The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-24
THE FIRST GUN OF THE CIVIL VAR.
who Fired the Signal shot for the Bom-
bnrlmcnt OF Sumtert

who Fired tho Signal shot for the Bom-
bnrdmcnt OF Sumters
Gen. Bcauregard has Just furnished to the
newspapers OF New Orleans reply to the re-.
cent assertion that Major W. NJ. Gibbes Of
South Carolina fired tho first shell at Fort
Sumter Tho final responsibility for that act
Is OF course on the man who gave the instruc-
tion to open fire. namely. Bcauregard himssi..
while ho also had his orders. But as to the
battery commander who received and exc.
cuted that order. this. according to Gen. Boau.
regard. was Can't George ). James.
The same question came up several years
ago in the Century Magazine and tho Battles
and Leaders OF the Civil War" Gen. S. ID. Lee
had contributed to that series OF war articles
his "reminiscences of - Tho First Step in tho
War" lilo had boon one of Bcauregnrd's aides
do.camp at tho bombardment Of sumter and
with James Chestnut. Jr.. Roger A. Pryor. AMI
A. H. Chisolm. who were also on Boauregard's
stair. had gone in u boat from Fort Sumter to
Fort Johnson. on James Island. In tho early
morning of April L.. 1861, after q final inter-
Wow with Major Anderson. The rest OF the
story may be given in Gen S. ID. Lcc's words:
Tie order to ire the sigma, gun was given to Cant.
rS"l il vas ,nsn "p james al oic. foa..i
his and ARRANGED ,S TO Iry @ re "Tao5 II.
You are The nmy man to whom 40. Won't Fysarns
+, va. s vsy %ne 10 Initiated rf Win U s
about SIMILAR to ih,. OF N.,ar s,,sFsoa as%siett
tor Capt James woni allow no one else but himself
boat. with the aides Of CEN Reaur.sard leg rcr.
,,mv SSTs r .s All XIII en- s s on. r
third tile d,tince between the io.t and simta thrss
Inc s."t. ut wns ire" from tnimrh inornt a. 80,
AMI n IN; A nrp 81 ls ~. fPt wa s' sn ~ss @
mrdia,ely over the Tort apparently about 49, tcet
Col. A. H. Chisolm. In few notes following
Gen. Lees article says that Roger A. Pryor
was not with us on our second visit t. tho
fort. giving me rs II rca son that his state. Viz
gina. had not yet seeded. For tho same
reason he declined to IRE the signal shot.
Moreover. urnvc he was there as u member
oftongi"ss. ntIi may haSe been unwilling TO
compromise himself
III a lettcrt 10 Gen. Beanre gard. written dur.
| ing the present year. which that officer now
| makes public. Col thisolm gives II moce do
staptiaiy a.ree in Win ,ha; "' Cen s t. les.
| already quoted:
M.en,erei ,ne boat. and proceeded to For. John.
me- u. ON Tue m.nrt where Me h..,yrrrt TO- MN a.
t"p, ,aa,s SEEING cen. Pryor N IN boat snii 10 lm:
rS a "~%'s s'1 ar ga rn ihs nr .s
shot AZ t"rt suntcF"
cs'irl u men lasssi Kim WY NJ d,i Of av..p,,
inst Slot AS his state hn. not YET sere,oa
Jane. ,nen ..!d: viii NOT give TIA. privilege to
Perhaps there is not necessarily any con nj t
between theie , accounts ana nat Of Ma.Hr
" SSr cS T'1 cn Re W's in fsrt f osan
, when the lrst gun WIS ilr"'!. What they tcs-
M to u reS, i.1i hS Hysrs t. urr
order t., fire nnL that James after olering t.!
Pryor ia, ri-ht to :lrc the fist shot and it nnt
that i 10 S o thy Man. Wna II" "s
,i,hbrs says is ,hat he Us First Ileutennnt IN
ACTUALLY directed ~ Capt. james. who com
manded III" whole artillery compnny. to lire
tie gun ut exactly ! 80 o'clock.
uut nortnr. mer" iUalti anl trained. one with .
a1 bare .,r" on re err tny otner "a neS"IaE
,"@ r,ar@ "n's a, sinai Corporal Wsrh. win
awiiii", Tie @ ' and %4"s, our t1,ereess
r i : nas soa s be ,a an" Sy the
louise @gish Inteftsr;i WIN view and then y:
which was 'ra,nr "a ON Tue for ana was 'n,enmea
lea Henry !. FARLEY. wi,. cant, lanes com n'.nasd
,.tha.nt u rr.rfvs. lhe.. are absolute facts and
s ....e wv '''' ''''' '' '"''''' '' ''' '' 49,
However this controversy may be settled: Ia
one sense the first shot at sumter was not the
article of Gen. 5. d Lee gives these facts:
r. ,s . o" s We. r low se va. ns dtn
AMI TIE 'sfon4 s s INA, +, rsey yn =:
from yIcssnurg % iIo;arr Mllcr a, ras.nr United
smI a,nnunt t t. New nrieaa..
Anarticse by Cen. n!,ouhlotay In the sane am
|
si Sign T shell ilrea from Fort 1ohnson as tns
.ioutteily aimed at Fort sumter, Edmund
Rulin Of Virginia is usually credited with
ne the 4onc S hy ON drls 1s
The ball from that gun struck the wall OF the
magazine where was lying.
the day before the homhnrdment lteaur'rard
had demanded Of MAJOR Anderson the evacua.
tys q ds sne sri TIE se tS Sy ss'ns
. Brauregard. James Chestnut. Jr.. and mysrlt.
N4hI N. h. handed Us his rrrly. r. .n.,is
, men. if you do not batter the fort ~ pieces
about us, we shall be starved out in lev
y ss ISpy ID hnnhs AnsFs' u.s. I
, he was also told Of this Informal roinurk An
srsHHs reply Hmn rem"rk ~~rT m ".
T | gumery.' II appears that the Secretary OF
, War. L. p. Walker. tnereuron replied to Beau
DO not desire neei.cssr bomhara Fort sumter II
Anderson VIII .",. The 'ims at vss a IN n "a.
he win not use his guns "snns u, M e',
ns be s '%5
be be- ss tort
5 1t was these instructions that formed the
9 basis Of the secoud and final communications, ~
Q Major Anderson. received ny him three.luat,
tTr, Of reny says q p'f ss
T "indlcated that he would eyacuate the fort 81,
+ the 18TH. provided he did not in the mean tra ''n,
Govern ment or additional supplies, but lie de-
l. clined to agree not to open his guns nnon ~
demonstrations on their part agalnsthIs Nag.
Thisstaem.nt j. annsars. was I s r. ny d,
.r Zen bsaHsft they accordnsly no
to titled him that the bombnrdnent would nsSn
ut in ono hour. And 80 the ci'li war was openeo
ma One OF Natures Freaks.
a. From, ii, Philadelphia Time.
frou NJ rnDOrtAf