The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-20
THE MARPYRgD SENTINEL.
a Story Of Fort Sumter During the
Terrible Siege of 1868.
From the Augusta (GaJ Chronicle.

From the Augusta tGa) Chronicle.
Casabianca, famous in song and story,
was no greater hero than the Augusta boy
who laid down his life on the walls of Fort
Sumter, and the story of whose brave
death has uever before been written.
In 1868 the Twelfth Georgia battalion
was ordered to Fort Sumter as the garrison
of that beleaguered fortress. Day after day
the land batteries and war ships of the
enemy were pouring their murderOus fire
into the fort, and the walls were crumbling
beneath the incessant battering Of shot and
she'll. Men carried their lives in their
hands who were exposed for moment, and
the service was so exacting that the same
troops could not be kept long on duty there
Every night a rEan was detailed to stand
on the walls Of the fort and watch the guns
of the enemy. From his post he could see
the shells as they came screaming through
the air, and it was his duty to cry 'Lo0k
outw to the men below when one came along
which would fall in the fort AS soon as
daylight came this sentinel was removed, as
it was certain death to stand there when the
enemy had sufficient light to train their
guns. The federal cannoneerS had had days
of practice, and had their guns so perfectly
trained on the fort that they cut down the
flag staff three or four times every dav
But always there were brave volunteers
ready to hoist the cherished colors again.
and it mattered not how often they We're cut
down, they were always promptly aud def
antly replaced
Among the members of the Twelfth
Georgia battalion was Henry Castleberry
of Augusta. A mere lad of II, the early
dawn Of young manhood was hardly APP
parent on his cheek. But though a slight
young STRIPPING he had the heert of hero
in his breast, and he never uuavered before
the full duty ofa man. Young Castleberry
was detailed as sentry on the wall of the
fort. All night long he stood at his post
crying out his warning LOCKOUT to the
men in the fort At length the straaks of
early dawn appeared in the east, aud the
trim figure of the young sentinel was clearly
outlined against the sky. No orders had
been issued permitting him to come down,
and with unquestioning discipline and
fidelity he stood at his post.
The captain of the guard had been drink
ing, and had neglected to issue the neces-
sary order. 1t was sure death to remain
there after it grew light enough for the
enemy TO train their guns, and already they
were opening fire on the lone sentry
1T was not according to the regulations
OF the fort to keep man there after day
light" said my informant, land | was sure
there was some mistake. did not want to
sac the brave boy torn by the enemy's
shells when there was no reason for It.. and
l sought out the captain and asked him to
order the sentinel from his post. But he
had been carousing, and / could not i'm
press MIN With the necessity for his prompt
| action. He was either insensible or iudif-
ferent to the boys danger and my efforts
| were unavailing.
by this time it was light, and the boy
had become target for every gun on the
land batteries and men-of-war. 1t was only
| "a Of
solutely inspiring to see the unquestioninp
and unt1lnching way in which he looked
death In the face Shells were bursting
| every moment, and solid shot hurled mast
the doomed boy. Without a tremor in his
voice came each time the warning Look
outp
ut was scene l never shall forget.
Ihere stood this boy, sacrificed to the dissi-
patton of mis- COMMUNICATIVE fulfilling
an absolutely useless and unrequired DUTY
yet standing at his post with an absolute
| disregard Of the peril he was in. Nv blood
boiled at the needless sacrifice. but NV
heart was thrilled with the heroism of the
| dauntless lad
LOOK out? came in ringing tones from
the lad on the wall, as the shells were burst
ing ABOUT us. looked up at the splendid
young IelIow, ana he had picked up several
| pebbles and was tossing them I'D one after
another and catching them first in one
mana ana then the other, as you have seen
a Juggler toss knives. 1t was not senseless
bravado; 1t was not to show there was no
danger, for he knew death was present in
the bursting Shells He knew he could not
long survive the frightful fire which was
being directed at him, but he wanted 70
show the enemy that the men thew we're
lighting did not quail in the presence of
death nor talter in the face of duty
| look -"
The warning was cut short by terrific
report. A shell had burst right over bis
head. looked up to the wall and the
heroic little sentinel was no longer at his
post. Isprang up the long stairs two AT
a time, and then scaled the ladder to the
wall. The boy had been blown a distance
OF eight feet across the wall His face was
terribly burned by the bursting shell, "A niece
OF which had catered his BODY. and his
clothes were on fire when | reached him
put out the fire and lifted up the dead how
III my arms to carry him down into the fort
but by this time the guns had beer leveled
at me, and was obliged to lay down the
body again. As soon as there was lull i'm
the firing again picked up the lad and
hurried across the wall to the head of the
ladder, where | was met by several com
panions, who assisted me down. The BODY
was sent to Charleston for interuent.
Another lot of those beautiful Dongola