Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-09-03
LATEST NEWS.
BY TELEGRAPH
TO THE WORCESTER DAILY SPY.


GImore's Reply TO Beauregard.
WAsHINGToN, Sept. 2.-The following is
| Gen. Glmore's reply to Beauregard. a brief
sketch of which has been published from the
rebel papers:
Morris ISLAND, S. c., Aug. %, 9 p. NJ
| Sir:-I have the honor to acknowledge the
| receipt of your communication Of this date,
| complaining that one of my batteries had
opened upon the city of Charleston and
thrown number of heavy rifle shot into the
city, the inhabitants Of which, of course, were
asleep and unarmed. My letter to you de-
| handing the surrender of fort Sumter and
| Morris island, and threatening in default
thereof to open fire upon Charleston, was de-
| livered near fort Wagner at Ills A. NJ. on the
2lst, and should have arrived at your head
| quarters in time to have permitted your an
swer to reach NE within the limit assigned,
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 clearly am not RESPONSE
| BILE.
This letter bore date at my headquarters,
and was officially delivered by an officer of
my staff. The inadvertent omission of my
signature doubtless affords ground for special
pleading, but tits not the argument of a com
mander sohcitouS only for the safety OF Sleep
ing women and children and unarmed men.
Your threats of retaliation for acts of mine,
which you do not alege to be in violation of
the usageS OF civilized warfare, except as re-
CARDS the length OF time allowed as notice of
my intention, are passed by without comment.
l will, however, call your attention to the
well established principle that the commander
OF place attacked, but not invested, having
its avenues of escape open and practicable. has
no right to notice of intention of lombard
ment other than that which is given by the
threatening attitude of his adversary.
Even Ind not this letter been written, the
| city of Charleston has had, according to your
own computation, forty days notice of her
danger During that time my attack upon
| her defenses has steadily progressed. The
ultimate object of that attack has at no time
| been doubtful. 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 have first
| failed to remove the non. combatants, or to
secure the city, after having held control of
all its approaches for period Of nearly two
and half years, in the presence ola threaten
| ing force, and who afterwards refused to ac-
| cept the terms upon which the bombardment
would have been postponed.
From various sources, official and other
| wise, am led to believe that most Of the wo-
men and children of Charleston were long
since removed from that city; but upon your
assurance that the city is still full of them,
shall suspend the bombardment until eleven
O'Clock P. NJ. tomorrow, thus giving you tive
days from the time you acknowledged to have
received my communication of the DIST inst.
Very respectfully yours,
Q. A. GILMORE,
Dr;uod;or GoporaI ror,n,aoJ;pcr