Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-20
WHO FIRST E1pED Ar S,r,,rrp
The Chance offered to Roger Il. Pryor, ana
accepted by George S. James.

| The Chance offered to Roger A. Pryor, and
accepted by George S. James.
New Orleans Times Democrat.
wish to correct an error, which has,
| almost passed into an historical fact. It
| is this. That Edmund Ruffn of Virginia
| did not fire the first gun at Fort Sumter.
but that Capt George S. James of South
Carolina, afterward killed when lieuten-
ant colonel at ,Boonsborough, Md, did
| fire it.
The writer was captain of the South
| Carolina army at the time, and an aide
+! de-camp on the staff of Gen. Beauregard.
He now has before him diary written at
the time, and there can be no mistake as
| to the fact.
The summon for the surrender or evacu--
alton was carried by Col. Chestnut of South
Carolina, and Capt. S. D. Lee. They ar
| rived at Sumter at 2:2O p. M, April IL.
Major Anderson declined to surrender,
but remarked, 'sHe would be starved ont
in few days if he was not knocked to-
pieces by Gen. Beauregard's batteries.''
This remark was repeated to Gen. Beaure-
gard, Who Informed President Davis. The
result was a second message was sent
to Major Anderson by the same
officers, accompanied by Roger A.
Pryor, of Virginia and Col. Chisholm.
of South Carolina. The messengers ar
rived at Sumter at 1926 a. M, April r..
Major Anderson was informed that if he
would say that he would surrender on
April 15, and in the meantime would not
fire on!Gen. Beauregard's batteries,unl 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 declined to accede
to this arrangement, saying he.
would not open fire unless a
hoetile act was committed against
his fort or his flag, but that if 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, Col. James Chestnut
and Capt. S. d. Lee gave the major writ
ten communication, dated, "Fort Sumter,
8. c., April IL, 1861, 1920 a. m., informing
him, by authority of Gen. Beauregard,
that the batteries of Gen. Beauregard
would open on the fort in one hour from
that time.
The party, as designated, then proceeded
in their boats to Fort Johnson, on James
Island, and delivered the order to Capt.
George S. James, commanding the mortar
battery, to open fire on Fort Sumter. At
4'oU q. Ia. Inc HrSt gun was EfeQ at Fort
Sumter, and at 4:40 the second gun was
fred 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: No will fire it
myself" And he did fire it. At 4:45 q. M.
nearly all the batteries in the harbor were
firing on Sumter. Mr.. Edward Rufin
(~ho was much beloved and respected) was
at the iron battery on Morris Island. I al
ways understood he fired the first gun from
the iron battery, but one thing is certain
he never fired the first gun against Fort
sumter. George s. James did. Nor did
he fire the second gun. He may havef
the third gun, or first gun from the iron
battery on Morris Island. Yours respect
fully. S. D. LEE.