The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-15

II was q strapping youngster and tho recruit
ing officer took my name very readily. and l
was attached to a South Carolina battery and
stationed on Sullivan's Island. / had heard q
good deal of talk about the war. but Bob
Toombs and other freeaters had taught us to
believe that the war would not be moro than
q breakfast spell and that we would whip the
Yankees so easily that IL q fellow did not keep
right at the front he would not get a chance to
share in the fun.
II found out better later on. After the Star
of the West affair we knew that there was some
movement on foot and were not surprised whom
1.-The long roll sounded just after midnight on
the morning on April Is. 1851. and we were
ordered to take our places at the guns.
1T was my business to load the first cartridge
for tho ten-inch mortar. and while our COM
mander. Capt. Hallenquist. took his station near
the gun. / measured out the powder. loaded the
cartridge. and cut tho fuse. 1t was Just growing
light and the fog hung heavy on the water be-
tween our position and Fort Sumter. We
could see the dim outlines Of the old fort, and
back to the l~andward. as the mist thinned. We
could see the figures moving to and fro along
the Battery in Charleston. 1t was the crowd
gathering to witness the attack on the fort.
Suddenly tho signal was given Just as the
fog lifted and revealed the outlines of the fort,
and. srringing backward, Capt. Hallenquist
pulicu II hiD t'S oAos ASAs ~
and was echoed and reechoed from shore to
shore. 1t was like n clap OF thunder from a
clear sky. but in a moment the wild cheering of
the crowd along the Battery was borne across
the water sI r.; va. NJ and +, . ,uiDtrDr an.
other charge WAS rammed down the black
throat Of the old mortar and ! was permitted to
fire the second shot. Had | known all that 1t
meant then | might not have been so. eager for
the honor. but l was young and my blood was
hot, and ! was ready for anything.
guns from old Sumter answered our challenge
and the deep baying of the war dogs soon be.
working the guns that l paid little heed to what
sas goinE on until the order came 70 cease mr.
rowed across 10 the fort to complete the srtt-
c!es of surrender.
over TO the fort. and we Witnessed the entire
proceedings. OF course that is a part of bis;
with ,hS surrender that | have never seen men.
toned In ny OF the accounts. When Anderson
got ready To leave he fired a salute of thirteen
RuEs. ms you know. He had planted a number
of hand grenades along the ramparts, and the
grass catching fire caused one OF them to ex-
He wa. buried near the walls OF the
fort. and his grave was marked so that
the boy could lie removed atterward. l sup
1852. when the Federals bombarded the fort in
most unexpected manner. The spot where he
wa, buried Was exposed TO the Federal hre. and
screaming through t:.e air. and fell plump on
the soldiers grave and exploded. 1t tore a hole
In the soft earth as big as q small house, smashed
tie coffin into II thousand fragments, and scat
tered the remains OF the poor follow to the four
winds Of heaven.
II remained in the service during the four
long, weary years that followed. and escaped
without n scratch and without being captured
until we reached salisbury. y. C..i in 1868. when
we surrendered to the Fifteenth Pennsylvania
Regiment. Capt. Waggoner WAS In command,
aud the boys played a sort OF joke on me, telling
him that | was the worst rebel in the army, and
that | had fired the first shot at Fort Sumter
and was responsible for the whole trouble.
$50 said he, you are the cause of all this
trouble. Why did you fire that shot at Fort
SUMTER
Because we wanted to capture it, said ].
ms sent to prison. and ! thought that the best
plan was TO put a bold face on the matter.
well, said he, seeming to consider the
question a little. II ! give you n parole will you
promise to go home aud not bear arms against
the United state, any moreY'
That depends upon what the other boys do.
Captain ! replied. III they are ready to quit l
am, but II they get into 1t again l shall have to
help them OUT
Capt. Waggoner seemed to be a clever sort
of II fellow, for he gave me my parole and q ham
and sent me back TO my We came
home and settled down here. and have been
trying 10 make Il living ever since. But have
had the honor OF drinking n glass of wine with
Beaur-gard. who compliinented me on being the
man who opened the ball at Fort Sumter"