Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-11-22

young heart that had early been thrilled
ny the story of the revolutionary fathers
who sacrificed so much to make possible
the Federal Union, and came strangely to
his mind SO thoroughly imbued with the
noble words Of Webster as found in the
school readers, pleading for the perma-
ncnce and perpetuity Of that Union.
The inhabitants of the little village
watched with intense interest the events
u the day, and as the time drew near for
the mail-boy's arrival picked their way
along the sideDdlkerS' streets and gathered
in a little company in mild weather upon
the porch in front of the store and looked
iutently down the road, through the grove
Of timber, whence was expected the news
papers.
By and by the mail-boy, mounted on his
horse with the mail bag securely tied
behind his saddle, came in sight and urged
his steed to a jogging trot as he saw the
waiting crowd.
One of the two or three daily papers
taken in the village was at once seized
upon by some one of the party, who
mounted a box or barrel and read the latest
news to the eager crowd.
AS spring approached there was much
said about the critical condition of Major
, Anderson at Fort Moultrie, about the firing
upon the steamship, Star of the West in
; Charleston harbor, by the South Carolini-
/
ercion by the National Government, and
finally when Major Anderson evacuated
Fort Moultrie and occupied Fort Sumter
all eyes were concentrated upon him and
his little band.
One day about the middle of April after
floods of rain had fallen the mail boy came
in with an extra number of daily papers.
These in unusually extra heavy headlines
had the words: " Fort Sumter Fallsi"
Heroic Defense by the GarrisonI" 'Thir-
! ty-six Hours of Terrific Bombardmentr
! THE War BegunP' "Call by the Presi-
dent for Seventy-five Thousand Troopsr'
! Then followed several columns giving the
history of the whole affair, the noble de-
Tense of the little garrison and the soldier
! ly bearing of the commandant, Major
| Anderson.
Anderson became the hero Of the hour,
the papers were filed with eulogistic
notices of him and narratives of his life.
About this time the writer inquired
of one much older than himself-one of tho
village sages-who in his judgment would
, lead the Union armies and be the bright,
! shining light of the warl the answer was
! "Major Anderson, unquestionably.'
! Grant was at t,!at tina filing me1ili
/ or at least an inferior place in a lie Lthet
/ store at Galena, obscure there as every
! where, not having in his widest dreams IA
| glimpse of what the future had in store for
| Inn. AS to Anderson, he was speedily
| made Brigader-General and given COM
mand in Kentucky; but from failing health,
! or some such cause, afterwards retired
| from active command and soon passed
wholly out of public notice.
Immediately upon the fall of Fort Sum
ter, Lincoln promptly issued a call for
| seventy-five thousand volunteers.
! The writer remembers his amazement at
| the number of troops called for.
The reasons for this amazement wero
| these:
The combined army-American and
French-at the siege of Yorktown mum.
i bered only sixteen thousand men; yet this