Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-09-03
GEN. GILNORE'S REPLY TO BEAU.
REGARD

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GEN. GILMORE'S REPLY TO BEAU.
REGARD.
The following is Gen. GiImore's reply. a
brief notice of which has been published from
the Rebel papers, to Beauregard's communica.
tion, already printed at length, OF the same
date:
DEPARTMENT OF THE SoUTH, Headquarters
an Ike Field, Morris Island: s. c., Auy %, D. m.
Sir: l have the honor to ackno owledRs the re.
ceipt OF your communication Of this date, COM
planning that one of my batteries had opened
upon The city of Charleston, and thrown a
number of heavy rife shells into that CITY. the
inhabitants OF which, of course, were asIeep
and unarmed.
My letter to you demandin the surrender of
fort sumter and Morris Island, and threaten
ing in default thereof to open fire upon Charles
ton, was delivered near Fort Wagner at Ills
O'Clock a. IN. on the 2lst inst, and should have
arrived al your headquarters in time to have
peTmltte your answer to reach me within the
limit assigned, namely: four hours The fact
that you Were absent from your heado uarters
AT the lime OF Its arrival may be regarded as an
unfortunate circumstance for the CITY of
Charleston, but it is one for which clearly am
not responsible. This letter bore date at INV
headquarters, and was officially delivered by
sion of my signature doubtless affords ground
for special pleading, but it is not the argument
OF a commander solicitous only for the safety
of sleeping wOmen and children and unarmed
men.
Your threats of retaliation for acts of mine.
which you do not allege to be in violation OF
of time allowed as notice of my Intentions are
passed by without comment / will, however,
call your attention 10 the well-estabiished
principle that the commander of a place at
escape open ana has no right to
other than that which is given by the threaten
ing attitude Of his adversary. Even had this
ietter not been written, the city of Charleston
has had, according to your own computation
iorty days notice of her danger. During that
a: nme my attack a upon her detenses has steadily
has at no time been doubted
If, under thu circumstances tho uf, NJ
single non -combatant is exposed to nariI hv
the bombardment of the city, the respon sibiIi
" rests with those who have frs failed to ra-
move the non combatants. or secure the safety
tf the city, after having held control OF all its
approac hes for period OF nearly two years and
half. in the presence OF n threatening force,
and who afterwards refused to accept the terms
unOn which The bombardment might have
been postponed. From various sources official
and otherwise, / am led 10 believe III 1T most of
the women and children of Charleston were
long since removed frcm the city. But upon
your assurance that the city is still fall Of
them. shall suspend the bombardment until
ii O'clock p. N. to morrow, thus giving you two
DAYS from the time you acknowledge to have
received my communication on the 2st inst.
Neiy respectfully, your obedient servant,
Q. a. GILMORE
Brigadier General CommlnIinc
q. L. Beauregard, Commanding Con fecierats
States forces, Charleston, ). &.
1t appears that the Spanish and Ragish Con-
Suls respectively addressed General Gilmore,
on behalf OF the subjects of their coun tries in,
Charleston, and he cheerfUily suspended the
bCnlba rdment for twenty -four hours, to give
them time TO leave the city. Nothing fur
thcr, he says, from his wish than to endanger
heir lives or property.
General Averiirs Expedition-The Late
Fight.
lie Wheeling (Fa.l Intelligencer has the
following acrnnnt of General AEeriits expedi-
tiCn. OF which the Richmond papers gave an
account a few days ago:
Private dispatches received in the city an
nOunce the return to Hunters vile, Randolph
county. Va, of the expedition under Gen. Av-
eIiii recently sent out by Gen1 Kelly Genr
Averills route extended through to the
counties OF Hardy, Pendleton, Highland Po-
cahonlas and Grtenbrier. He DESTROYED the
saltpeter works in Pendleton and drove Jack
son out of Pocahontas, pursu ung him to Green
Rocky Gap he encountered tho forces of Gen'l
Jones and Col. Patton and had severe action,
in which he lost about one hundred men in
killed and wounded, including several Off.
GERS. Gen. Averill brought in quite a number
OF prisoners, including many officers. He de.
suUyeu Camp ''Nortnwest'' with a large
amount of camp equipaga, stores, &c. During
the action at Rocky Gap, Capt. Baron Won
koenig, A. u. q. Oh General Averill's staff
WAS killed while leading an attack on the enc.
my's right. and Capt. Ewing, of Ewing's bat
terry, and Major McNaly, of the I'd Va. regi-
ment, Were both badly wounded.