Daily Republican., 1884-04-14
PRICE ONE CENT,

was a grand sight; the echoes from th'
guns that were pointed against Sumte
had scarcely ceased to reverberaJe, whel
the call came from President Lincoln
for seventy-hve thousand men, anC
numbers b4seiged the recruiting offices
. lxious to have their names placed OF
tne roll of their country's defenders
In some instances, where companies
we're filled'up, men were known to pay
others to get their names on the rolls.
A representative ofthe REPUBLICAN,
learning that officer Osborne was In
possession of some facts not generally
known in reference to the capitulation
Of Fort Sumter, called upon him, and
received the following interesting &C.
count of that event.
81 remember we'll the firing on the
Fort" said the oficer In reply to tho
reporters question. "It happened on
my twenty-second birthday and oday
is the twenty.third anniversary of the
event.
At4.30 o'clock in the morning of the
18th of April, 1861, the first gun WAS
fired at Fort sumter from Fort johnson,
BY q Mr.. Ruffin, who claimed 1t as .
distinguished honor. Immediately, the
guns Of Fort Moultrie Cummings
Point, Point Pleasant and Sullivah's
Island, with number of floating bat
teries answered the signal gun from
Fort Johnson"
To the COnfederates, the forty seven
mortars and large cannon directed TO-
ward Sumter with their shot and shell
was emblematic of the complete
triumph of the slave power, and the
death knell of the Union, but also for
their hopes, ID proved the formal
announcement of a new era of Liberty
for this continent, and the world.
''The conflict for the possession of the
fort was short; Major Anderson made
no hasty response for two hours and .
half the rebel fire poured upon the
doomed fort without an answer. At
$50 o'clock, Major Anderson and his
handful of men sat down to their break
fast al leisurely as though they were
preparing for dress parade.
When the meal was finished the
men we're divided into three reliefs,
and placed at the guns. and in few
minutes more the order came to fire, \
and thus Fort Sumter told the world
that the nation would resist, and fight
for its life to the bitter end.
For thirty.fOur hours the deadly
storm of shot and shell rained upon
Fort Sumter, and was answered with
the few guns at command by Major
Anderson and his brave men. Ere long
the wood work of the fort caught fire,
and then amid flames and suffocating
smoke, their provisions and ammunition
almost exhausted, and many guns dis
mounted, the fire was still kept up, and
shot returned for shot. At this time
the flag staff was shot away, and as the
flag fell 1t was caught and taken care of
by Lieutenant Hall.
Major Anderson Immediately or
dered Lieutenants Hart and Snyder to
nall 1t to the piece of flag staff remain
ing, where it was caught by the pass
ing breeze, and again waved defiance to
its foes.
"In short time after this incident,
man was seen at an en- mbrasure with
white flag tied to his sword. Upon
being admitted he stated to Lieutenant
Davis that he was General Wigfall and
that General Beauregard, seeing that the
flag was down, had sent him to request
them to surrender.
No sir replied the Lieutenant, the
flag Is not down step out this way and
you will see it flying from the ramparts.
The rebel General then sought an inter-
view with Major Anderson, and said
you have defended your fort nobly sir,
and l would Ike to know on what
'erms you will evacuate. Mayor And
,rson replied that his only terms were
hat he should be allowed to march ont
With his men and their private property,
md salute the flag. General Wigfali |
hen retired, and it was afterwards
earned that he had acted upon his own
esponsibility, and without Beauregard' .
"a short time afterwards, Beauregard
ent his Adjutant Gereral and member
his staff TO confer with the Command
7, and after short parley, Major
anderson "a terms were accepted, and
'ort Sumter passed, after the most
allant resistance the world ever saw,
} the hands of the rebels.
"On the 18th of April, Major Anderson
snt brief despatch to the Govern
lent, officially announcing the fall of
nmter, and stated on what terms he
I'D capitulated. This 1t will be oh.
rived was not battle between ar
les, but it was simply seventy men in
beleagured fort, with nothing pre-
ared for successful resistance, main
lining the honor of the nation and
sg to the last moment, against seven
ousand men, supplied with all the
Of war.
"The shorts fired at Sumter reused
e men of the North, and awakened
their hearts the spirit of patriotism,
hich cansed them to lise and vindi.
q pera,AR rH ARation's honor, and fight for
Officer Osborne, whJiQQGG::"..-
ove interesting facts, also took up1
ms in defense of his country, and dur
g the continuance of the war, en-
tied three different times.
--S-o-e