit.
of capitulation, in order to save the gar
rison from utter destruction by an explo
sion, which was momentarily threatened
: Accordingly, at 2 o'clock p. M, the mel
were called from the guns aud the fas
} lowered.
Early in the day, Col. Olmstead had NJ
doubt of his ability to silence every bate
ry on the island, and to this end he deter
mined when night came and the enemy
fire was slackened to change the position o
all his heavy guns SO as to bring them tt
bear on the enemy. As the day progress
sed, however, his situation became desper