The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-02-15
The Fan Of Fort Sumter.

ana the OeJHllS Oh HCu ludue 70 serve
them. Careful instructions were given
TO use the utmost economy in regard TO
what food was left, and the officers in
command Of the batteries were directed
not to unnecessarily expose their men
Outside the fort steamers, large and
small, were plying in every direction.
The buoy which marked the turn into
the harbor from the main channel, and,
which alone had been suffered to remain,
was taken up at about five O'Clock
10 the afternoon It's place was supplied
by three hunks loaded with combustible
material, the evident object of which was
to light the channel should the feet
whose arrival wasnow hourly anticipated,
attempt to enter by night. They were
anchored directly under the guns OF Fort
Moultrie. In this state of preparation
the night of the 18th of April closed
upon the hsrbor. Toward midnight the
officers of the garri on were aroused
by the report of the officer of the
day that a boat under q white flag
had arrived and that two messengers
from the confederate authorities had
again come TO the work. It was now
30 In the morning, when the aids of
the military commandment of the con
tederate forces, accompanied by Col.
Chisholm and Mr.. Roger A. Pryor, OF
Virginia, entered the work. They bore
a letter from BrigadieI General Beau
regard, commanding provisional army
Confederate States Of America, to Maj.
Anderson, to the effect that, in conse-
quence of the verbal observation made
to his aides in relation to the condition
of his supplies, and that he would soon
be starved out, he had communicated
the same to his government. The pro-
position was then made to him that f
he would state the time az which be
would evacuate the fort, and that mean
while he would agree not to use his guns
against the confederate forces unless
theirs should be employed against Fort
Sumter, Gen Beauregard would abstain
from opening fire upon him, and that his
aids were authorized to enter into such
arrangement,
Again the officers of the garrison were
assembled in consultation aud long de-
liberation followed. The question which
engaged the most serious consideration
was in regard to the provisions in the
fort, and how far the men, who were now
withoutssufticient or proper food, could be
relied upon for resistance. The bread sup
plies of the garrison were exhausted; moth
ing remained but short rations of pork
and coffee. Still it was earnestly desired
that the utmost expectations of the gov
eminent should be realized. and 1t was
determined TO hold out to the period de-
sired by them, the 18th instant. 1t was
agreed that the terms proposed, which
would tie the hands of the garrison and
neutralize l.. fire, conld not be acceded
To, and reply to the following effect was
made by Major ANDERSON:
"That il provided with proper means
he would evacuate the fort at noon on
the 10Th instant, providing he should not
receive controlling instructions or addi-
tional supplies from his government :
that he would not open the FIRE of his
batteries unless compelled to do so by
some hostile act or demonstration by the
confederate forces against his fort or the
flag it bore" No sOener had Col Ches
nut, the officer to whom it was handed,
read the reply of Major Anderson than
he pronounced it unsatisfactory and
made the following reply in writing:
FeRT SUMTER, ). C.,April y, 1861, 3:20 am.
SIR: By the authority of Brigadier- Gems
eral Beauregard, commanding the provisional
forces or the confederate states, we have the
honor to notify you that he viii open the fire
of his batteries upon Fort Sumter in one
hou. from this time. We have the honor to
be, We. respectfully. your Obedient servants,
JAMES -CHEsSUT, JR, Aid de-camp,
STEPHEN d. LEE, Captain {. 5. and A. j. c.
To Major r. ANDERSON, L. J. a. command
ing Fort Sumter.
Positive instructions from the con-
federate government bad been sent to
their agent in Charleston harbor that.
if this last proposition to Major Ander-
son was refused by him, he should re-
duce the fort as his judgment decided
to be most practicable. But little con-
versati0n followed the delivery to the
aids OF the reply to Maj. Anderson. An
inquiry as to the exact time in the morn
ing was made, which was found to be
$3.50 a. m.
The Confederate officers LETT the fort
without any formal leave taking, and
their boat soon disappeared in the dark
ness. Upon their arrival in Charleston,
and the delivery of Maj. Andersons re-
Spouse, telegram was sent to Montgom-
cry, informing the authorities that Mai.
Anderson "wOuld not consent" Inside
the work the men were informed of what
had happened, and directed to await the
summons to the guns. No fire was to be
returned until daylight. The night was
calm and clear and the sea was still
Fires were lighted in all the Confederate
works, when at 4:30 a. NJ, the silence
was broken by the discharge of mortar
from battery near Fort johnson, within
easy range of the work; shell rose high
in the air and burst directly over Fort
Sumter; its echo died away and all was
still again; when suddenly fire was
opened from every battery of the enemy.
At daylight all the gnns of Fort Sumter
farNs ,oH
all day. During the night of the 18th
the accurate range of the mortars
lodged a shell in the parade or about
the work at intervals of fifteen minutes
L. was estimated that over 2,6o0 suot
and shell struck the tort during the first
twenty-four hours. By morning the
fleet sent to our assistance appeared of
the bar, but did not enter. At s 80 on
the 18th the quarters took fire from the
effect of hot shot and could not be ex-
tinguished, and soon the entire barracks
were in a blaze. The barrels containing
powder were thrown into the sea. At
20 on the 18th the flagstaff, having
been struck four times, was shot awav
and the flag replaced upon the parapet
The firing upon the work was severe and
continued /; the return from the fort slow
and feeble, sounding like signals of distress !
TO the nation, and finally ceased alto
gether. Seeing the condition of things. |
Col. Wigiall CORNER U. ). senator from
Texas) pushed out in an open boat from |
Cummings Point, unauthorized, il is |
true, and, learning from Mai. Anderson |
that he would evscuate the fort upon |
the terms originally proposed to him. |
returned and communicated with Gen. |
Beauregard, who Immediately sent a
commission authorized to arrange terms /
for the evacuation, which were soon
agreed upon. The garrison was trans.
ferred to the large transport lying oft
bar, and was soon on its way to the
north. Many an eye turned toward the
fort, and as it sank at last
upon tbs horizon the smoke cloud still
hung heavily over its parapet. Mai
Gen. S. w. Crawford, u. S. A., in Phiis.
lelphia Weekly Times.
"A party of Indians were playing
ooker on Court street recently, and one
# the players, who was on bluff, having
III his money in the pot, pulled of his
blanket and raised his opponent one
blanket. The other Indian saw the raise
md raised it squaw better, and then
he buffer hesitated. He offered to mi
Up his mother, but the other player said
he was too old. and that he had put nm Il
lis wife and wanted the bet called with