The National tribune., 1897-01-07

was believed that the fort had struck
its colors. and that what had been hoped
and labored for and fought for so long
was actually accomplished. Those who
had known of these endeavors from the
commencement shook hands, and as Gen.
Gilmore rode along the men cheered
him Justify.
They knew how much of the credit
was dre him. Immediately upon ar
irving at Goats Point Gen. Gilmore,
with has Aids, Col Rust and William
Badeau, entered a boat and put OFT tor
the fort The party landed on Cock
spur Island. A long wooden causeWay
extends over the marsh up to the fort.
Badeau was sent in advance, bearing
white flag, to meet the rebel officer
who was approaching. This proved to
be Can't. Sims, of the Georgia Nolun'
teers, and lately editor of the Savannah
RepubJicas. He was taken up to zen.
Gilmore, introduced, and then led the
party back to the fort. At the en-
trance stood Col. Olmstead, the COM
mandant. He showed the way to his
own quarters, having previously re-
quested that several National officers,
who were approaching, might, as a mat
ter of courtesy, he desired to remain
outside until the preliminaries were ad-
justed.
This was accorded him, and an inter-
view of one hour took place, at which
only himself and Gen. Gilmore were
present The terms of capitulation hav-
ing been settled, Gen. Gilmore was
shown over the fort by the Colonel, and
then, accompanied by Col. Rust, took
his leave.
Messengers from Gen. Hunter had
meantime arrived. These, together with
Gen. Gillmore's Aid, made the rounds
of the fort, under the escort of Col. Ohm
stead, and were the only persons present
when the
SWORDS WERE DELIVERED,
Maj Halpine, as the representative OF
Gen. Hunter, receiving the weapons.
The ceremony was performed in the
Colonel's Headquarters, all standing.
The weapons were laid on table, each
officer advancing In turn according to
his rank, and, mentioning his name and
title, nearly every one added some re-
mark.
The Colonels was defined: az yield
my sword, hut | trust ! have not dis
graced it."
Maj. Halpine, in reply, spoke grace
fully Of the painfulness Of the duty he
had been called upon to perform to re-
ceive the swords of men who had shown
by their bravery that they deserved to
wear them.
The condition of the fort showed that
.hey were braves. 1t was the best iusti-
fcation Of their defeat. As soon as the
surrender was complete the Stars and
Stripes " was then raised On the ram
parts, and Fort Pulaski became again
part of the possessions as well as the
property of the Union.
The arms of the privates had pre-
Eiously been stacked On pi'o r,.-..a- -
the men marched to quarters. The IN
terror of the fort presented sorry
sight. BIindages had been put up ex-
tending on all sides Of the rampant, and
a part rendered bomb-proof but shot
and she'll had burst through many OF
them: had knocked in walls, broken
down stairways, entered classmates, upset
guns, and piled up masses of rubbish
and debris all around.
Seven guns on the pa'hpet were o's-
mounted, nearly every traverse had been
struck and torn TO pieces, all the passages
were obstructed by piles of stone and
fallen timber The magazine had been
struck and part of its outer casing OF
brick 6orn away. The
HAVOC AT THE BIEACH
eas more apparent The ditch, 60 feet
across, was more than half filed up by
fragments that had fallen; half dozen
men abreast could have entered the
aperture.
Col. Olmstead declared, however, that
he could have held out until nightfall
had the magazine not been struck. This
of course settled his fate and rendered
any prolonged resistance a useless risk of
human life. Forty thousand pounds of
powder, 1000 shot and shell and AZ
guns were captured. The prisoners, $50
ia number, consisted partly of German
regiment and the Georgia Volunteers.
The rebels had four men badly wounded,
but none killed.
They represented that they knew of
our proceedings on Tybee Island, and
thought it useless TO interrupt them.
They had not anticipated that their
walls could be preached. As such an
event in preaching at distance of 1000
yards was unprecedented in war, this
expectation was not surprising. The
universal report among the officers and
men was that the James projectiles did
the effective preaching, that the accuracy
of their firing was wonderful, and the
force of the shot irresistible; frequently
half a dozen would follow In succession