The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-09-14

l20l, is the title Of very interesting
.hap,cr Of Civil war history.
The author is Mrs. Louise Wigfall
Wright, wife Of Judge Daniel Giraud
Wright, of the Supreme Bench of
Baltimore, and daughter Of Gen.
.ouis I. Wigfall, who was both a
senator Of the United States and Of
The Confederate States from Texas,
An aide on the staff Of President
Davis and brigadicr general Of the
rConfedcracy.
Mrs. Wright and her sister, then
children Of and II years of age,
cvere in the uncertainty prevailing be-
Gore the outbreak Of hostilitics sent
20 remain temporarily with their ma
.>ernal grandmother, at Longwood,
suburb of Boston. Their brother was
"st the military school in Virginia, and
rtheir father and mother in Charles
'.on, whero events were about to turn
On Fort Sumter, whether it was to
soe given up peacefully or be taken
ny rsorce. The Confederate Govern
snent. with Mr.. Davis at it's head, was
IN process Of formation at Montgom-
'ery, Ala.
The Wigfall family history under
these exciting incidents forms most
anteresting narrative, ss the author
enakes it from letters interchanged at
ethe time.
Senator and Mrs. Wigfall we're in
1ch Arleston. The Senator was an
aide Of Gen. Beauregard, and Oh April
40, 1861, sent dispatch to Presi-
dent Davis at Montg ,mery to this
effect:
'No one now doubts that Lincoln
INTENDS war. The delay on his part
.ss only to complete his preparations.
All here is ready on our side. Our
delay, therefore, is to HE advantage
and our disadvantage. Let US take
SFort Sumter before we have to fight the
elect and the fort. Gen. Beauregard
will not act without your order. Let
c:ne suggest to you to send the order
to him to begin the attack as soon as
he is ready. Virginia is excited by
the preparations, and bold stroke on
rout side will complete her purposes.
Policy and prudence are urgent upon
Els to begin at once. Let me urge
the order to attack most seriously upon
.you."
To this President Davis on April IL
replied:
"Your dispatch reached me after I
had directed ore to be sent, which
anticipated your wish 80 fully that
you might have imagined it to be an
answer if the dates had been re-
wersed."
Mrs. Wigfall's letters to the chill
taren in Boston tell of what was going
'en in Charleston; how she was awaken
Led at 4.3O o'clock on the morning of
Eriday, April II, By the booming of
cannon; the incidents Of the bonn
1ardment and after the close of the
Snoident on Saturday. April 13.
As time went on and incidents null
spilled, Virginia sccedcd, the Con-
Moderate Government removed from
Montgomery to Richmond, communi-
cation between the sections was cut
off and the children in Boston we're
very anxious to be restored to their
parents in Richmond. This Mrs.
Wright tells us was accomplished
'throagh the agency Of the late Mr..
William T. Walters, of Baltimore.
"a oing through the lines q. that time
'0as q great event, Mrs. Wright says:
Mr.. Walters, to whom I alluded,
arranged for US the only feasible plan
for getting through the lines.
A'When all arrangements had been
made, through his kindness, we start
rsa. off on our adventures placed by
rmyuh.le in charge of responsible
gentlean1a, who was to take US to
Baltimore,lod deliver US into the care
.of Mr. Walters.
we were cautioned to be very
quiet, to express nothing at what we
aeard or saw, and to be as uaobtrusive
Is possToie IN ,our demeanor. shall
never forget my emotions the day we
started. In the crown of my hat I |
had conccaled.a package of letters to |
zoe >aeiivered in Richmond, and my |
SHiportauce in my own estimation was
rot little enhanced by the possession |
'ois this delightful seoret. We made
che journey to Baltimore without mis-.
hap or adventure of any kind, and |
-svhen ~we .sASahed che station and |
aligSAalSypm the car noteoed a gem