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

On the 2lst of November Major Ander-
soI arrived to take the command In the
place OF Colonel Gardiner. He was hon
est, kind polite; an excellent officer, "a
! strong pro-slavery man" but apparently
| opposed TO secession. The insurgents had
now resolved to make their attack and the
approaching battle of Fort Moultre was
openly talked of all over the State. Yet
Maj jor Anderson had brought no reinforce
ments or supplies for the little garrison.
| They were dependant even Tor their food
| upon the tolerance of the seccessionists in
the city. Ii was plain that sixty or seven
| ~ men We're unable To hold any fort and
| the necessary duties of the garrison during
six months siege had worn upon their
strength with natural severity. The loyal
officers were Doubleday. Seymour, Foster.
| Jefferson {. Davis. aud several younger
men. Their commander cannot he mum
bered among the friends OF the Union. lie
neye- pretended to adopt warmly the ms.
| tioual side. aud his conduct toward the
secessionists served 10 convince our auth"r
that MAJOR Anderson was always opposed
To an active resistance to rebellion. The
loyal garrison for Anderson alone wa.
doubtful or uufaithful-were now weighed
down by watching and fatigue. More than
once Mr.. seymour aud Mr.. doubleday
i"oA their husbands places upon the ram
parts, aud acted a. seniiuals while thry
slept u December thsy were It'll forgot
tru OF neglected a. the North Oongres.
met. bot gave them no AID. a. this singu-
lar condition ut in,i~cls %. ~ one cared
2" bold the Joy al garrison ~ Charleston.
finad alone Watched them kesuly. L.
li'r rmasr be .sut Don Carlo. Buell.. ia.
Potter. h'. frirnd Aud agent. tp Andrr.ou.
~ith written urirTs directing him not 10
provoke hu.fllI. -. bat 20 resist - a..
lat .f atta,krj. BusH even discouraged
TIE garrison inHm making defeu-is- pr.p-
ara. i.1H.. .r-t thsy might irruat@ %. p,S-
ptr. aud Seueral Iauhirdsy thiuA, y
probable that MAJOR Andersan "a. ho,lul
bN .om~ secret iu-truCtlon from Fi1sd uo;
Q" rysisi the euemy az al 4 mystery .'Iii
"HNr.ff'r. Auder,un, conduct. AID De
seems tu have been prevented hy some
hlia"u inngrhce from using even the com
muue-t means Il s,ifyTcseyailon. FioII
had -eut one hundred and nfy woTkmcu
o. repair m" ton. la Charleston Harbor.
but they Ncrc nearly all secccssloulsts from
baltimore, and gave the garrison 40 help.
IL "a- supposed that Floyd Was repairing
the forts tor The benefit uf the insurgents.
to whom be hoped TO deliver them.
Ca the 2Oth OF Deccmber the Convention
met st hareston. and amid wild cries of
savag" enthusiasm. withdrew south Caro-
Ina from the Union. The con, piracy which
talhourn had plasred was AZ last perfect
ted, aud the little community OF slave hold
ers had fulfilled amer many years the de.
signs oil their active asitator. Charleston
rang with shouts and cheers; the secces-
slonists we're iull of hope; yet the State
was already burdeucd with heavy debt
and its commerce had passed away to Sl-
yannah. II khett and his followers had
been urged on ny an absurd self-c> teen. an
uureasoniu. ambition 10 rule. they must
already have felt some doubt of the filal
gratliication Of their lawless desires. One
or two Union men remained wise In the
midst OF a company Of folly. \ venerable
lawyer, Judge Petigrcw. even wept over
the madness OF his people. Some one ASK
ed him IL lac did not intend TO Join the sec
ces>ion movement. II should think not
he replied; South Carolina j. too small
for republic. and too large for u lunluc
asylum. The garrison Ia Fort Mouitre
could hear the shouts Of their enemies III
the city. They knew that FLOYD. Cobb,
Ioucey and Ihompson,o of BuChanan'- cab
met, we're traitors worse than the Charles
ton leaders. Soon orders came from Floyd
to Captain Foster 10 mount the guns on
Fort Sumter, aud they felt ihat if the or
ders were obcycd,they would be Command
ed by il superior strength, that the iusur-
=
turn It's artillery upon Moultrr. Ihi. was
probably Floyd's design. The officers
now pressed Anderson TO remove TO sum
ter, and at last he yielded TO their advice
he work OF repairs was still kept up al
Fort Moultre, when the garrison were To
be taken TO stronger fort whenever they
could escape the yigilence OF the toe. Fort
Sumter vas built on an artificial island
formed OF large blocks Of stone. It's walls
were OF dark. brick designed for three tiers
of guns. Gloomy and prison-lke In APP
pearance. it rose abruptly out of the water
IN the narrowest part OF Charleston harbor
for some time i, had been used as prison
for negroes captured in SLAYER, and It
still retained traces of their occupation.
From Fort Moulire il was distant about a
mile and over this long cxpause the armed
steamers of the seccessonists were cou-
stantly passing a careful watch was kept
over the loyal garrison.
Anderson. it is allowed. managed the
flight TO Sumter with unusual secrecy and
skill. No one but his staff officers knew
Of his design. Some schoonefs and barg
es had been hired. "a ii 10 transport the
soldiers families TO a neighborlug fort
johnson. kind of barracks. They we're
secretly filled with supplies, aud sent oil
with orders TO wait for the signal from
Fort Sumter. One evening (0ecember 2G),
when the sun was setting, Anderson said
TO Doubleday, quietly, Il have determined
TO evacuate this post Immediately for the
purpose of occupying Fort Sumter; can
only allow you twenty minutes to form
your company and be in readiness to start"
1t was brief period, yet in ten minutes
Captain Doubleday bade a sad farewell TO
his wife. who shared his perils, and in ten
minutes he saw his soldiers armed and
equipped in readiness 10 depart. A word
or whisper might distroy them. and they
looked every moment for rain of shot and
shell from the hostile troops around them.
Ii was after sunset, and the twilight deep
ened. There was faint hope that they
might escape in the gloom unseen. Silent
ly they left the fort, marched to the shore.
aud. hidden behind some rocks embarked
in the boats. Doubleday led the way, but
the oarsmen were unskilful, and. made
slow progress. A guard steamer approach
| ed. but fortunately stopped within few
hundred yards Of the iotilla. The dark
ness covered them. They reached Fort
Sumter, where they were met by crowds
OF workmen wearing secession badges,
who called out aBgrly, "Whst are all these
soldiers doing here:" II at once" says
our author. formed nv men, charged
bayonets. drove the tumutuons mass inside
the fort, and seized the guard-room which
commanded the main entrance" Captain
| Seyin and Foster also arrived safely.
The ladies Of the garrison were necessarily
left behind. Mrs. Doubleday paced the
beach all night, looking toward the dis
mt fort. and the others took refuge In the
city. Here they were treated with little
civilty, and afterward made their way to
| the North.
The bells rang out in Charleston; the
city was aroused early in the morning.
| when il was known that the garrison had
escaped. Governor Pinckney at once or
dered Fort Meultrie to be seized. the first
overt act of war. The Palmetto dag waved
over it. a hostile force seized the territory
OF the people. Meanwhile the Union nag
was raised upon Fort Sumter with religious
ceremonies. aud the strains of The STAR
spangled Banner" played by the military
band, floated over the still waters, and may
have reached the ears OF the foe.
Almost lost in the vast eXpanse Of the
| ts..i.I .A htnf .rf fhal