The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-09-11

regulars ana the NOlullttl up '
in a body TO consult with the President as 70
the best means of preventing ~bloodshea'
Mr.. Buchanan showed them the of1lclai ~
structions sent to Anderson by the Secretary
OF War tO-wit:-
..colison Of the troops with the people OF me c.ats
.'should be avoided, and OF our studied ceternlha'ol
"o : guard against such COLLISION. " 10
therefore carefully ABsTAIsED FROM - wbict
"FORCE At THIS POINT, and taking an! measu,es -;
..mig9; ada to the present excite, e E sonr force e vii not
''perlnit you to occupy, perhaps. more than one " -
three for0s, Dut Az ATTACK. ana - La ra,arded a.
.PossEssIcS Of either one of them, VIII 2 E a. .
ian act OF hostility, and YoU MAY THEN put your com
'mand into either of them which you may Gee" ~
.most proper to increase its power OF resistance.
Here a specific contingency was PROVIDED
for. pending which the garrison ana 1ort'
were to remain as heretofore. Nothing more
could be asked. The congressman thercupoi
gave to the President a written pledge tina
no attack or interference should be attempted
against the Federal troops, except after due
notice, and the failure OF amlcable ADJUST
ment Of the relations between the common
wealth and the Federal tnlOn,- PROVIDED
that no achievements be sent TO the 1Orts
and that Meirrelotre military status shdH re-
q as at present." Thus there seemed nc
likelihood of any clashing, at least untll al
negotiation was at an end.
Major Anderson. however, had reasons o.
his own Tor deciding on a step which WOulo
attract attention to himself, and change his
position from dull waiting to active self-as
%sertion. if not actual hostility. 1t Is posi-
bic he chated under the idea OF owing h;s
freedom from molestation to the torbearanct
of the South C~arolinians, rather than to the
terror of his. own guns. Possibly he was
moved oy the fears ofhis wife who had gone
to Washington a few days previous. as the
kilograms reported, demanding reinforce
ments for the garrison, and declaring that
the blood Of her husband and his men would
be upon the head of the President unless ne
sent them As giving color to this view,
it NAV be remarked that Anderson's own
dispatch to the Secretary Of Wan sald-"l
abandoned TT. Moultrie, because if attacked
my command wouM hare been sacrificed, :
etc. Yet Major General S. W. Crawford,
who at the time was one OF AndersOn's Cap
tains, says { II IA card dated August $780,
The change of base was conceived and exc
cuted by Maj. Anderson alone without con-
sultatiOn with any one: the officers learned
of his purpose only that day. There was 10
excitement among his officers, nor uos there
then, or ut uny time before, any m~terrupttOn
ofMe courtesy uhtch had characterized the
intercourse Of the garrison, and the citizens OF
(H0r{estOn.'
THE FIRST ACT OF WAR.
On Christmas day, Major Anderson and
several of his officers were invited to dine
with prominent citizens of the city. AS
usual in Southern towns the beginning of
the holiday week was observed as a kind of
social carnival; the slaves, especially, turn
ing out in large numbers to congregate on
the streets, and enjoy a commingling of fire
works and fire-water.
Having thrown the Charlestonians off
their c,..rd, the Federal commander sudden
~ a%ssclnp ed his men, and with great secresy,
under co. CT of the night, fled across the wa
ter to Fort Sumpter, the new and powerful
fortress, just con- pleted at the mouth of the
Harbor. The citizens relying upon the i'm
piled agreement with Anderson, and the
pledges of Buchanan, had set no guard; so
that not a suspicion OF the affair occurred to
them until the sound of exploding shells, re-
vcaied that the garrison had fled from Moul-
tire, after destroying it's quarters, spiking
the guns. and burning the carriages. etc.
The flag floating at Sumpter, and the guns
trained OH the city told the rest.
THE FAMOUS FORT.
Fort Sumptcr was appropriately named
after one of the staunchest compatriots of
lIldl -IOuiiTlc WHOSE name IN connection
with the palmetto log fort, on the mainland,
already had become historic. The fort, which
is virtually a granite island in the middle of
the entrance to the Bay, stands &C feet above
the wafer line. in the shape of a truncated
lentagon, with three tiers ofguns command
the channel at point blank range. The
foundations, which are of artificial blocks of
stone chips OF granite and cOncrete). firmly
i'm bcddcd in the sand and mud. required
ten years, and half a million of dollars to
compete. The walls were eight feet thick.
and arose abruptly from he water, present
ing no posslb'e toothold for a storminc par
ty. The guns were the heaviest known to
the Federal service, viz:-30 sixty-four-
Founders. SO thlrty-two-pounders, 40 twenty
four Founders, II ten-inch Columbiads. and
mortarS, throwing shells of the size of
barrels. These guns could easily de-
stroy the city about 80 miles distant across
the Bay. They also commanded Fort Moul-
tric.
WHAT FOLLOWED.
Tba 1.oyor- If AnJorro.. a.