Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-09
INSIDE SUMTER IN
TORY OF ITS OCCUPATION AND B0MBARDMENW CAPT. JAMES CHESTER

out of chaos every day. and tho soldiers
began to feel that they were a match Tor
their adversaries. Still. they could NOT
shut their eyes to the fact that f0rmida-
Bile works were going up around them.
The secessionists were busy, too, but they
had the advantage of unlimited labor ana
material Fort Moultre had Its arma-
nlent again in position, and was receiving
the framework Of logs which formed the
foundation for its sandbag bombproo1s.
The Stevens point floating battery was
being made impregnable by an overcoat
of railroad iron: and batteries on MOTIFS
James and Sullivans Islands were ap-
preaching completion.
Mai. Anderson was fully impressed wath
the solemn responsibilities which resten
upon him when he transferred his COM
mand to Sumter. When he reached
Sumter there were no halliards to the
Flagstaff. and as there was more press
ing work on hand for several days. SONS
time elapsed before 1t became possible to
display the national flag At length. how
ever. halliards were rugged. and every
thing was ready for the flag.
The usual method OF proceeding IN sucn
case would have been to order tho ser
geant of the guard to send up the nag.
occasion. A dress parade was ordered,
and the little garrison formed around the
flagstaff, the officers In the center. Pres
entity Maj. Anderson. with Chaplain Har.
rs Of Fort Moultrie. who perhaps had
been summoned for the purpose. APP
preached the Flagstaff, and the command
was brought to attention. The nag. al
ready bent to the halliards. was held by
one officer. and another held the hosting
end Of the halliards.
Tho chaplain then In . few words In
vited those present to join with him In
prayer. and Maj. Anderson. receiving the
halliards from the officer who till that
time had held them. knelt beside the
chaplain, most Of the officers and some or
the men in the ranks following his OK
ample Prayers being ended all rose and
the nag Of Fort Sumter was raised by
NAL Anderson and the halliards secured
He then turned toward the oncers ana
directed that the companies be dismissed
If any Of those who doubted the loyalty
to the Union Of Maj. Anderson could
have had but one glimpse OF that I'm,
pressive scene they would have doubted
no longer.
The opening Of the bombardment was
a somewhat dramatic event. A relieving
fleet was approaching. all unknown 10
the Sumter garrison, and Gen. Beaure-
gard, perhaps with the hope Of tying MAJ
Andersons hands in the expected hsht
with that fleet had opened negotiations
with him on the 18th Of April looking
toward the evacuation Of the fort But
post till compelled by hunger. The last
ounce of breadstuffs had been consumed
and matters were manifestly approaching
a crisis.
Toward half-past on the morning OF the
18th we were startled by a gun fired In
the immediate vicinity OF the fort, and
many rose to see what was the matter.
1t was soon learned that q steamer from
the enemy desired to communicate with
Maj. Anderson. and small boat under
a flag Of truce was received and delivered
the message. Although no formal an
nouncement OF the fact was made. 1t be-
came generally known among the men
that in one hour Gen. Beauregard would
open his batteries on Sumter
The morning was dark and raw. Some
of the watchers surmised that Beaure-
gard was ''bluffing," and that there would
be no bombardment But promptly at
4:3O am. a flash as Of distant lightning
In the direction Of Mount Pleasant, fol-
lowed by the dull roar Of a mortar, told
us that the bombardment had begun.
The eyes of the watchers easily detected
and followed the burning fuse which
marked the course OF the shell as 1T
mounted among the stars and then de-
scended with ever-increasng velocity un-
til 1t landed inside the fort and burst. 1t
was capital shot Then the batteries
opened on all sides. and shot and shell
went screaming over Sumter as II an
army of devils were swooping around 1t.
Habits of discipline are strong among
old soldiers. If it had not been for or
ders to the contrary, the men would
have formed for roll call on the open
parade, as it was their custom to do,
although morton shells were bursting
there at the lively rate Of about one
minute. But they were formed under
the bombproofs. and the roll was called
They were then directed to get break
fast and to be ready to fall in when
assembly was beaten. The breakfast
part Of the order was considered a grim
joke, as the fare was reduced to the
solitary item OF TAT pork, very rusty in
deed.
By this time 1t was daylight The
garrison was divided into two reliefs.
and the tour Of duty at the guns was
the senior captain. his battery took the
first tour.
There were three points to be fired
upon-the Morris Island batteries, the
James Island batteries and the Sullivans
Island batteries. With these last was in
cluded the famous iron-clad floating bat
terry, which had taken up a position OF
the western end Of Sulivan's Island to
command the left rank OF Sumter. Capt.
Doubleday divided hts men into three
parties: the first. under his own i'm
mediate command. was marched to the
easement guns bearing on Norris Island;
the second, under Lieut.. Jefferson G.
Davis, manned the easement guns bearing
on the James Island batteries, and the
third was marched by q sergeant to the
guns bearing on Sullivans Island.
The guns in the lower tier, which were
the only ones used during the lombard
ment-except surreptitiously without or
ders-were thirty-two and forty-two-
Founders, and some curiosity was felt as