Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-14
AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL Coz.
LEGE OF mississippi

4
LEGE OF MISSISSIPPI,
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, Oct z, 1889 !
To the Editor of the Times Democrat:
In your issue OF October Sunday, is an
article, "FOrt and Fleet-The First Gun of
the War, ,"signed "M. Quad" wish to cor
rect an error, which has almost passed into
an historical fact. 1t is this: That. Edmund
Ruffn, of Virginia, did not fire the first gun
at Fort Sumter, but that Capt. George 8.
James, of South Carolina, afterward killed
when Lieutenant Colonel at Boonsboro',
Md, did fire It,
The writer was a Captain of the South
Carolina army at the time and an aide.de.
camp on the staff of General Beauregard.
He now has before him a diary written at
the time, ana there can be no mistake as to
the fact.
The summons for the surrender or evacua-
tion was carried by Colonel Chestnut, of
South Carolina, and Captain s. d. Lee
They arrived at Sumter at 2:20 p. m, April
IL. Major Anderson declined to surrender,
but remarked; "He would be starved out in
q few days, IL he was not knocked to pieces
by General B 5auregard's batteriesn This
remark was repeated to General Beauregard,
who informed President Davis. The
result was q second message was sent TO
Major Anderson by the same officers, ac-
companied by Roger A. Pryor, Of Virginia,
and Colonel Chisholm, of South Carolina.
The messengers arrived at Sumter at 1925
a. m, April IL. Major Anderson was in
formed that II he would say that he would
surrender on April Is, aud In the meantime
would OF frs on General Beauregard's bat.
teries, unless he was fired on, he would be
allowed that time; also, that he would not
be allowed to receive provisions from the
United States authorities. The Major de-
clined to accede to this arragement, say
ing he would not open fire unless
a hostile act was committed against
his fort or his flag, but that IL he
could be supplied with provisions before
the 18Th OF April, he would receive them,
and In that event he would not surrender.
This reply being unsatisfactory, Colonel
James Chestnut and Captain s. D. Lee gave
the Msjor written communication, dated
"Fort Sumter, 8. c., April IL, 1861, 3:2O a.
M" informing him, by authority OF General
Beauregard, that the batteries of General
Beauregard would open on the fort ia one
hour from that time.
The party, as designated, then proceeded
in their boat to Fort johnson, on James
Island, ana delivered the order to- Captain
George 8. James, commanding the mortar
battery, to open fire on Fort Sumter. At
4:30 a. m. the first gun was fired at Fort
Sumter, and at 4:40 the second gun was
fired from the same battery. Capt. James
offered the honor OF firing the first shot to
Roger A. Pryor, of Virginia. He declined,
saying he could not fire the first gun. An
other officer then offered to take Pryor's
place. James replied, "Nol l will fire 1t
myself" And he did fire it. At
AIS q. m. nearly all the batteries
in the harbor were firing on Sum
ter. Mr.. Edmund Ruffin, who was much
beloved and respected, was at the Iron Bat
terry on Morris Island. l always under
stood he fred the first gun from the Iron
Battery, but one thing is certain-he never
fired the first gun against Fort Sumter.
George 8. James did. Nor did he fire the
second gun. He may have fred the third
gun, or first gun from the Iron Battery, on
Morris Island.
Yours, respectfully, s. D. LEE