The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-01-06
sumpter and AIouItrie.

sumpter and MOuItrie.
Major General Doubleday says after
the occupation Of Sumpter there was
great indignation among the rebels,
and talk of n storming party daily was
heard but heavy wind which pre-
vailed for several days prevented this
until the fort was put in q thoroughly
defensive condition, and then the
Wholesale dread the rebels entertained
of hand-grenades and Internal
machines deferred them from an as
sault. For some time hundreds of
negroes were at work day and night
strengthening Fort Moultrie- and in
erecting new batteries to bear Oh Fort
Sumpter. The affair of the Star of the
West called all hands IN Suinpter to
quarters, but not gun was fired. In
the meatime Beauregard had taken
command of the rebels, and, learning
that the United States men of-war had
sailed for Charleston, offensive meas
ures were FASTENED. att
THE BON BARDMENT. a.a
"AbUut 4 a. M, on April II, | was
awakened by some one cropping about
my room in the dark and calling out
NV name. 1t was Anderson, who
came to announce to me that he had
Just received dispatch from Beau
regard, to the effect that he would
open fire on us in an hour. FINDING IL
was determined not to return the IRE
until after breakfast, / remained in
b d. As we had no lights, we could in
fact doing nothing before that time,
except to wander around In the dark
ness, and fire without an accurate view
of the enemy's works.
GAS soon as the outline OF our fort
could be distinguished, the army carri-
ed out the programme, 1t had been ar
ranged, rs a special compliment To the
venerable Edmund Rufiin, who might
almost be called the father of seces-
sion, that he should fire the first shot
against us, and it is asserted that he
did so /; but it is said by DIR. Crawford
and others ON the parapet that the ilrst
shot, signal gun, came from the NOR
tar battery at Fort johnson. Almost
Immediately afterward Il ball from
Cummings Point lodged in the maya
zine wall, and by the sound seemed TO
bury itself in the masonry foot from
my head, and in very unpleasant
proximity to my right ear. In mo-
ment the fire burst forth in one con-
tiDuous roar, and large patches of both
the exterior and interior masonry
hogan to crum BILE and fall in all direc.
tions. The place where was had
been used for the manufacture OF cart
ridges, and there was still a good deal
of powder there, some packed anu
some loose. A shell soon struck near
the ventilator, and pun OF dense
smoke entered the room, giving me a
strong impression that there would be
an immediate explosion. fortunately
no sparks had penetrated inside.
Nineteen batteries were now hammer
ing at us, and the balls and shells from
The tep-inch columbiads accompanied
by shells from the thirteen-inch NOR
fairs, which constantly bombarded US,
made us feel as if the war had COM
menced in earnest.
HIYhen it was broad daylight, went
down to breakfast. | found the officers
already assem- bled at one of the long
tables i'm the mess hall. Our party were
calm. and even somewhat merry. we
had retained u colored man to wait on
us. He was spruce-looking mulatto
from Charleston, very active and eilici
ont OH ordinary occasions, but no"
completely demoraliZed by the thun'
der of the guns and crashing OF IN.
shot around us. lie leaned DacE
against the wall, almost white VIII
fear, his eyes closed, and his whole
EXPRESSION one of perfect despair"
The story of the bombardment is ia
miliar to all, but after the fort had
been on fire several hours, the sol
| dlers nearly suffocated by the smoke
and repeated explosions of powder
and shells had taken place, the begin
I ming of the end is easily described.
"The scene at this time was really
terrific. The roaring and cracking o
the flames, the dense masses OF
wbirlinp smoke, the bursting OF the
onamy,s shells and our own, which
we're exploded in the burning rooms,
The crashing of the shot and, the souno
of masonry falling in every dlre s,li
made the fort pandemonium. When
at last, nothing was left in the puiia
in inc but the blackened walls ant
. smouldering embers, it became pain
r fnlly evident that an immense amour
: Of damage was done. There was
tnwer at each angle of the fort. ON
of these, containing great Quantities Q
shells was almost completely sh ls
. tered by successive explosions. I'm
: massive wooden gates, studded wiz,
IRON nails, were burned, and the wal
butt behind them was now q ~ he ~
: Sean of debris, so that the nam en- l
: trance was wide open for any attack
inc marty. The sally-ports were IN IN
! same condition, and the humetou
y windows OH the gorge side, when NAV Ia,
D. been planked up, had now pecoin
: all open entrances" a.
n il no wonder amid all THIS storl
: and smoke that Anders ON gave up
i. last.
D. Mr. Joshua Montgomery Sears,
= stndent in Yale College, attained ID
= o'" Nh ristm0q Day. and VIII