Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1903-11-27

IN oo -. - ehChA, lOf lney went
49, as prisoners of war. A force of $50
mei from the war ships in the harbor
s.ole up IN rowboats and tried to storm
the walls. The southerners were rnadv
win a warm welcome and killed
wounded and captured about one-tbird
OF the assailants.
TOT more than week the Federal
1ronclads in the channel and ba+tor;as
on land pounded the walls of tba fort
anu ground them to mere heaps of dust
IN some places; still the garrison chung
10 the ruin. The Confederates eyacu-
ated Battery Wagner the night of Sent.
and the fall of that stronghold raised
the cry in the besieging army and
navy, "Cn to Charleston" During the
9th the ironclad Weehawken steamed
up toward the fort to reconnoiter. She
grounded under the fire of the Confed-
crate guns and the Patapsco and Lee
nigh went to her aid. The Patapsco
dashed up to within 100 yards of Sum-
ter and the outlook did not see man
nor gun on the sea face of the work.
When the report of Captain Thomas
Il. Stevens, commander of the Pataps-
co, reached Admiral DahIgren he de-
cided to send boat party to storm the
historic pile and selected Stevens to
lead it. Stevens asked to be excused
because he didn't believe he could sue
coed. Even if the party got inside the
fort the channel Instructions which he
had met with on his reconnaissance
would prevent war ships from getting
close enough to support the garrison
and hold it against the fearful fire the
enemy could pour upon it from the bat
teries near at hand. The admiral re-
fused to excuse Stevens. and in the
course of the interview said, You'll
find nothing but corporaPs guard
there to oppose YOU" Stevens col
leagues finally prevailed upon him to go
because the army was preparing an
attack, and if the navy failed to go in
the army would reap all the glory.
Stevens party was formed in two divi-
sions, one under his own leadership
and the other commanded by Lieu
tenant Francis ]. Higginson, now
rear admiral Of the navy. Higginson's
boats were to move around Fort Sum-
fer as a feiat while the other division
made a direct assault. A tug hauled
the boats UP as far as the channel
would allow and then a signal was
given to Higginson to move out on his
errand. TIE signal was followed by
nearly all the boats in Stevens division
and as they could not be recalled with
out alarming the enemy in the fort the
whole column set out ahead Of time,
losing the benefit of Higginson's effort.
AS the boats neared Sumter they
were hailed loudly from the walls, put
made no reply. A rocket shot up into
tbe air from the parapet and instantly
the barbor was alive with shrieking
nroiectiles from the batteries all
around the fort.
The Confederate garrison was not
only ready. but awaiting the attack.
Dahlcren's decision to attack had been
hastily made and the order for the
Marty TO assemble had been sent out
from the flagship to the fleet, asking
FOR boat load Of men from each ship,
commanded by lieutenant, to. report
~ the rendezvous for an attack on
sumter at 10 o'clock. This signal was
road by the signalman on board the
confederate ship Chicora and the In
formation given TO the garrison. The
Federal signal code had been secured
BY the enemy by clever trick. Some
months before a Federal signalman
had been captured and imprisoned IN
charleston. One day another man IN
1Toaorol uniform was brought into the