Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-09-02


Trange] of the heart of the city.
lam General, very respectfully,
Your obedieDt servant,
70 A. GILLMORE,]
Brig. Gen. Commanding.
To Gen. G.. T. Beauregard, Command
ing Confederate Forces, Charleston, s. G..
The above communication was received :,
without signature, at quarter before eleven
o'clock, on Friday night. 1t was returned
with the following endorsement:
HEADQUARTERS
DEPARTMENT S. c., GA AND FLA,
Charleston, August Il, 1868.
This paper is returned for the signature
of the writer.
(Signed) THOMAS JORDAN,
Chief of Staff.
On Saturday morning the communica-
tion was sent back to our lines, this time
signed by Q. A. Gilmore. We give below
the reply of General Beauregard:.
HEADQUARTERS
DEPARTMENT OF S. c., Ga. AND Fla.
Charleston, S. G., August 90, 1868.
SIR: Last night, at Is minutes be-
fore II o'clock, during my absence on n
reconnaissance of my Notifications, commu.
nication was received at these Headquarters,
dated Headquarters Department of the
South, Morris Island, S. Co., August 2l,
1868, demanding The "immediate evacua.
tion of Morris Island and Fort Sumter by
the Confederate forces,'"' on the alleged
grounds that the present condition of Fort
Sumter, aud the rapid aud progressive de-
structiop it is undergoing from my fyour]
batteries, seem to render its complete demoli-
ton within few hours matter of certain
ty;" and that if this demand "was not com
piled with, or no reply thereto was received
within four hours after tits delivered into the
hands of your [uy] subordinate command.
er at Fort Wagner for transmission, ga fire
would be opened on the city of Charleston
from batteries already established within
easy and effective rangel of the heart of
the city" This communication, to my ad.
dress, was without signature, and was Of
course returned.
About half past l this morning one of
your batteries. dill actually open fire, and
threw number Of heavy rifle shells into
the city, the inhabitants of which, of course,
were asleep apd uuWarned. About 8 this
morning the communication alluded to a.
bove was returned to these Headquarters,
bearing your recognized official signature; ;
and it can now be noticed as your deliber-
ate official act.
Among nations not barbarous the usages
of war prescribe that, when cityis about
to be attacked, timely notice shall be given
by the attacking commander, in order that
non combatants may have an opportunity
for Withdrawing beyond its limits. Geuer-
ally the time allowed is from one to three
days--that is, time for the Withdrawal, in
good faith, of at least the women and chill
dren. You, sir, give only four hours, knoao.
Jag. that Jour notice, under existing circum-
stances, could not reach me in less than
two hours, and that rot less than the same
time would be required for an answer to be
conveyed from this city to Battery Wagner.
With this knowledge, you threaten to open
fire on the city, not to- oblige its surrender,
but to force me- to egscuate these works,
which you, assisted by great naval force,
have been attacking in vain for more than
forty days.
Batteries Wagner and Gregg and Fort
Sumter are nearly due north from your bat
tcries On Morris Island, and in distance
therefrom varying from half mile TO two
and a quarter miles this city, on the other
hand, is to the northwest, and quite FIVE
miles distant from the battery opened a.
gaiDst it this morning.
It would appear, sir, that, despairing Of
reducing these works, you now resort to the
novel measure of turning your guns against
the cid men, the women and children, and
the hospitals Of sleeping city an act Of
iuexcusabl lie barbarity from your own confess
CT point of sight, inasmuch as you allege
that the "complete demolition of Ft. Sum.
ter within few hours by your guus seems
to you "a matter Of certainty"
Your omission to attach Jour signature
to such grave paper, must show the reck.
lessncss of the course upon which you have
adventured. While the facts that you
knowingly fixed limit for receiving an
answer to your demand, which made it al
most beyond the possibility of receiving any
reply within that time, and that you actual.
y did open fire and throw number of the
most destructive missiles ever used in war,
into the midst Of city taken upawares,
and filled with sleeping women and children,
will give you bad emipence in history
even in the history of this war.
I am cply surprised, sir, at The limits
you have set to your demand. If, in order
10 attain the abandonment of Morris Isl.