The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-10-16

was remarkable, under the rcnhlst -
At length during the morning, OF aprIi ~
Secretary l.. p. Walker telegrapheu -
Beauregard = e u+bor7od
IF you have 10 doubt OF the aulnoll1t -
character OF the agent who communicates 70
Won the intention Of the Washington GOV
ernment to supply Fort Sumter BY force;
Won will at once demand its evacuation ana
if this is refused, proceed in such a manner
as YOU may determine to reduce II.
Accordingly at , p. ~. Beauregard sent
hi Jcmand for the evacuation of the fort /;
a~nowinr the Garrison to march out with PR
vote arms and stores: to Salute their Tag
With so guns. and to 90 North on any VeSsel
they might name, direct from the fort thus
relieving the garrison from even the seMp-
lance of capture. The demand. be II re-
membcred, was simply for Wlthd:awal,
which could involve no stigma as the tort
vas Impoverished. and 100 men coula Ho1
hope to cope with 1000. Anderson Ieplieu
that his sense Of honor forbade compliance.
He added verbally-.If you do not batter
us IN pieces we shall be starved out N 4 few
days"
Beauregard again tclegraphed to Mont
gomery for instructions. Late at nl3no
Secretary Walker replied = !,
eve do not desire needlessly to lombard
Fort Sumpter. If Major Anderson Will state
the time at which, as indicated by him, he
will eyacuate. YOU are authorized thus to
aroia tie ctiusion Of Mood. If this, or is
e~quirolcat, be refused, reduce the fort as
your judgment decides to tie the most prac-
ticable.'
This surely was rare moderation and tor
bearance, in the face OF the rebuff, after
given to the Confederate Peace Commits
%sioners at Washington. Consider the fact
that an handful of enemies had been per
mitted to haunt their hostile flag, and aim
hostile guns, holding the onnmerce of the
harbor, and the lives Of fifty thousand cltl-
zens under their range, for four months,
without any attempt to dislodge OF interfere
with them! And now, after the Lincoln
government had virtually declared war, and
with the reinforcing feet already in sight,
(the Harriet Lane was sighted off the Bar,
at dusk on Thursday evening, three hours
before Beauregards final demand, all that
a day when he would withdraw, if not re
lieved. The demand was refused though.
after his capture, Anderson admitted he had
only three days %rations.
THIRrY THOUSAND SPECTATORS.
Upon the return of Col. Chestnut from
Sumpter, near midnight, bringing Ander-
SON reply-orders were issued to open fire
at 4 A. NJ.
Meanwhile the city had gotten inkling Of
Beauregards demands, which joined with
the report OF the arrival of the enemys feet,
caused an extraordinary popular feTment.
Bells rang continuously, signal guns re-
sounded, homes were deserted, and the
whole population thronged the waterfront,
the beautiful promenade battery, the
wharves, and shipping, where a large por-
ton renamed throughout the night, strain
their eyes to seward, seeking to catch a
glimpse OF the coming foe, or see the first
flash of fire from the batteries where their
own sons and brothers were awaiting the
The massive outlines of Sumpter
doomed up like a granite block amid the
dark eXpanse CT water, but not a glimmer of
light shOne from It's triple tier of ports.
The great clock of St. Michaels slowly
pealed the hours to midnighta and beyond; the
city lights grew dim: dense clouds obscured
the horizon, a strong gale tossed the salt spray
over the weary watchers, yet thousands re-
named the night through, peering into the
little dreaming that in this they
were out types OF the attitude soon to be
assumed by the whole south, and maintain
ed through years Of gloom and painful un-
certainty
In the Batteries all was activity and en-
Sand bag screens were torn awav
rom before the guns; shot and shells were
pied up; hospital appliances arranged; and
things got IN readiness for the long ex-
oected fray. The troops were mostly young
men accustomed to dainty lives, but thew
we're OF the best blood Of the State,-nay,
u the south, tor hundreds Of youths from
very Southern State had come to ioin the
ortunes OF the Palmetto Boys; and al
new how to meet grave duties. MANY
members OF the Legislature and State Con
'entlon served as privates in the ranks.
Many distinguished gentlemen occun;ed
.al1o4s capacities. AS aides to Beaureaard
we're 7. :. Senator'S Chestnut, and Wigfall.
q q p eS af1i congressman Roger A. Pryor
,laxcv " Graaa eA-W w Manning, and others,
'ea5rlng, Frank j. Moses, (afterwards ron
gade Goyernor) and others. Gen. James
'lmlnons commanded on Morris Island IT,
Edmund Rufin, of Va. tal;n9