Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-05-04

cruisers might territy even England into
amity. No bounds were set to the mad
visions OF the secessionists. aud all the hor-
riole cruelty aud avarice OF a natural bar
oarism were to be eratifled by a revival OF
siave-trsde limitless and profitable be-
yond all that had ever been known. Char
lesion was 10 be the bsrracoon of the con
tinent, and Africa it, FL Dorado of human
flesh aud blood. such were the visions OF
Beauregard. Rhett, Piokens and their CON-
psnions; aud II the Confederate Congress
ventnred 10 check tneir aspirations for the
present, no Que can doubt that in success
they would have been easily revived bur
a new element came into the contest. ~
whose power Rhcu nor BcauregArd va
conscious. The West aud the great North
west began To clauIor for the relief 81 the
prisoner. IA Fort sumter lea tones that "a
long been threatening; patrl1tie mru M
th" Eastern capitals sent them ford n.
~a- ooen Intercepted. and proposed %
rescue them by force, the Whole country
Was ashamed oi ~ DELAY. the people DE-
mandrJ astiau- Lincoln bad resolved nrs /
er io abandon >uiufrr. ~ . Yield a f,rl 81
gun . the rebel, 30 prepared secretly
a. expedition O. relieve the garrison. anI
the spies by whnm b. Nas surrounded a.
most a. soon sent ness ~ his Dr. gu ~ the
rrbrliipus chiefs
NJ sooner did Besnregard hear that a
powerful fleet was - be sent % tharirs-
tan HarpoT than he drtermined % COM
mcncc the ATTACK All hts preparation.
Nsrr maze, his lines we're a.l uni.bel
So Ihou-ard men surrounded the .iNty in
the fort. Ntusteen batteries. with .uh.
ot cIirapriinary wclgaf. bore upon the
iear sides ~ ~unier. the 5th looked ~ thr
sea bu the Gih - April the naval rxt,,-
d.tipu saiied from N~w YORK aud on the
sth Beanregafi cut of all supplies from
the br-l~Sed. The garrison kuew that a.
ihr unequal struggle drew near, that the a.
sauit must soon begin, ami once more tu.l
ot lifr aud gAycty, a ~ glad 10 escape
tom the mon"touy OF their prisou-llke re-
pose. laughed, sang. and whi-tled in their
iabpr-. " m no TODD bat pork And water
with no candles 10 light the dcsulat- tort
a. night, Cramped aud confined, ;hcy look
ell forward with pleasure to the unequal
contest. On the lOjh BeiurcSars sent his
Officers % demand the surrender OF the
tort. .lrr.'n refused, but suggested to
the messengers that he must soon be >tary-
ed into submission. On the l2th, while
asleep, Captain Doubleday was awakened
BY some one groping in hls room, calling
oat his name; It was major Anderson. who
told him that Beauregard had sent a dis
patch To say that he would begin the at
tack within one hour. There were no can.
dies nor matches, and Captain Doubleday
lay IL his beti-ior he knew all his strength
would be needed until the faint light OF
morning opened upon an eventual Gay.
As the day dawned (Aprl IL was fired
the first shot from Cummings Point bat
terry. aimed by the suicidal hard OF the
aged Ruilin. It crashed into me masonry,
and struck within short distance OF Cap
tain DoLblrday's head. All the hostile
batteries now opened with cea-ele>s
rudnd OF shot aud she'll upon the crumbl-
ing tort; the masonry gave way the walls
shook; terrible light OF explosive mis-
sI,rs, sailin. through the air. fell within
the Inclosurc: gun from Cummings
Point drove its shot through the walls.
covering the garrison with Rubbish and
brush. In the midst OF the uproar the I'm
lon officers took their frugal meal ot pork
and water. ssviu. all their strength tor
the laOOrs Yet TO come Then captain
Doubleday aimed the first gun AT the reb-
els, aud saw the shot bound of from the
sloplng roof of Cummings Point. The
fort now fired regularly. Amidst the hor-
rble rain OF missiles its brave defenders
went cheeriuly 10 their labOrs; immense
shells sailing over their heads buried them
selves in the garth and shook the tort like
an earthquake" The brick walls could
not resist the new guns, but the casemateS
were safe; and with frequent jests the
weary men served their imperfect artillery
But Anderson still interfered Ia check
their ardor. He refused to allow them 10
use the upper tier Of guns. which were tn"
most dangerous To the foe, which might
have laid the rebel batteries Ia ruins aud
reached even the distant city When he
was told sfter the surrender by a South
ern officer that no one had been hurt on
their side Thank God for that" he said.
The DAY passed on amidst war of artill-
cry, = crash OF shot and shell, and con
te.t that even in its disparity was not uu-
equal. The garrison were not discouraged.
and sixty honest men had nearly proved a
match for six thousand traitors The
masts of the fleet that had come to aid them
appeared over The bar. All the help they
needed seemed to lie within their reach.
But il was too late. No vessel could live
amidst the storm OF shot and shell that
ralned down upon them.
They We're left to their fate, and night
descending gave them a short repose.
Darkness settled upon the vast and ruined
fort. They had no light, but crept to their
beds in the gloom; some watched mean
a hight attack by the enemy. Few slept
well or long; the batteries OF the enemy
still played upon them at intervals, and
the roar OF the guns awoke the silent har-
Dor.
On the 18th, the last great day at sum
ter, the garrison took their simple meal to-
gether, and amidst fierce fire manned
their guns. In the midst of the fort stood
the officers quarters, large and inilam
mable building, which might easily have
been removed, but which took fire early in
the morning from the enemy's hot shot.
and soon burst into heavy mass offlame.
The magazine, filled with three hundred
barrels of powder, lay not tar of Officers
and men, strnck with the danger, began To
roll the barrels through the sparks. and
fame to distant part OF the for. The en-
emy when they saw the smoke rising in
great masses over Sumter. redoubled their
fire OF shot and shell. In vain the garrison
sirove to check the flames, and by IL A. NJ.
one-ffth OF the tort was on fire. Thick
clouds of smoke. driven ny strong wind.
covered and nearly sutiocated them. Solnc
lay down close to the ground with hand
kerchiefs in their mouths Our author
crawled out on the edge of an embra>urc,
where he was covered by the enemy shot.
The trin. of the fort had ceased. The
walls cracked and fell before the Intense
heat; the wooden gates broke into flame !;
only a waste and blackened ruin remained,
upon which the mercless besiegers still
poured horrible rain of shot and she'll
No one in the tort was killed, and only
one man dangerously wounded. But resist
dnce was now over. Beauregard treated
the garrison courteously; they were per-
mitted to evacuate the fort with flags iy-
ing and drums beating, while all over the
bay q fleet of boats filled with spectators
from all parts of the South watched with
exultation the departure OF the troops.
Sixty weary men had been beaten by six
thousand; Charleston again rang with
shouts of joy. The Roman Catholic bish
op, Lynch, celebrated Te Deum in honor
of the first victory of the Contederacy. The
thoughtless people saw in the fall OF Sum
ter an omen Of the destruction Of that pow
erful Union beneath whose shelter they
had so long reposed securely. Nor did
they fOresee In their madness the retribu-
! tion that must await them in the future,
the dreadful siege, the blazing city. the
tears. the woes, the ruin of their native
State. Who could then imagine that