The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-03-22

''iiscS. y smell from the monitor
IN distress Lad plunged into Il cham.
oer. bursting right among Capt. Press
Hh'i'h men, and firing the ammunition.
Sne,'s with their full supply. Capt.
smith ordered his men to climb the
P"rapet ana jump into the mont below
III 'front.' OF the fort, the fire of the enemy
men being less dangerous than our own.
Many were saved by this order. hut not
al VINO were around the gun. To give
an ihea OF how fearful was this explosion
VIII repeat what was told me on good
authority. One poor fellow was blown
over the parapct to the front, falling
dead at lowwater mark on the beach .
another in the opposite direction, who
tell where the road crosses the fort wharf
those famlliar with the locality will ap.
preclalc the horrors of this accident,
Inc turn OF tide relieved the stranded
monitor, and N early dusk the flee, re.
turned to their usual anchorage. and all
was quiet again. The fight was severe
and no doub, the enemy suffered as much
rs we did
| ! have already alluded To the accuracy
! u' fire a,taine'. by the cncinv's arlillcf.
! lists in
SHOOTING AaAN TIE FLAGSTAFF
/ Of Sumter. Another e"idcncc Of their
! good practice WAS when they mnde
/ Major Elliott, little dispatch boat a
! target. As soon aS it would leave the
/ wharf a little rhcd gun at Gregg was
| brought to bear, and, though forlunatcly
| II was never struck, the shell would skip
All around ana ever her, and SO close rs
to render this service very dangerous,
| and ncccsSitate the order to row direct
towards Sullivan Island. keeping sum
ter is shield until out Of range, before
| turning towards the city. Some Of our
own men seemed also quite expert.
saw beautiful shot from Sulivan's
Island on the morning after the cvacua.
ton IF Morris Island. Some Of the en-.
emy were Inspecting Gregg, ana small
party o. them appeared 20 cautiously
enter the small and narrow passage TO
the bombproof and magazine, when n
| shell quickly followed the curious visitors
and exploded rs Il went in. What dam.
age was done could not be seen, but,
soon after the dust and smoke cleared
away we could see somc of the ,arty
coming out more rapidly than ;hcy en-
tered. Germain 10 this is All account
told by undoub,cl authority, cf shot,
possibly from the same gun, which had
quite reputation for accuracy it was a
rifled cannon. One day the officer in
charge, Cap. Mitchell Whaicy, think,
saw wagon team coming down the
Morris Island beach from Wagner 10
Gregg. He expressed 10 his companions
the trial was made. Aiming his piece,
he awaited, lanyard stretched and ready,
until the wagon WAS opposite, allowing
very nicely for the speed OF its move.
ment and the required time for the flight
of the missile in the distance to he
traversed. At the right moment the
command WAS given, Fire - Watch.
ing the shell in its screaming course,
they had the satisfaction of seeing it
demolish the wagon, and the horses run
driveriess along the beech. We had
An AMUSING ILLUSTRATION
one night of the sudden transition from
grave to gay" with man in-and
quickly out of-danger. We were at.
tracted by the cries, in tones Of deepest
distress. Fort Sumter. ahoy! Oh, save
me l am drowning" This was con-
tinuously repeated, each time more sor-
rowiully and faint, still distinct. Major
Elliott rushed out on the BERN, followed
by several. who gave all eyes and ears to
discover what the trouble was, but moth
ing could be seen in the darkness and
nothing heard but the same sad appeal.
Major Elliott hestatcd about sending n
boat to the rescue, fearing it was ruse
de gurrc to capture it; but his kind
precautions. lie ordered boat manned,
(thc men armed) and told them to row
in the direction whence the cries came.
nt hn ri
not to allow themselves to be captured.
We anxiously watched the departing
boat, with lis mu'lled oars, as long as she
could Uc seen, then could discern nothing
on the water, nor hear any sound save
the saddcned and weaker cries of the
man, now apparently almost liic!ess. In
another moment came the loud and cx-
ustant tones Of the same voice, "By
Cd, am all right now" :" On the re-
turn oil the boat we found that onc Of
the enemy's barges had captured one Of
our harbOr picket t-b0atS-thesc compli.
ments were occasional and reciprocal
and this brave fellow had determined
not to be taken, and jumped overheard
and swan for STUNT No doubt a
thorough waterman and familiar with
the harbor, he took advantage OF the
state Of the tide and his knowledge of
the shoal running from Fort Sumter 10
Fort johnson, and struck Il, thus by
swimming and wading had saved his life
rs we'll as having escaped being made
prisoner. He was turned over to Sur
gcon PRESLEY, who doscd him with
whskcy, then had him sharply rubbed
and rolled up in blanket. The next
morning he was ready for duty again.
do not think any Of the Battalion
were sorrowful when the orders came to
relieve us. The duty was hard, if not
particularly dangerous. To be
"cRIBBED, cAnISED AND CONFINED"
in such place as the fort then was, to
say the least, was trying to any troops.
The air was close and damp aud not per.
fumed with the altar of roses, rather
seemed pregnant with typhoid germs.
The mosquitoes we're in millions, and
against their attack there was no defence.
1t WAS difficult to realize this ruin to be
the same grand fortress where had
often gone before with pleasure parties
to admire its wondrous masonry, beauli-
full quarters and seemingly impenetrable
walls, or to walk with some of Charles.
tons fair daughters upon its then tower
| ing batt!ements War, alas makes sad
changes. and Sumter was not exempted
| from the penalty. 1t was scarce sem.
blance of its former self. In some sense
| its glory had departed in another, q
| better and more appreciated one, IL had
but begun and was destined TO increase
| and by the blood of it's brave defenders
shed upon its ruins, has become for all
time a monument to patriotic heroism.
| [NoTE.-The companies of the Charleston
| Rat al 81