Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-22
wsite note to Gov. Pickens; he will send me

w AS0 lNOION, IL. VI,
wsite note to Gov Pickens; he will send me
! one."
| The man seemed to yield at the mention Of
| Gov. Pickens' name. He supported she must be
Of some importance. While he hesitated Mira
Anderson motioned Hart to call carriage. and
pushing through the gate entered the vehicle.
| the station agent attempted to shut Hart out
OF the carriage. Mrs. Anderson, with every
nerve strained to its highest tension, placed
her back against the opposite side Of the car
rage and both feet against the door, thus pre-
venting it being shut and called out with great
sef-possession, "Hart! Hart! why don't you get
| lnf Don't you see the gentleman Is holding
| the door for you and waiting for you to get
| inP' Hart, quick to seize the hint, placed his
brawny hand upon and sprang through the
partly opened door. The station agent got
| upon the box with the driver aud another man
| get up behind and they were thus driven to
the Mills House. There the parlor into which
Mrs Anderson was ushered was filed with ex-
| cited people OF both sexes, who we're exasper-
ated because of her husbands action in having
moved over into Sumter, and their threats and
imprecations and anathemas against him were
| terrible to hear.
| Mrs. Anderson Unexpectedly and by the
| merest accident found her brother at the Mills
| house. On the following morning he procured
from Gov. Pickens permit for her to go to
| Fort Sumter. She sought one for Hart. The
governor could not allow q man to be added to
| the Sumter garrison, he said. Mrs. Anderson
| did not conceal the contempt and scorn the
suggestion and excuse ELECTED. The state Of
South Carolina-now claiming to be sover-
elgn power among the nations of the earth
| endangered by the addition Of one man to a
garrison OF seventy while thousands OF their
opponents armed the batteries which sur
| rounded them. Pickens was her fathers old
friend. Tell him." she said, that ! shall
take Hart to the fort with or without a pass"
Her words of scorn and her demand were re-
peated to the governor and he gave pass for
| Peter Hart.
| ACROSS THE HARBoR.
At 10 o'clock Sunday morning, the 9Th OF
January, Mrs. Anderson with Hart, her brother
| and two Charleston gentlemen, old personal
friends Of her family, started in a small row.
boat for Sumter, carrying with her mail bag
| for the garrison which had been lately kept
back. 1t was most charming morning. The
| air was balmy and the bosom Of the bay was IN
| rippled. Everywhere were seen strange banners,
but among them all not solitary Union flag.
Presently the boat shot around q point OF land
and some ono exclaimed, There's Sumter"
She turned and saw the stars and stripes float
| ing proudly from the battements. The dear
| old fag!" she exclaimed and burst into tears
They were but momentary, however. FOR re-
preaching herself for her weakness her emo.
| ton soon controlled. Secession patrol
boats were passed and passwords given As
they approached Sumter they were challenged,
| ''Who goes there?"
Mrs. Maj Anderson" was the prompt re-
spouse.
After few moments delay the formal order
came. Advance Mrs. Maj. Anderson
| THE MEETING.
As Mrs. Anderson advanced up the stone
| pier her husband, who was in utter ignorance
OF her intention to visit him, came out of the
/ oaff1 no o1a bar in, 80
the exclamation, intended for her ears only,
my glorious wife," and carried her into the
fort to his quarters. Refreshments. brought
down by the gentlemen from Charleston, were
served. but neither Maj nor Mrs Anderson par
took Of them. During her visit Mrs Anderson
affected light heartedness she was far from
feeling. The furniture of the majors quarters
consisted of an old iron cot, camp chair and
an old leather camp valise, and she jokingly re-
| ferred to his sumptuous surroundings. In one
| corner of the room were some barrel hoops and
| staves and referring to these she said he seemed
| at all events to have a supply of frewood. Mrs.
| Anderson had sewed up III the bodice OF her
| dress quite a sum of money, which she had pro-
| cured for the purpose Of placing in the hands
| of her husband for use if he should at any time
need it in his extremity, but he refused to ac-
| cept it. Now only too soon came the trial of
| parting, for the heroic woman had said to those
| who had come with her: Tell me when the
/ tide serves. l shall go back with the boat"
| For she would not increase the cares of her
| husband by remaining with him in the fort.
| The tide served in the course of two hours.
| When Mrs. Anderson was placed in the boat by
| her husband she experienced an almost ire
| sistibe desire to draw him after her. but she
thrust from her the unworthy impulse. Then
the oars touched the water, the boat moved
| away and her object accomplished she tainted
in the arms OF her friends They tried to per.
| suade Mrs. Anderson to remain in Charleston;
| they would send for the children to join her
| there, but Charleston was no place for her
| while her husband in Fort Sumter was being
treated an enemy. She left that night for
the national capital. On arriving in Washing
ton she was driven to Wizards Hotel and upon
| reaching there was found insensible in the car
| riage. call was made to help lady who had
tainted and among the many who responded
was Mr.. VIM. II. Aspinwall, an old and dear
friend, who happened to be stopping there at
| the time. Ii was his kind face bending over
her which she recognized first on her return to
consciousness. Alter suffering for forty-eight
hours from utter exhaustion she proceeded to
New York and for long time was threatened
with brain fever. Mrs. Anderson had done
what the government claimed it could not do;
she had taken reinforcement to Fort Sumter.
FIRING ON THE FLAG.
On memorable Friday morning, the 18th OF
April, 1861, the stars and stripes floating from
the parapet of Fort Sumter were fired upon by
what is generally referred to as the first gun"
of the confederacy, and what was really the be-
ginning of hostiities between the United States
and the so-caIled confederate states Of America.
Under the folds of that flag, the symbol of rev.
dictionary glory and national unity, the gal
liant Mi. Anderson and his little garrison won
immortal fame.
Hot shot and shell rained down upon the fort
and the flag from the rebel siege works, ar
ranged in the form of triangle, Of which Sum
ter was the center. Seven times during the
first day of the bombardment the flagstaff was
struck. Early in the day several vessels of the
federal fleet were observed of the bar and or
ders were given to dip the flag to them. This
was done and the salute was returned. but while
the flag was being hoisted after the third dip a
shell burst near the flagstaff and cut the hal
lard. The part of the ballard thus cut was so
connected that the flag must have come down
! with run had not the end of the rope caught
in the staff, SO that the star-spangled banner
was kept aioft and on the morning OF the 18th,
the second day of the bombardment, 1.-THE flag
was still there" This is the incident to which
at VIII