The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-09-05
BOmbardment Of Charleston.

w oett. 1.-1 Ac lOllOWluS Is
Gen. Gilmore's reply, a brief notice of
which has been published in the rebel
papers, to Gen. Beauregards communica-
ton, already printed at length:
DEPT OF THE SOUTH, HEADQUARTERS IN
THE FIELD, MORRIS ISLAND, S. c., Sept.
~, 9p. m.-SIR: l have the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt of your communica
ton of this date, complaining that one of
my batteries had opened on the city of
Charleston, and thrown number of heavy
rifle shells into the city, the inhabitants Of
which, of course, were asleep and unarm-
ed. My letter to You demanding the sur
render of Fort Sumter and Morris Island,
and threatening in default thereof, to open
fire upon Charleston, was delivered near
Fort Wagner at HIS a. m, of the 2lst inst,
and should have arrived at your headquar-
tiers in time to have permitted your an
swer to reach me within the limits assign
ed, namely four hours. The fact that you
were absent from your headquarters at the
time of its arrival may be regarded as an
unfortunate circumstance for the city of
| Charleston, but it is one for which clear
ly, am not responsible. This letter bore
! date at my headquarters, and was official
~ delivered by an officer of my staff. The
| inadvertent omission of my signature
doubtless affords ground for special plead
| ing, but it is not the argument Of com
mander, solicitous only for the safety of
sleeping women and children and IN
! armed men. Your threats of retaliation
for acts of mine, which you do not allege
to be in violation of the usages of civilized
warfare, except as regards the length of
time allowed. As the notice of my inten-
tons are passed by without comment, /
will, however, call your attention to the
we'll established principle, that the COM
mander OF place attacked, but not in
| vested, having his means of escape open,
has practically no right to a notice of an
intention of bombardment, other than
| that which is given by the threatening at
titude Of his adversary. Even had not
this letter been written, the city of Charles
ton has had, according to your computa-
ton, forty days notice of her danger. Dur
ing that time my attack on her defencee
has daily progressed. The ultimate object
of that attack has at no time been doubt
full. If, under the circumstances, the life
of single non-combatant is exposed to
peril by the bombardment of the CITY, the
| responsibility rests with those who first
failed to remove the non-oomb atants, or to
secure the safety of the city, after having
held control Of all it's approaches for q
period Of nearly two years and half, in
the presence of threatening force, and
who afterwards refused to accept the
terms by which the bombardment might
have been postponed. From various sour
ces, official and otherwise, I am led to be.
lieve that most of the women and children
of Charleston were long since removed
from that city, but upon your assurance
that the city is still full Of them, I shall
suspend the bombardment until II O'Clock
P. M, tomorrow, thus giving you tive
DAYS from the time yon acknowledge tf
nave received my communication Of thu
2lst. Very respectfully, your ob'd't sery't
q. A. GILMORE,
Brig. Gen. Conf Dig.
10 nen. =. y. BEAuREdARD, Commandins
confederate forces at Charleston, 8. G,
naPpears that the Spanish and British
Consu!s respectively addressed Gen. Gil
countries In Charleston, and he cheernlly
suspended the bombardment twenty-fo1
hours to give them time to leave the CITY
Nothing was further, he says, from hi
wish, than to endanger their lives an,
property. :