Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-11

told off into reliefs and as day broke I'm all It's
glory the guns began believing defiance Long
before noon hot shot rekindled the fires and at
noon the barracks were burning fiercely. From
this hour the guns were fired only at long inter-
walls, every man in the fort being wanted else
where Much of the powder was thrown out of
the embrasures into the sea- followed by all the
loaded shells which could be got at, but the ex-
piosions In the shei-room were plainly heard in
Charleston. The flames from the burning bar
racks 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 without the
garrison battled against the dangers within.
At one time during the afternoon the shell-room
was on fire. the barracks burning. the main gate
aDlaze, and every wooden building inside the
fort walls ready to go. Every four or FIVE min
utes great bomb dropped from the sky and
EXPLODED with terrific violence and it seemed
wonderful that the garrison did not give ND i'm
despair. The remainder of the powder was wet
GOWN or thrown out, and then the men could
only stand by and let the flames havefull sweep
=, Have they surrendered" was the query in
tne confederate forts and batteries as the clouds
hid the nag, but now and then the query was
answered as the wind rolled the sitting curtains
aside and the old flag was seen streaming out to
the breeze
Anderson would have held Fort Sumter
another night at least had it rested with him to
raise the white flag. But the flag came from
Senator was acting solely on his own account,
and that he had not even conferred with Beaure-
gard, 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 embrasure for admittance He had come to
propose surrender, and Anderson was ready
to come to terms. Federal history finds the
Major in full uniform, cianking sword and
stern dignity. He was begrimed with smoke
covered with cinders and received Wiefall
cOurtpSV q haI to
be sanctioned by Beauregard. and they were far
better terms than were ever subsequently, ac-
corded on either side.
1t is not disputed that Anderson made brave
defense-fOr the opening of the war. Two years
after he would have been cashiered for surrell-
dering under like circumstances In after DAYS.
When that island was no more than brick pile,
men defended it against such commandments as
the world had never seen-defended it against
attacks by small bOats-held it in spite of not
tWenty-fOur hours cannOnade, but long weeks
of bombardment.
Anderson knew that the storm was coming
and he had ample time to purchase provisions
Tor Siege of. a week at least. He had time to
tear down the barracks and make other prepar-
atoms. Some commanders would have assumed
the authority to act. even though the Washing
ton government was handling the question with
gloves.
As to provisions. Headey saws the men ate
their last cracker before the surrender TIadi-
tioHs hds IL t1lS. ana the truth Will be an I'M
Pheasant revelation. Later on in the war 100
men would have lived for two weeks on the
provisions left after the surrender and no man
would have lived on half ratiOns While the
fire was hot and long continued not man was
killed by it. While the fort was ably knocked
about 1t did not receive one-half the damage
inflicted by federal fleet in six hours one day
i'll 1868. While Anderson received the fire of
old-fashioned ordnance. the fort under a con-
federate commander received such a pounding
from new and enormous projectiles that the
bursting of a shell against the walls made the
whole island tremble
Major Anderson's position was an embarrass-
II g one in every sense, and his surrender was
pro ABLY considered the only alternative Had
he maintained the fight he could not have been
bombarded out in fortngh but at the same
time he could. have inflicted no injury on the
cOnfederates, and there was not a vessel in the
federal navy at that time which could have run
the gauntlet and brought him succor