The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-30
AT OLD FORT SUMTER.
GRAPHIC SKETCH rs OF the rBREB
oREAT BOMBARDMEx1s TRBEE.
The Bsssis Of April tn, the q Dsyss Fight
aud the 90 Dsvs' Tight-Twe Hsrssbis AZ.
eidents--Ths Fort Sumter Of Ts.Day.

Ddruments OF the Oil toTt. f1tEe are sOfbo
extracts from the graceful writer's pen:
"who in the Southland. with heart
TO feel and a brain to understand. Will
ever hear the name Fort Sumter without
being thrilled by keen emotions Of pride
and griefr'
Fort Sumter was under the command
OF Colonel Alfred Rhe,t. with his splendid
regiment. the First South Carolina Ar.
tillery regulars). 4 historian says: 'un-
der strict discipline, with constant dr'n
and practice. the garrison had attained
the highest degree OF excellence During
the months Immediately preceding the bat
tie OF the It'll OF April, parties OF ladies
ana gentlemen continually went down
from the city TO Fort Sumter In the after
moons. TO see the dress-parade of this
noted regiment. II was a brilliant spec
tacie. the gray and red ard gold OF the
handsome uniforms. the flashing OF the
guns. the perfection OF the drill IN every
particular, the soldicrly bearing and per-
feet courtesy of every man on the fort.
officer or private. was remarkable snd
combined 10 form a grand and glowing
picture"
BATTLE OF APRIL 7. 1863.
''It were too long" says the writer. ''to
follow closely The course OF events on
that momentous DAY; few notes Is all
there Is space for. At las r. NJ. the
ships moved forward. the Weehawksn
leading. In Sumter. all were on the alert
and prepared, and at half past o'clock
the long roll was sounded, officers and
men In full uniform, as II for dress par
sde, spraug TO their posts with cheer.
which discipline at once suppressed. The
Confederate garrison flag was flying. and
Colonel Rhett ordered that the South
Carolina flag and the colors OF the First
Regiment should be holsted. a salute OF
thirteen guns fired. while the regimental
band played on the ramparts. At
o'clock the guns opened fire by battery
on the Weehawken. and the battle COM
menced. At about o'clock the whole
squadron was engaged. and every fort
and battery was doing splendid work
The roar and fash OF the guns. as shot
and shell and fiery bolts tore nm the wa
ters In all directions. and crashed against
and through the massive walls Of Sumter.
shaking them to their foundations. was
an awful and magnificent spectacle. IL
was watched by thousands. who breath
lessly asked themselves will they succeed
in passing Fort Sumter. and what VIII
be our fate IL they do?
THE KEOKrcK wfNT DOWN.
at about o'clock the order ~ With
draw was given from the flag slip. The
Ironsides had but once attempted to
come into action, and upon receiving
the special attention Of the guns OF sum-
ter and Moultrie. promptly retired to her
former position out of range -Four OF
the monitors were seriously disabled. the
three others we're crippled. the Keokuck
crept off In a sinking condition. and
went down at daylight the next morning
off the southern extremity or Morris is
land. The damage TO Fort Sumter was
as follows: Four embrasures injured
two destroyed: paranet on the east
preached and loosened for length or
twenty-five feet. part fallen out, and ex-
posing the gun: the scarp wall OF east
front penetrated, where the wall was
five feet thick. Craters caused ny re-
heated shots were serious. one measur-
ing two feet, seven inches depth, six
feet heighth and eight feet width
"And now, while the feet was still how
ering threatenngly of the bar. our daunt-
less men removed the immense guns from
the sunken Keokuck This was a stu
pendous task and required many success
sive nights for it's accomplishment. Mo-
and was placed In charge % this hazard
Gus and most difficult undertaking. Whilst
n convoy OF small boats. under the COM
mand respectively OF Adjutant Boy'ston
and Lleutenants Julius NJ. Rhett and h.
Kemper (all OF the First S. c. Artillery
after conveying TO the wreck each night
the workmen and their tools, pushed OF
some distance down the channel and kept
guard against attacks. Thus with immense
labor and constant danger were these
great guns saved for the Confederacy.
One was mounted on the sea-front Of
Fort Sumter. the other on Battery Bee on
Sullvan's Island"
LIVED OVER VOLCANO.
A graphic and intensely interesting ac-
count OF the first, second, and third great
commandments Of the fort is given In the
pamphlet, and the writer sums up the
brave deeds Of the heroic soldiers In the
following resume
at has been seen that the History or
the Defence OF Fort Sumter may be d.
vided into three periods. First pariod-
From the early months OF 1853 until Sep
TENDER 7. 1863. under the command or COL
onel Alfred Rhett. During this period the
splendid victory Of the Tth 81 Apri vas
gained. and the first great bombardment
took place, by which the fort was reduced
20 a ruin. and every gun s.lenced.
1.-THE heat during these summer months
was intense within the snn-baked nri,k
walls The toll OF repairing never ceased
The exposure TO the terrible rain OF shot
and shell was to be borne unfinchingiy.
for there was little time spared 10 build
bomb-proofs for shelter and safety. tho
magazine was repeatedly In deadly peril.
SO that the garrison lived. as It were.
over volcano. The ceaseless rush and
roar and crashing OF the huge shells. and
the continual Jar. tried the strongest
nerves and the most dauntless SPIRITS
The hearing OF many Of the garrison was
impaired for life.
Two HNHrrrrr AccTDrr~s.
. Second period. From September =. lses'
10 Nav 4. 1864 eight months. undpr me
command ~ Major Ste7hen hb'ou nc
fort was then an Infantry post, win az,
offensive power gone During this pe''v'
took Mace the attack on Fort sumter by
n aotilla OF small boats. which was re-
nulsed. and the second great bomhari-
mont lasting forty-four days. Much hard
work was done by the garrison and by
tho Corps Of Engineers. and the fort was
daily rendered stronger and safer. N
snite OF the tremendous fire thrown upon
il. $50,
1.-TWO serious accidents occurred during
this period One was the caving IN or
n heavily loaded floor. crushing some
Eighteen men asleep in the bomb-proof
beneath. The other was an explosion OF
some cornbustibles. which caused a very
serious FIRE 10 snreai DESTROYING much
that was valuable in the ruined fortress
ard neccssitatlng additional fatigue and
labor. 80