The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-08-28

q hollow roar. Through the thinning haze
echoed jnC busy note, % preFAgatiou-tLe fual
IammpriUg 0l bolts. tae stTaiuiuE AMI ye-haiug
o. the Iaei at tha heavy guns sharp commands
10 CCtarLuclts marching t1 their places Then
fell. as ibc dawn slowly Eralca into iUlI day
light tile Cmiunus silence of complete reaal-
ncss-thc drea fgl waiting for thr signal %
begin Tire terrible work flr which we bad
beeu preparing Tor over month. Broad DAY
showed u--aI uotiaulas- as statuCs-ilr can
Daucrr- standing at their guns and the il.sl-
tTEUaa ranged IE The I.ae-piis. Across The
Tu-ill- Waters 20 the sound lH MurlhUal City
and EaaB. .0gt the h0EsatoUs were black with
people 4uZiagsy watching lor the commence
IlcIt Qt cur ram OF death upon tleIT husbands,
brothers aud sons ia the pent-uP garrison.
How awiu4ly those psqPle must feel said
i, the first word that had been spoken in our
squad ier half an hour, 40 what is going %
happen % their men,
r I'm thinking" said JOB, grimly. about
Tie people Of Charleston gathering 10 the same
way % see The rebels boIabard cur men Id Fort
Sumter. Now the boots ou the other .cE.
Nay TIC diyil fig away wild III m. said
Qain, shaking bis hairy fst IN the direction oi
Beaufort Heyen't they been yOWling and
slraklnE lOile 0H.d Alck's own ChlideT livery
tonne Thin spalpanes in tie fort hev h.azgd
away 40 DIS wid their black-mouthcd canu0a-
hey Sc been m0EEbtly plazsG % see livery
dc PIT Iu purgatgry. SO they would. Now let
thim watch us knock their diyil's spawn into
the neFef-ending blazes. bad luck TO thinl."
A. he spoke q mighty roar burst from one oi
the io-Iaeh ulOrtaEs 600 yards behind ue. 70 our
left, and the firm earth quaked. IL was the
opening gun We turned our heads in time TO
sec q grrat torrent Of fame shoot upward aud
rising gp5u il 8 huge bail, which sailed away
in graceful curve toward the fort.
a Spontaneous cheer rose from the throats Of
tie statue-iEe soldiers. IL was drowned in
similar roar from Ig-inch mortar No. = aud
before the ground ceased 10 culver from this
mortar 30. ba.chgI cut, 10 be followed ID
instant later by Ae. 4.
Then tie tlrec Parrot rifles ioinrd III the
internal chorus with dc4icuiug crashes. as
they hurled the- heavy bolts po!ut5iaBk At
the brick wallis Of tie fort. Their duty was o.
bore through and batter down the walls, while
tie m0riars threw shells up into tie air 70 fall
down behind them.
No. j. ready, Commanded our Lieutenant.
We EpEalg away from the mortar. stood Oh
Ept0e and opened our mouths 80 lessen tie
shock. aLi.e Job seized THE lanyard.
Efe shouted the Lieutenant and our
Fua helcEea out followed IN quick succession
b. the other three.
il was thea load and fire at viii, with every
squad elaalvus 70 put in the most shots .n
given time. Tho din was fTiFAtfGl- worse
than al tie thunder storms E0a ever heard
put together. The crash Of GET tlgELaTs seemed
~ li.t a. ot DuE feet every time
when Tic first mortar was fired there were
scores oi re5cls outside ihe fort watching us
They scgTried back ike flock of sheep. and
their lookout stationed ia the cross t7ccs n
tie flagstaff came doEE 81 tHGflu. IL q min
ut every gun bearing O us was hammoEiug