Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-06-07

your flag is dowB, let us stop this firing.
One Of the officers replied: Our fsg II
not down, sir. 1t is yet flying from the
ramparts," Wigfall saw it where Pete
Hart and his comrade had nailed it. and
said: well, well, want to stop this. -
Holding out his sword and handkerchief
he said to one of the officers "Will you
hoist this2" "No, SIR" replied the officer
1T is for you, Gen. Wigfall, to stop them y
"Will any Of you hold this out OF the eIn
brasure p he asked No one Offering, he
said MAY l hold it, then?" ''If you
wish to-" was the cool reply. Wigial
spraag into the embrasure or portfolio and
waved the white Gag several times. A shot
striking near frightened him away, when
he cried out excitedly "Will you let some
ene show this fae?" Corporal Charles
Bringhurst by permission, took the hand
kerchief and waved it out Of the portfolio
but be soon abandoned the perilous duty
excaimipg: 81 won't hold that faQ, for
fihsy slpnrrespsefsiSs = fhoyryrp fgipgs ~
it." WisfaIl replica, iinpstienfiy issFii's'ssy
fred at me two or three times, aud stood
II; | should think you might stand IL once. 4"
Turningto Lieutenant Davis. he said: ''If
you will show white flag from your ram
parts, they will cease firing" 1T shall be
done" said Davis, ''if you request it, for
the purpose, and that alone, Of holding a
conference with Major Anderson"
The commander, in the meantime, with
Lieutenant Snyder and Surgeon Crs wforl
had passed out Of the sallyport to meet
Wigfall. He was not there, and they re
turned, and just as Davis had agreed to dis.
play white flag they came up. Wiefall
said to Major Anderson: IL come from Gen
Rna all xs-h usahn 70 oN4 -.
"Well, sir |" said Anderson, rising upon
ss he looked the traitor in the face with
sharp inquiry. You have defended your
flag nobly, sir, e" continued Wgfall You
have done all that can be done, sir. Your
fort is on fire. Let US stop this. Upon
what terms will you evacuate the fort, sir2'
Anderson replied "Gen. Beaursgard al
ready knows the terms upon which l will
evaeuate this fort, sir. Instead Of noon on
the 18th will go now" Il understand
you to say" said Wigiall, eagerly, "that
you will evacuate this fort now, sir, upon
the same terms proposed to you by Gen.
Beauregard?" Anderson answered: "Yes,
sir; upon those terms only, SIR" Then"
said Wigfall, inquiringly, :" the fort is to be
ours?" Yes, sir, upon those conditions,
answered Anderson. Then 1 will return
to General Beauregard," said Wigfal and
Immediately left. Believing what had been
said to him to be true, Major Anderson al
lowed white flag to be raised over the fort.
At little before o'clock, Colonels Ches-
nut Pryor, Miles wv. p, who was volun-
teer aid on Beauregard's staff aud Capt.
Lee, went over to Sumter, directly from the
presence of their commanding general, who
was at Fort Moultrie, to inquire the mean
ing of the white flag. When informed Of
tho visit of Wigfall, they EXCHANGED sirni6
cant glanees and smiles, and Colonel Ches-
nut frankly Informed Major Anderson that
the Texan .conspirstor had not seen Beaure-
gard during the last two days. Wishing to
secure for himself alone the honor of pro-
curing the surrender of Fort Sumter, Wig
fall had, BY Misrepresentation. obtained
leave from the commander on Morris Island
to GO to the heleaguered fort. He went
there with white Gag in his hand and a
black falsehood on his lips. and played a
most ludicrous part He was an acknowl.
edged and cherished leader of the rebellion.
and was an admirable representative of the
cause in which he was engaged. for it was
the offspring of falsehood and fraud.
Assured of Wigfall's mendacty, the de-
ceived and indignant commander said to the
new deputation: "That white flag shall
come down Immediately" They begged
him to leave matters as they were until they
could see Beauregard. He did SO, and the
firing ceased.
A Aludicrous incident occurred. COL Pryor,
armed with sword, pistols and bowie knife,
and assuming the air Of man who pos
sessed the fort and all within it, seeing a
tumber on table, and what he supposed
to be whisky hottie near it, poured out of
the latter sufficient quantity of the liquid
to half fill the former, and drank it. sup
posing it to be "Old Bourbon" The taste
not agreeing with its appearance, he in
uuired if it was water, when Surgeon Craw.
ford informed him that he had swallowed a
strong solution of the iedide of potassium,
dangerous poision. Pryor. with face pale
with terror. begged the Surgeon to give him
relief at once. His weapons were laid aside.
a powerful emetic was administered, and in
the course of an hour or so, that Infamous
VirQinian went on his way rejoicing at his
deliverance. Surgeon Crawford, wearing
the stars of Major General, met the
traitor, just at the close Of the war, in a
really sadder condition than when he ad-
ministered the friendly emetic.