The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-10-20
THE TRUTHOF HISTORY.
f1rs: Shot OF War and First and Sec
ond FirI,.g on sumter.


cent card IN the Columbia State claims
that Bishop i. L. Stevens, of Orange
burg, who rose 81 the rank of brio D.,
dier-general in tie Confederate arnv
was the man who fired the first shot.
Col. Thomas says:
AS to the affair of the "Star of the
West" the facts were given in my His
torical Sketch of the South Carolina
Military Academy, written fifteen
years ago, and published in 1879, thlr-
tt en- years ago. The follow ing is the
extract from said sketch:
"On or about 25th Dec, 1860. Mai.
y. +. Stevenson was ordered by the
Executive of the state-GoYernor +.
v Pickens-tO take to Morris Island a
etachment OF cadets and four "a.
FOUNDER siege guns, and to put the
yuns in position > command the chan
mel, with view o keeping out all sus-
piclous vessels ii IN Fort Sumter, then
Invested by tho outhern troops. The
Nlgilant Rifles e Charleston, a fire
company, under command of Capt. S.
Topper, were also order to Morris
Island. On the night of December
| 3lst. 1860, Lieut.. Col, John l.. Branch.
| q tn" First Regiment of Rifles, South
Carolina Militia, received orders to
! take three Of his complnies to Morris
! Island. On the afternoon Of January
: |, 1861, he rrHch that point. Being
: the senior officer ne q sum | comlna>,:l
| OF al, the forces I'll the island, and ~
( mA'ued 50 unit! the arrival, u f.
; weeks SuhseQueHI, OF Col. f. J. Pet :
grew.
Col. Branch f0ru Mai. Stevens arl
| his command cnyI, q in COnStructi, ~
what was after the 9Th of January
! cali; 4 tie "Star & The West Bat err,
as it. va from t. poiut, aud with t1s
] ten'y-tour pout!HrS manned by the
! .l,ts u It &c United States Sh.p.
"TSiar OF IN" W. =" vas driven t,if
! While attempting 30 relieve Fort SUM
| ter
! "fhus it s:aud, all it implies
| that Ihc Cit? lei lGGt under the con-.
mHnd of Col. BT::rch. rs c0mmandiDs
officer Of tbs posi-, and Of Mai. Stevens,
rs lmmc Ately nI' Frse OF the guls,
! fret The fir, shU@ OF the war of Secp,-
sion. Col. Branch and Mai. Stev,u$.
! thus conn ted with the first hostile
lncider" Of y n war, were both
gradu' es OF II ,ulh Carolina Milllp-
ry Ac: lemy. d it was the Cover
nor or South Can ma VINO had order, |
| them to the fro at The CT ninatlon
of the crisis wbi had b IN brought
upon the State"
| This Is the unchallpng | II nth of
history. The following detail, / &C.
| count Ofthe same aft III is taken from
an article in the Charleston Y Book
LOT !oo' entltle "Confef rate Defence
o. Morris Island
After Sumter had been occupied by
Maj. Anderson and the United Statt :
troops ,der his command against or
ders, to prevent relnfol cements or SUP.
plies being sent to 'lis garrison, a two
gun battery was erected on the island
ABOUT lifty or seVenty-tive yards south
from the spot afterwards Occu pied by
Fort Wagner. A detachment of Cita
del Cadets, under Professor (ncw Bish-
"p) L. f. Stevens, manu- the guns
supported by the Charleston ZouaVe Ca.
dets, Capt. q. e. Chichester, and { r.
man Rltlemen, Capt. Ja cob Small, as
infantry. The Figilant Rules, eighty
Strong, under Capt. 5. y. Upper, were
stationed at the lower end of the isla1c
to dlspute@ landing. The battery was
or the simplest character. Its arma
ment, two 24pounder siege guns, "or
DarDette,' without traverSes or pro- O.
tl0n OF any kind. 1t had be N built
very hastily, so that the gurs and gun.
ners were entirely expose !. A broad
SIDE OF light navy shell guns conld
nave disabled it, aud the guns OF Fort
sumter complete]y commanded it.
! "A little after daylight, on the morn
ing or the 9th. january, 1861, the long
ron was beat and the troops were got
| under arms. In the horizon a steamer
| was dlscri; d coming over the bar,
| Whethcr armed or unarmed, no one
| Knew; but the orders frum Governor
! l'icKens were positive to lire into her
*no prevent her approach tn nSum,er.
"a! 7:lo y. u, she vas with.l
rang" 81 the ha' rs. and Mai. Steve, :
:!Ght,d tho gun> Cadet IalnsWc! -,
h"iI Gle lanyard f The r:gh1 gun, a, i
at he rommand ire. the fiSt hosi %
sh0t G tie 1Ou l. fill across l,.r
noWS. At this he ran up a largo
I hited states garrison flag to her fore.
as She dld not sop, other shots wee
aicd as rapidly az the guns could e
served; about six III al. OGlv three or
io"r "tluck her :oiNg 10 ds,;.ago OF
eat for twenty. four pouldcrs.
Daring The ii.ing s5umiy1 ran oct
hef guns and may an anxious eye VS.
cast 70 the rear, expecting each mo
lheht TO see her tch forth /. fire Whl,h
would have alini:.ilateu those who hai
mus d+red TO IL" on tbs "StarS and
HIIipes. II Apr.i the same act set
ao; aao; axe the Northern heart, but on The,
1t CT january il fcll, still-boru."
This IS cqua"y the indi,putable
ruth OF history. The debate as 10
who hred the "lii,t hostile shct of the
Nay may be deemed clos 4.
The question a to who tired the first
shot on Sumter $ another matter.
90 not propose % engage in this dis
cuss' on except TO say that can have
no doubt as to the statement OF Mai.
w. ii. Gibbes, an ex-cadet of the South
Earoliua Military Academy and a West
loint graduate. However eminent
Gen. $. ID. Lee may be for truth and
character, Major Gibbes is not |, IS so.
Being on the ground, and speaking
from a personal knowledge of ev; ITS
80 fateful and 50 Gle ely related to him.
SELF on that occasion, l cannot but
conclude that his staten ent of The G.; a
should outweigh the argument of G en-
eral Lee.
With regard, however, to the oues-
ZION as to who delivered the s. GO nd
SnOt shall bos