Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-09-16

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peot to meet more than an Insignificant
guard, who were to be speedily overpower-
ed. Be this as it may, they were egregi-
ously mistaken, and When with thousand
men and score or more of barges, they
arrived at the base of Sumter, it was to re.
ceive punishment at the hands of our
brave troops that will add to, if not illus.
trate, the already disgraceful record Of
Yankee defeats.
The Good Book tells US that "the battle
is not not always to the strong," and the
scripture was verified by the events of
Wednesday night. Fort Sumter was gar
risoned by the Charleston Battalion, Maj
Julius A. Blake, commanding, and perhaps
one or two other companies, whose names
we have not learned-the whole under the
command of Maj. Stephen Elliot, jr., whose
gallantly heretofore has already made him
familiar to all who have watched the pro-
greas of events in this State.
Throughout the fierce bombardment of
the day, they had remained silent specta-
tors of the fight going on around them, and
patiently endured the steady shelling from
the feet At night, however, preparations
were made for the anticipated assault
Companies were posted at various points
within the ruins, and with watchful eyes
they commenced their careful vigils over the
time honored old pile con6ded to their keep.
ing.
Such was the condition of affairs until a.
about half past l o'clock, when suddenly
from the South face there was espied advan-
cling through the gloom, anumber of barges,
estimated at about thirty, each one, in the
language of an eyewitness, "black with
men," The alarm was instantly given, and
in moment more Forts Moultrie, johnson
and gun boat Chicora opened fire in the
direction of the approach.
The Battalion lined the walls of Sumter,
and as the Federals landed on the rocks,
received them with sharp vollies of mus
kerry, which added confusion to their al
ready bewildered movements. A strong
party of the enemy now hastily gathered
and made an attempt to climb over the
ruins of the sally-port, which had been torn
down by the tremendous fire Of their land
batteries. Our men received them breast
to breast, pelting them with brickbats, and
pouring in scattering shower of balls -
Some bolder than others, dashed forward,
and seizing Yankees, one in each hand,
dragged them by main force inside. Thus
the fight ragged for twenty or thirty minutes,
when the Federals, finding themselves over
powered, and likely to be cut to pieces,
threw down their arms, retreated to the
shelter of the walls and surrendered
Those who remained in the boats, not al
ready landed, made their escape under
the cover of the night, followed, however,
by the spiteful balls of the batteries above
named.
Thus the engagement, brief but decisive,
ceased. The remainder of the story is told
in few words. ....
On our part not man was burt. On the
part of the enemy one was found killed and
nineteen wounded. These were all found
lying outside of the fort on the rocks
None of the Federals, at any time, pene-
trated the work, until brought ir as prison
ers of war The effect Of cur fire on the
barges is unknown, but from the sound of
crashing boards and the outcries of men,
as we'll as from the fact that two or three
barges were subsequently seen floating off
Morris Island, it. is believed that the loss
has been very great.
Our captures, beside thirteen officers and
l02 men, consist of four barges and three
flags. One of the latter compensates for all
the bricks and bullets thrown, being no less
than the identical "gridiron" carried from
Fort Sumterin 1861 ; exhibited to monster
mass meeting in New York shortly after,
talked, cheered and prayed over until al
most sanctifed, wrapped around the gouty
limbs of old Scott, and finally brought back
under oath that it should be victoriously
replanted on the walls where it was first
lowered in recognition of the Southern Con.
federacy. For this purpose, under an arm
ed guard of a thousand men, it was brought
to Fort Sumter, on Wednesday night. F.r
this reason We prize the memorial, and
shall take good care that the relic thus re.
stored to its rightful owners shall be re-
ligiously preserved among the mementoes
of this remarkable struggle. The incident,
simple as it is, shows that there is Di-
vine Providence carving out for US our des-
tiny, and may be ominous, in these our
dark hours, of the glorious success which
will eventually reward our cause.
The enemy we're quiet all yesterday. The
monitors were lying behind Morris Island,
evidently undergoing repairs. Most of the
firing done was by our batteries on James
Island, which annoyed the workers on Cum
mings' Point, by steady stream of round
shot and she'll, at intervals of ten or fifteen
minutes.
During the day, a large number of empty
ammunition boxes, thrown overheard by the
enemy during the engagement, we're picked
up in the harbor. A portion of vessel
was also found badly marked by shell. 1t
had evidently been torn from one of the
members of the fleet.
Tho enemu aent in a fac of truce yester- |