The National tribune., 1907-03-07

which their orators had been express
ing in flaming rhetoric and which now
/ committed them, their lives and their
| fortunes irrevocably to that last argu-
| ment of all people-the sword which
| wastes and devours.-
Nothing could exceed the proud ex-
| ultation of the CharlestOnians over the
climax which had at last arrived. There
was wild intoxication in the sulphur
Gus breath which issued from the iron
mouths of their great guns and f1oated
in to them upon the freshening sea
| breeze. There is an old story of the
| Apples of Ishtakar, which once bitten
must be eaten to the last fragment of
the rind. The first half is seven times
sweeter than honey, but the last half
seven times more bitter than the colo
quintida. This was the case with
| Charleston, but no prophetic eye could
then see thru the fires of hell which
| she had lighted to the dismal end of
this mornings work begun among such
wild rejoicings There was tho.
prophet in the North as much discred
| tied as all prophets usually are, who
said: "The rebellion now begun where
| Charleston Is will end where Charleston
was" A little over a year from thar
| time the Union guns were near enough
| to drop shells into the city itself, and
the housetops upon which the exultant
throng had stood were sinking one
after another under the sullen, persist
ent shelling of the Swamp Angel.
The First Days BOmbardment.
All of the 30 guns and II mortars
surrounding Fort Sumter continued
their fire energetically during the whole
day The direct fire produced little ef-
feet upon the solid walls of the fort or
| even the blockaded embrasures. The
! mortar fire was much more effective.
! The IT mortars fired 10-inch shells. of
which Capt Foster estimated one-haif
came within the parapet or exploded
above it. Only about 10 buried them
selves in the earth without exploding.
During the first day this did much dam
age to the roofs and upper story of the
| barracks and quarters and to the CHM
neys and other open works. The Off
GERS quarters were badly riddled and
fires started in them. There were three
large iron cisterns to hold rain water
for the supply of the garrison. These
were penetrated by fragments of shell,
and their contents flowing out prevent
ed for a time the copiagratiOn of the
quarters. but it was almost as bad, be-
cause the drenched. work gave out n
suffocating smoke, which made the in
terror at times almost insupportable.
Very many of the direct shots fired At
the fort missed it altogether. The fort
TeDIlcu very lOE SOUic
when it was discovered that the supply
of cartridges. only 700 in number. was
being reduced too rapidly, and there
after only six guns We're fired regular
ly, two towards Fort Moultrie, two to-
ward Morris Island and two toward the
batteries on the west end of Sullivan'S
Island. This fire was kept up steadily
until dark without any particular effect
upon the enemy being apparent. The
32 and 42-pounders were too light metal
for that distance. and Anderson refused
to allow his mortars or his barbette
guns to be used, which We're of heavier
caliber His men felt that if they had
been permitted they could have burned
the quarters in Moultrie. destroyed the
floating battery, and made it generally
very unpleasant for their enemies Att
one time Serg't John Carmody slipt out
to the top of the fort, unnoticed by the
officers, who probably took good care
not to see him. and deliberately fired
the guns bearing upon Fort Meullrie.
He produced a decided sensation in that
work, and all the guns of the enemy
We're at once turned upon him. 1t he
came a fight between Serg't Carm ody
and the Confederate States. in which
Carmody was obliged at last to back
down not because he acknowledged
himself whipt, but because he could
not single-handed, reload the guns
Two otneF otfSetHtS, WHO fldu great
faith in the 1O-inch Columbiads which
bore upon the floating battery, watched
their chance TO get to the top of the
fort and fire \ gun. They made good
line shot. but it was too high, and they'll
felt that If they could get in another al
little lower they would simply smash
the battery. The two Of them succeed
ed in getting the gun reloaded, but they
could not throw it again in battery
which required the strong hands of six
stalwart men. The enemy turned their
attention upon them. and things Were
getting so hot about the gun that they
had to let her GO The shot was fairly
effective upon the rebel battery. but t. |
dismounted the gun that fired it, and
nearly scared the Sergeants to death !
as to what the officers would do to them
when it was found out
Stirring Up the Spectators.
Sergt James Chester says:
'At the end of the first four hours |
Doubleday's men We're relieved from
the guns, and had an opportunity to |
look about them. Not man was Vis-
ibe near any of the batteries, but & |
large party. apparently of non-comb Vt
ants, had collected on the beach of Sui
livan's Island, we'll on. of the line ef |
fire. to witness the duel between Sumter
and Moultrie. Doubleday's men Were
not in the best of temper They Wcre
irritated at the thought that they h.;.
bsen unable to inilict any serious dam
age On their adversary. ana aitfio they
had suffered no damG &C in return ther;
were dissatisfied. The crowd of un-