News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-10-19

where the walls were dug out to dis
tance of ten feet. During the day many
a bomb fell into the inclosure, and il
seemed miracle that half the garrison
had not been wiped out.
When day broke again 20, 900 pairs OF
eyes were strained to catch sight of the
fort. The flag was ripping in the morn
ing breeze. Twenty-four hours of the
most terrific pounding had failed to
bring down the stars and stripes or
weaken the brave hearts of the defend
ers. The men went to breakfast as be-
fore, were again tolled off into reliefs,
and as day broke in all its glory the
guns began believing defiance. Long
before noon hot shell rekindled the fires,
and at noon the barracks were burning
fercely. From this hour the guns were
fired only at long intervals, every man
in the fort being wanted elsewhere
Much of the powder was thrown out of
the embrasures into the sea, followed
by all the loaded shella-Fhich could be
got at, but the explosions in the she'll
room were plainly heard at Charleston.
The flames from the burning barracks
could be seen from Moultrie and other
elevated points, and the Confederate
fire was redoubled to push the garrison
to desperation.
Utterly unmindful of the fight with
out the garrison battled against the dan
ger within. At one time during the af-
ternoon the shell-room was on fire, the
barracks burning, the main gate ablaze,
aud every wooden building inside the
fort walls ready to go. Every four or
five minutes great bomb dropped from
the sky and exploded with terrific vio-
lence, and it seemed wonderful that the
garrison did not give up in despair. The
remainder of the powder was wet down
or thrown out, and then the men could
only stand by and let the flames have
full sweep.
"Have they surrendered ?" was the
query in the Confederate forts and bat
teries as the clouds of smoke hid the
flag, but now and then the query was
answered as the wind rolled the sitting
curtain aside and the old flag was seen
streaming out to the breeze.
Anderson would have held Fort Sum-
ter another night at least had it rest
ed with him to raise the white flag. But
the flag came from the Oonfederates,
borne by Wigfall. That the Senator
was acting solely on his own account,
and that he had not even conferred with
Beauregard, was shown by the fact that
he rowed to the fort under the fire of
his friends, and that several balls fell
around him as he waited at an embras-
ure for admittance. He had come to
propose a surrender, and Anderson was
ready to come to terms. Federal his
tory finds the Major in full uniform,
sword and stern dignity. He
was begrimed with smoke, covered with
cinders and received WigfalI with
courtesy. The terms agreed upon had
to be sanctioned by Beauregard, and
they were -far-better terms than were
ever subsequently a'5O~-uOel 90 either
side.
Maj. Anderson's position was an en-
one in every sense, and his
was probably considered the
only alternative. Had he maintained |
the fight he could not have been |
bombarded out in fortnight, but at
the same time he could have inflicted |
no injury on the Confederates, and there
was not vessel IN the Federal navy at |
that time which could have run the |
gauntlet and brought him succor.
M. QUAD.