Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-09-08
Gen. Gilmore TO. Gen, Beaare
v gard.
WASHINGTON, Sept. Q.

- s-'ts e. WASHINGTON, Sept.2.
The following is Gen, Gilmore reply, "a
brief notice Of which has been published
in rebel papers) to Gen. Beauregard. The
communication is already printed at
length.
Eerartment of the South, Headouar-l
tiers 10 the Field, Morris Island, Aug. %
Sri have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your communication Of This
date, complaining that one Of my batteries
bad opened on the city Of Charleston, aud
thrown q number of heavy rifle SHELLS into
Ihe city, the inhabitants Of which, of course,
g we're asleep and unarmed. My letter to
you demanding the surrender Of Fort Sum-
ter and Morris Island, and threatening in
default thereof, to open fire npon Charles
ton, was delivered near Fort Wagner, at
Ills a. m. Of the-2lst irst., aud should
have arrived at your head9usr ers in time
20 have permitted your answer to reach me
within the limit assigned, viz: four no urs.
The fact that yon were absent from your
headquarters at the time Of its arrival, NAV
be regarded as an unfortunate cIrcumstan-
noe for the city of Charleston, but 1t Is one
for which clearly am not responsible.
This letter bore date at 10Y headquarters,
and WAS UINClhlJy ucflNG'CN ny bh 'LOCi VI
nv staff. The inadvertent omission If my
signature doubtless affords ground Tor speci-
al pleading But it is not the argument of
commander. sol icituus only for the safety
Of sleeping Vonen and children and uuarm
. ed men. Y our threats Of retaliation for
acts OF mine. which you do not sllege to be
IN viclatiUn Of the ussges of civil zed war
fare, except as regards the length of time
allowed as mott ce Of my intention, are pass
ed by without comment. will, however,
call your attention to the well-established
principle, that the commander OF place
attacked but not invested, having his
= avenues Of escape open end practicable,
has not the right to notice OF an inteE-
tiOn of bumbardment other than that which
j. given in the treateDing attitude Of his
adversary. Even bad net the letter been
written, the city Of Charleston has had,
according to your own computation, forty
days notice Of her danger, and during
tlat time nv attack upon her deienses has
steadily progressed The ultimate object
Of that ATTACK has at no time been doubt
"a ful. Under the circumstances, IT the life
Of a single non-cUmbats is exposed TO
peril by the bombardment of the city, the
: responsibility rests with those who have
first failed to remove the nOD>com batants.
or 70 secure the satety or the city, aiter
having held control of all its approaches
for period of nearly two years and half,
in the presence Of threatening force, who
3 afterwards refused to accept the terms
ii upon whish the bombardment might have
been postponed.
From various sources, Official end other
wise, am led TO believe that the most Uf
the women aud children of Charleston
were long since removed from that city,
but upcn your assurance that the city is
81 still full Of them, / shah suspend the bonn
, bardmeDt until II O'Clock P. N. tomorrow,
thus giving you two days from the time
you &C knowledged to have received my
comm unicatiOn Of tie 2lst irst.
"Very respectfully, your Obd't servant,
go. 30. A. GILMORE,
BRIG. Gen. Commanding.
ITO Gen. Besure gard commanding the
confederate forces cf South Carolina"
is 1t appears that the 81 anish and British
consuls respectively addressed Gen. Gill;
more in behalf of the subjects of their
countries in Charleston, and he had res
pectfulIy suspended the bombardment for