The evening world., 1911-04-12
Half a Century Has Elapsed
Since First Shell Ushered
In the Civil War.
STORY OF THE SIEGE.
Union Garrison in Desperate
Fix With Only Bacon
Rind to Eat.

SvSaV ~aAfS n pun VI oAhfphV ss
old-fashioned mortar. A hiasins.
s~creeohing shell sailed in q quarter
circle from Fort johnson, seemed to
hesitate. then exploded just like a sky
rocket at the climax OF It's Night. one
hundred and seven men and nine ON
Gers awoke In the garrison of Fort
Suneor. yOf these forty-three men were
volunteers from the ranks Of 40 work.
men who had been engaged in building
the fort. They offered TO renain and
hep the soldiers resist any attack. The
DuS1e In the forts yard hastily sounded
the CAN TO arms.
They heard thai cali from Maine to
the Rio Qrande. and II was the real
beginning Of the Civil War in which
the forces Of the North and the men
Of the South locked themselves in
deadly struggle for moro than four
yOosv.
II wa just nifty years ago to-day. Tho
morning Of April II. 1861. holds more.
perhaps. Of American history In Leash
than Any other day the sun ever
brought.
Dor thirty years laborers had been
pGSng br1c,es and stone upon a shoal Of
Charleston Harbor that Fort Sumter
might Be born. The work had pro-
gressed with snaii-like Official supervi-
sion. and upon the day after Christmas.
lsoe when Maj. Robert Anderson found
he men in Fort Moultrie everywhere
surrounded by South Carolina State
troops. whilo the daily drilling of rebel
foross had gone on within earshot Tor
weeks. Sumter was still incomplete.
Only Bacon kInd to Eat.
Dut 1t offered q much better refuge
Tor the little handful Of United States
troops h q did the Mouitris post. 30
Major Anderson packed his little be.
lonsinss and took his men over to the
. post. At Washington they knew
that sumter was no point for dal1ance,
A'ready the came Star had started
to relieve the fort when Confederate
n had on Jan. .. 1851. bean turned
upon her and she was forced to leave
the garrison without sorely needed SUP.
piles.
u was . hungry little garrison Afty
years 8 this morning that heard IN.
huge telling the story OF the attack
only bacon rind had been available 10,
suppe Only bacon rind was on thu
menu Tor the morning meal. The on.
posing forces had no intention of addin,
aaythihS 10 the bill Of fare by permittin,
u friendly ship TO bring a cargo,
indeed the willy Beauregard. hlmsel. q
west POINTER n a soldier OF foresight
hao taken the ~precaution to have IN,
channel leading to the fort effectunll,
cnoked with such distractions as IN IN,
confederate Rlnd would do the mos
sood toward creating an appetite owe
IN sumter without supplying the mean,
OF satisfying 1t.
Inc smell that awoke tho entire ma.
ton broke Its challenging confines oil
fecuy over he American flag. 1t wa
a weil-umed insult. q mechanloali per
feet defiance. fired by Capt. George !
James. who commanded the battery a
Fort johnson. IL the waiting fleet out
sAs OF the harbor had had one OF IN,
present-day guns tho distractions IL
the channel would have cut no tgur
IN ohe days proceedings. but guns II
those days carried no mileage books
and the fleet might as we'll have bee
In Alaska.
~ the men came running from thei
barrscks. dragging their guns benin
them. their tired officers met them an
told them to 20 back to sleep. 1t wa
stu dark and night is no time to I'm
ranOes and return the fire OF an en-
envy. A few OF the men went back a
ordered, but the majority OF them too
refuge under the shelter OF the ease
ments and awaited the next shot.
The other Confederate batteries abol
the harbor had opened FIRE upon sun
ter. The nye-mlnute Intervals were a
most licked on into minutes by II
duh reports Of the ancient cannon an
the bursting OF shells.
Sumter vas taking her time. Male
Anderson knew that his men wei
caught like rats In a trap. When da
came he had his men begin the
studied reply to the four-cornered fir
The little stock OF n bags In whiC
tho powder was placed before rammiT
1t home was too limited TO allow muC
action. Six needles were found and 4
dustriously piled in tho making
nYder sacks from clothing. socks al
- hing else the fort afforded. II
nrinf from the fort took the form OF
slx,gdH play against the many gu.
safe behind their sandworks, the Co
federates watched the Sumter shot a.
shell fall harmlessly about them, tn
checked their flights as billiard ba
manipulated by an expert, n VIII
they went toward the floating bate
Of the other side they merely patter
from the iron protective defenses as
many hallstones from g %greenhous 70,
Close Range Artillery Fight.
u was a close range sight for ar,
lsry. Viewed from l~atter-day heigh
Three points had been selected 10y Ma.
Anderson for his own return fire I
most remote was 900 yards and
nearest l,SOO-mere gallery practice d
tances under new conditions, but gu
different for the ancient guns OF
opening period OF the war.
A. the firing went on Major Anderst
scanning the horizon with his glass
saw the flags OF three United Sta
ships Just over the bar. lie dipped
fort flag to the welcome visitors. /
they -erc barred .rc:a helping hin;
the channel obstruction and the bal
Ing line OF Confederate guns that kr
~punctuating the hours with the stea
dropping of shells. AS the forts II
~ being run up after its courteo
satUte TO the laval neighbors. a sh
frso M a the attacking forts cut