Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-10-13
Letter from Col. O. d. Anderson.
PARTICULARS OF THE SURRENDER OF FORT
GAINAS

| PARTICULARS OF THE SURRENDER OF FORT
GAINES.
The Mobile Register publishes the following extract
from letter from Colonel And 7rson bis wife, dated
| " Military Prison, New Orleans, AuSuat 18Th -
I was compelled to surrender Fort Gaines through
feelings OF mercy for my officers and men who earnestly
appealed to me. The position YVES utterly unenable,
the f3et having passed and overwhelming force be-
siegng by land the only three guys 3ith which could
have responded to the feet disabled my picket line
driven back the last Ioteh, the ditch and parapes
swept from every direction by tie enemy shot and
she'll, safe shelter in the miserable apology for
fortfcation, two sick having BEEN killed in what
YVES considered the bess casema'e. threatened with
tremendous ccLhagraton from the buildings within, and
the magsz'.Ts in great dagger OF being blown up, and
ell hope OF escape, OF accom- sblug the slightest
good by holding GU, gone. did not consider Mobile
in danger for the enemy bad evidently not come PFC
pared for any hing except gain the haroor for safe
anchorage, and preliminary sep towards further
operations in the fell. As the hcet in,
Col Williams rerea>ed with his command, and therein
acted more sensbly than any of US. Toe whole line
ought to have been prepared for the same time
Under these circumstances my command was seized
with the appalling conviction that hope
less and seemed pAraizad with the prospect OF certain
and useless des uction real zed all these horrors OF
the situation, but SAID noLhug, but continued dllgent
~ to make the necessary d8pC stons and give encour
agement, being resolved making the best fsh, that
possible. When, however The officers Came to me
after midnight while hard at work. and expressed
themselves decidedly 10 favor Of s1rrentcr, aud
sured NE that their cOncured with them, a.
once that nothing more could be done. You may i'm
agine with what crushing humiliation this conclusion
came upon me- for as yet had only sixteen or seven
teen killed aud wounded aud knew that it
pected of me to do something for the reputation
and the honor CT the flag.
exoeced to be oa,reced ard could rot ma n ain
the etiquette of the military code without exhibiting
too much se6shness nothing was left me but TO COI-
suit the great natural ard moral law which prompted
a. T oI,vIf bcFk h<
scrape BY demanding to be rtieved bu, thought that
would only make matters worse, for had any o.her Off
GER even Gen Page himself attempted to fight that fort
another hour feel satirsd that there ~oud have been
mutiny and a really dsgrcce'ul surrender at last.
see it has been stated that acted contrary to the
express orders OF Gen. Page. This is not true pre-
viousy intima ed to him my condtioo, ADD that would
have suecumb, but be cuarg me- 70 do the best
I could. He knew quite we'll that the fort could not
hold out to make sht and that the time Tor orders
from him had pa sed. | also blamed for not an
sgering his signals III FIR this il, that nego
tiaions then pe1diDg, under flag OF truce, aud
therefore, had no right 10 communicate. Asregards
nv consulting him about the surrender, Was cut of
aud SURROUNDED, and could only act my respon-
sibiy Besides this Capte. Smith and Ihom had
visited Fort Gaines only toe night previous and fore
seeing the inevitable ult, they told me that the Cen
eral left the matter entirely with Gen. Page also
came over while l. at the heet, and learolng the
W.T. lie state of affairs, why did not command
Illustrate just for Ole day. the mad, torl0rn and
unavaiiiog speratlon of making human slaughter
zen OF Fort t4aues las lad OF this, however,
iurned immediately, thus avoiding sly implication,
which, for bis sake, was exactly went [ desired as
entertained the highest possible regard f Gan Page,
I'd felt conscentlousy that dong the best that
cOulG be done under the circumstances regret exceed
Dgly to suspect that the General had not much char
i1y for
AS for other caumnes so literally bestowed On me,
shall not trouble myself TO reflte tG6m. hearth
y sustained by my whole command 10 the course l
pursued, who alone could July appreciate the cIcum-
DE sustained by the fa1h4ra mothers WIVES sisters and
little children represented Ia that command.
Re- assured that it will come right after while
Meantime do not suffer yoarael to be annoyed hy ~hat
y, u may hear deroga DRY to me.
You cannot conceive he curious and absufdly false
that in circulation about among
Southern sympstnlzars nere such, for Instance that
am Baltimore Plug-ugy AID sold Fort danes, and
numbers Of taking OATH OF aiegjau to
tie U0ied States, &C. Oar fri nds here rapidly
rvIDg at the truth, however, and the ladies' wno
still ondy devoted to Cause, vieDg vi n each
other in doing honor and kindness, though are
not permitted to look upon their fair faces. ihe
KEGS will not allow to do 80, because they cay they
can't control ladies. Verify loyal people 10
the South cannot be fGund.
will write you in my next OF my condition here,
which is anything but pleasant. J AN quite WYll at
present. My love to all.
Afsc!ionatey your husband,
u. D. ANDERSON.