The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-03-25
THE FIRST GUN.
who Fired the signal Shot for the Bonn
barduaent Of Sumter?

w. M. Gibbes, of South Carolina, fred
the first shell at Fort Sumter. The
final responsibility for that act is, OF
course, on the man who gave instruc-
lions to open FIRE, namely, BeauregarQ
while he also had his orders
But as to the battery commander who
received and executed that order. this,
Gen. Beauregard, was Capt
George $. James
The same question came MP several
years ago in the Century Magazine ana
the BATTLES and Leaders of the Civil
War" Gen. S. d. Lee had contribute !,
To that series of war articles his remi- |
niscences of 1.-THE First Step In the
War" He had been one OF Beaure-
CARDS aides-de-camp at the lombard
ment of Sumter, and with James Chest
nut, jr, Roger A. Pryor and A. Il
Chisolm, who were also on Beauregard's
staff, had gone in boat from Fort
Sumter to Fort johnson, on James IS
land. in the early morning OF April IL
1881. after final interview with MAI
Anderson. The rest OF the story may
be given in Gen. S. d. Lees words:
s'In6 OrQer 10 IRE the say udA B uh " - q -
Capt George S. James, commanding the pat
terry at that point 1t was then 4 q m Capt
James at once reused his command ana ar
ranged to carry out the order. He was great
admirer of Roger A. Pryor, and said 70 MN.
You are the only man to whom would give up
the honor Of firing the first gun OF thewar' anu
he offered to allow him to fire It Pryor, on re-
ceiying the offer, Was very much agitateo-
with husky voice. he said: i could not nre
the FIRST gun of the war. BIS manner WAS
| about similar to that Of Maj Anderson, as We
| left him few moments before on the wharf ~
| Fort Sumter. Capt James would allow no
| one else but himself TO IRE this gun
| .The boat with the aides Of Gen. Beauregaro
| left Fort johnson before the arrangement
were complete for the firing Of the gun and laid
| on its oars, about one-third the distance be-
| tween the fort and Sumter, there to witness the
| firing Of the first gun Of the war between the
| states It was fred from ten-inch mortar al
4:so a m, April IL 1861 Capt James was .
skillful oflcer, and the firing OF the smell was .
| success. 1t burst Immediately over the lori
annarently about one hundred feet above"
Col A. r. Chisolm, in few notes
following Gen. Lees article. says that
"Roger A. Pryor was not with us on
our second visit to the fort, giving me
as a reason that his state, Virginia
had not vet seeded. For the same rea'
son he declined to FIRE the signal shot
Moreover, believe he was there as
member of congress, and may have beer
unwilling to compromise himself" .
In letter to Gen. Beauregard, writ
ten during the present year, which tina
: officer now makes public. Col. Chisoln
} cives a more detailed account OF tn
particular affair. substantially agreeing
: with that of Gen. s. D. Lee, airead.
quoted:
: 1--WE entered'the boats and proceeded 70 Fol
, ! Johnson then in command OF Capt. George
. James, who met us on the wharf, where we a
? livered to him, as per your instructions u
9 order to fire the signal gun. Capt James, SCI
. ing Gen. Pryor in the boat, said TO him;
"'Mr Pryor, have always been o great ~
. mirer of yours, and now offer you the nonor
), firing the first shot at Fort SUMTER
q "Gen. Pryor felt hatzered, but with man
Y thanks declined the offer. asked him why l
= did not accept it His reply was that It wou
J, not do for him to fire that shot, as his state hs
! not yet seeded
8 flames then said: I will not give that priv
lege to any other man
81 Perhaps there is not necessarily an
e conflict between these accounts an
q that of Mai. Gibbes 1t will be see
e that neither Gen. s. d. Lee nor Co
,. Chisolm was in Fort johnson when Il
q FIRST gun was fred. What they tests
h to is really that they delivered to Cap
a. James. who commanded the for
!. Beauregard's order to fire, and tn
ID James, after offering to Pryor the rig
A. to fire the first shot and it had been q
,e clined. said that he would not gi
10 that privilege to any other man." VIII
,e Mai. Gibbes says is that he, as DIR
il lieutenant, in command of a battery
d ten-inch mortars, was actually direct
NJ by Capt James, who commanded t
IS whole artillery company, to IRE t
re- gun at exactly 4:30 o'clock.
!. "Our mortars were loaded and trained, {
with full charge, directly on the fort;
Us other. according to instructions, TO explt
Mt high in the air, and wide OF the mark, only
of signal. Corporal WEIGH, with one lam ara
n hand, and with the other, anxiousiy a-sai
- the moment, and watched our umep'eces as
oo hands marked the half hour
is, ..The shell, vus thrown high in the air, q be
he tiful sight, as the whole line could be traced
M Il the burning fuse. Immediately our mine
g | sprung to destroy a house which ihterfcreo y
ou our view, and then the gun which was trai
ne upon the fort and was intended Tor pusln'
h was discharged. all within one minute LII
Henry fbrley, Win NoPe S0AAAOcy
second battery OF mortars, and Lieut. Ia
detachment of re-erves. These are absol
zee facts, and the two shells from my battery v
he the first OF the siege"
ID. However this controversy may be
,is tied, in one sense the first shot at 81
ID. ter was not the first shot OF the "
- An editorial note to the article OF g
or S. D. Lee gives these facts.
m. when the Star Of the West arrived, on
9th of january, the first shot Aired across
me kbow was fired by G. Haynsworth, and the
The ond, aimed directly at her, by Cadet HoriD
The It is claimed that before this date nc!
s;o shot from four-pounder had been fired
vicksburg by Horace Miller ct passing Un
CT State vessel, supposed to be carrying su
to OF arms and ammunition to New Orleans.
the An article by Gen. Doubleday in
the same publication makes still anot
he'd point: 1--WE have not been in the hi
mt. of regarding the signal shell fred +
ar's Fort johnson as the first gun OF
conflict, although it was undoubts
pie aimed at Fort Sumter. Edmund Ru
an, of Virginia, is usually credited '
mt. opening the attack by firing the
The gun from the ironclad battery on
nth ris island. The ball from that
in struck the wall Of the magazine W.
The was lying"
Il u. -