The National tribune., 1907-03-14

frfgateS Pawnee, POcahontaS and Pow
hatan, with the transport Baltic ant
the tugs Yankee and Uncle Ben. Thes'
had on board, in addition to their sup
plies. $50 recruits from Governor!
Island. Capts. Doubleday. in Fort Sum
ter. and Fox, Of the Navy, had agreed
that probably i. would be difficult 70,
armed vessels TO force their way into
the harbor after the buoys had beer
taken UP and the lights put out. Pos
eibly a more feasible plan would be 10
have the vessels approach the fort as
near as the bar, and then send in the
Supplies and recruits in small open
boats. which it would be almost impos-
Able for the gunners to hit in the night
time. Capt. Fox had brought along 80
launches for this purpose. The fleet
was seen outside the bar at 1920 in
the morning, and salutes were ex-
changed with II, II did not attempt to
GROSS the bar. and consequently it was
expected that the boats would be sent
In in the evening. Unfortunately all
sorts of cross-purposes and accidents
had been at play to thwart the object
Of the expedition. Secretary Seward
had meddled in the matter, and secured
the detachment of the Powhatan, which
carried the launches and some other
necessary provisions for the expedition.
Ihe Baltic was detained by running
into Wilmington by a storm, and the
Yankee did net make her appearance
until after the fort had surrendered.
The night OF the 18th was an anxious
one for the officers in the fort They
had reason to apprehend that an as
sault by boat would be made upon
them, and they also confidently ex-
pected that the fleet would attempt to
come in. The consequences Of mistak-
ing friend for an enemy would be
fearful. as well as the consequences of
mistaking an enemy for friend.
The Navy was severely blamed for
this failure to take part in the fight,
and for not making more of an effort
to relieve the fort, but defended itself
on the ground of the accidents narrated.
At the same time it seems as If more
resolute men would have accomplished
something in the way of taking a part
The action of the Navy on this occa-
sion was not at all up to the standard
afterwards set for 1t by the men under
Farragut and Porter.
Second Days Bombardment.
The routine of the fort was resumed
at reveille the next morning. with the
usual roll-cail and breakfast, the latter
consisting of pork and water, after
which the reliefs were marched to the |
guns, and began firing as deliberately
as the day before. The enemy had fired
guns at intervals during the night, and
at o'clock he resumed the lombard
ment with great energy. At o'clock
a rain came UP, which interrupted the
firing for an hour, and when 1t was re-
sumed the officers quarters were set on
fire by a shot heated in the furnaces at
Fort Moultrie This fire was extinguish-
ed, but II lasted long enough to encour-
age the enemy's artillerists to concen-
trate their efforts In that quarter, and
a couple of hours later a shell set the
whole row of buildings into fierce con-
Aagration. This threatened the maga-
zine, and the garrison went to work to
roll the barrels of powder out and cover
them with wet blankets. Many barrels
were rolled out 10 the sea front, where
they met a new danger from an acci-
dental shot striking them. The enemy
aided the confiagration as much as pos
sible by focusing his fire upon 1t. and
by IL o'clock one-ffth Of the fort was
On fire and the conditions there almost
The smoke settled down
within the walls, and the men had to
lie down on the ground to get breath
of fresh air. The firing had to cease
from necessity. Fortunately the wind
changed slightly, bringing some relief
IRE U1due great HOW
ever, among other things destroying a
of shells which had been load
ed for use, the explosion of which
wrecked a large portion of the vail.
The great wooden gates, studded with
iron nails, had been burned away, the
wall built behind them had fallen. and
the embrasures which had been plank
ed up We're now, like the gates, wide
open for an assaulting party to enter
The Flag Shot Away.
AT 12:4S the Flagstaff was shot thru
and the flag fell, to the intense exulta-
ton of the watching enemy on the
islands and In Charleston Private
Peter Hart found a spar, to which he
nailed the flag, and going to the parapetl
tied the spar to a pile of gun-carriages.
The enemy saw his act and turned their
guns upon him TO prevent the flag from
being raised again, but in spite of the
storm of shells, Hart coolly finished his
work without any appearance of haste,
and only descended from the top of the
fort when he had completed securing
the flag to his entire satisfaction.
Ex-senator WigfnIrs Visit.
Sergeant James Chester gives this
account of the visit of messenger
from Beauregard:
"It was during this excitamant tb,ti /,