Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-09-16
rse Night Assault ON Fort sumter.

Atabout half past ! O'Clock Wednesday
mnrring TIE prevailing oniet was rudelJ bro.
ken by a sudden and very rapid cannonade in
the direction of the harbcr entrance. TIE
brief intervals between the reports of the
heavy guns were filled by the roll Of ~musketry,
and all who heard the fixing in the city
thought that warm work had begun at Fort
Sum ter.
1t appears, from the accounts that we have
received, that at halfpast one a. IN. yester.
day, a number of barsei variuusly estimated
at from twenty tothirty ann containing about
fifty men each, were deserted through the
darkness pulling rapidly towards the fort.
They we're steered towards %variou, portions Of
the ledge of rocks outside the for: (known
technically, we believe, as tie berm), but
most of them directe! their course toward,
tho gorge face, which being, now a 6loping
mass of bricks and rubbish, seemed to aft I'D
TIE most inviting Opportunity cor tue assault
rs soon as the barges were seer 10y our vigi
liant sap.ries nh the parlpet, three rockets
were thrown up. to notify their can;rades ut
the other batteries of the dsngcr 1T hand.
With commemorative alrc:ity the guns OF Fort
johnson, Battery Sinkins, Fort Noultrio aad
! the steamer Chicora opened upon the 5arges,
| and simultaneously, the infantry judicious!y
posted within the tor;, poured into The crowd
ed boats of the assailants u rapii and spirited
fire Of mrskctry. Tho foremost boats OF the
euemy, however. soon gained The lodge, and
the Yankees sIrang to the assault with vigUr
anddetcrminatiuu. They wele met, however,
by ~resoluts men.
The Charleston Battalion, Major Elake
commanding, had been advantaeeously posted
ut the threatening points, and repealed the
foe with Il gellantry worthy the name VIII oh
the Bsttalion VIII 70 dearly at Sccessiuhvillc,
and Afterwards at Battery Wagner. WheIi
their n;u<kets had been discharged, instcud
.of lasing precious time in relosding, they
hurled handgrenades against the foe. and
when these were exhausted, had recourse to
the brick bats which Jay cvery~herc sryuno
them, and rained them down. tn slope. Til,
st0rm Of miscellaneous missiles WAS too much
for the stvrining party, aud the lori,;in hops
fled in confusion to the base Of theiort. Mean
time the barges in the rear, terror stricken
by the severe concentrated fee they had ell
c0uutered,- had abandoned the attark and gone
off, leaving the Yankees who had landed
wholly wiihou, support. 1t is scarcely he
cessary 10 add ;ha! tiase last, fuiled IN their
effort to surprise NE garrison, SUD not dar-
ing To take their boats, surrendered at dis
%"reti0n, an announced the fact i'll tones which
could DC heard high above The splashins o!
tie waves and the dir of the engagement.
The rec ling harges were soom lost to sigh
IN ihe d:rkness; the prisoners were marched
into the Tort aad secured, aud silence again
reigned i'll the ba;bor.
f., ti;. Er;l1ia,,I rapuloa ~ thn. apoiuc We
Captured Is Yankee naval officers aid lO2
n.er, besides three stasls ut colorSj four fine
barges. etc. Among the flags taken, was the
original United Staiesj flag Of Fort Sumter,
which iloated ever the work at tie tiue when
.M.j. Aulmson held command there. Upon
the surrender Of the fort in april, 1851, Ii
will ie remernb ered, Msj. Anderson was al
Lowell to salute, haul down and carry off this
identical flag. Admiral Da'igren, it seems,
had und, r.,ken TO "reposses," the 70 t, and
to "resicre the Old n g" to the flag staff from
.s:iich S>ulh Carolina rore it ut theopefing of
tie wsr. But the poetic Justice ofthe A'!tniral's
srIenle Its not sdved The scheme itself from
co!laV. ii slu, Whatever may be the late OF
For: Sumter in :lieiutnrs, that "old flag will
surely ucv.:r AGAIN wave over its walls,
VI t;e si.enly's loss in killed ard wuunde,,,
we lave 30 aulheutic account. 'I~o al them
w,r. I. rad deed at he fort and l9 wonnded
s,u: fran tte feet ihai. several !iarScs, r:ctlG
h. sHo1 have 5'cn son Il ,a,ing unout, cap.
s:z-'i, many rcil.vc lisa; Tia %cEe'nS's loss Was
f..hua sr::.i- &. II is rumared that t!ic navai
ciiiccr ..iaca iieadr, VIA Was can!ur.d, Is Il
sou OF Gen. Meade, me successor OF ho"he".
On Oar s,"e there MAS 20 casualtJof any kind
during TIE fight.
Tue prisoners reached the city last hight
and were .,nurcned through Inc cry, under
sIr,rg guard, to The isil.
During yesterday, the cneny's guns we're
almost wholly iileni. Tive Yal:Sees AZ" evi,
IDENTIFY working L-"! : C'in:a'nas POINT,
where they have s,reis heaod ai.i larset
our work. They rae as, bringing ~ iLsir
heavy ordnance (Pars,u cnu', we aaeposr,)
To be placed at that point
Last +.:.ht cur bat RES were keeping up
II stcs.dy fire upce III enemy s!'ewly acquired
positions, and as we go To press TIE nrf"rSs
are sill herd at regular Observation-Disclosures
ton Mercury.
According to the prisoners accounts the
ex pcdition against Fort Sumter consisted o;
twenty-five to thirty boats, with on average
oil twenty to each beat. The details OF ,nen
we're made troin inc b:ockadiug vessels out
side, with oil ;-rs from the ilact inside 10
command them. Tue men knew nothing OF
the proposed expedition until they had finish
ed their dinner on Tuesday, when they we're
called up for orders. The boats with their
crews afterwards pulled up. alongside OF the
flagship to receive instructions. Lieut.. Will
lialns in command, look the lead.
They expected they say to meet not more m
than : simple guard OF about 100 man. They
also expected to be able 20 go though the
breach without difficulty or having to climb
ever. The night was misty and favorable for
a close approach without notice. Their cal
culations they say all proved Incorrect.
So confident were they of success n the
late expedition that two boxes Were received
under flag Of truce, one addressed - Lieut..
+. P. Williams, Commanding Fort SUMTER"
and another to Ensign Benjamin FL. Porter,
Fort Sumter" These were packed with lem
ons, >jeliies, liquors, &o, all evidently prepsr-
ed tpr a general gioriication.