Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-04-18

bore, and at once called his fellow Off
GERS in council
On this little band rested the RESPONSE
bility of dealing with a crisis in their
country's history.
Their bread was gone. BY evacuating
the fort they might prevent war be-
tween brothers. But their sense of duty
rose above all other consideration They
voted to a man against evacuation.
In three-quarters of an hour Major An
derson's reply was ready. AS he handed
it to one of the aids he said: Gentle
men, If you do not batter the fort to
pieces about US we shall be starved out
in a few days"
The southern officers grasped at this
remark as a drowning man grasps at
straw. There might still be time,s they
thought, to arrange peaceful evacua-
ton of the fort, and possibly war might
thus be averted.
In reporting to General Beauregard
General Beauregard was also impressed,
by the remark and promptly telegraph
ed 1t TO Montgomery. Late in the even
ing a reply came from L. p. Walker, the
Confederate secretary of war.
do not desire needlessly to lombard
Fort SUMTER 1t ran. IF Major Ander-
son will state the time at which. as indi-
Gated by him, he will evacuate. and
agrees that IN the meantime he will not
use his guns against us unless ours shall
be employed against Fort Sumter, you
|are authorized to avoid the effusion of
blood" This being refused, General
Beauregard was authorized to reduce
the fort as your judgment decides to be
most practicable"
MIDNIGHT SUMMONS
General Beauregard at once incor-
porated the substance of this dispatch
in a second demand on Major Anderson.
this time to name a date on which he
would leave the fort. and to give a
promise not to use his guns meanwhile.
1t was midnight when this demand
was placed in the hands of an aid, one
of party of four from the generals
staff. with orders to take it at once
to Fort Sumter. The party proceeded
to the fort in a rowing boat of six
oars. The party consisted of the three
officers who had borne the first demand.
and Roger A. Pryor, a member of con-
gress from Virginia.
The night was dark and rainy. and
Fort Sumter was wrapped in gloom,
with never a light showing from 1t, as
the boat bearing the officers approach
ed 1t.
The garrison. except the sentries, was
sleeping. but Major Anderson and his
officers were awake and up.
While three of the messengers waited
in the guardroom-Mr. Pryor did not en-
ter the fort. "as his state had not Sc
ceded"-Major Anderson held a long
consultation with his fellow Officers
and prepared his second reply. 1t was
not ready until 3:15. when the southern
officers indicated that they could wait
no longer.
They were empowered to act at once
on the reply. Finding that Major An
derson declined to bind himself to a
truce, though he stated he could not
hold out longer than the 18th, Lieuten-
ant Lee sat down to a table in case
mate, in the presence of Major Ander-
son and his officers. and by a dim light
wrote to the dictation of Chestnut a note
addressed to Major Anderson, inform
ing him that fire would be opened on
the fort by the Confederate batteries in
an hours time.
ION receiving it he was much affect
ed" wrote one of the Confederate Off
GERS. "Escorting us to the boat at the
wharf he cordially pressed our hands in
farewell. remarking. If we never meet
in this world again. God grant that We
may meet in the next"
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Literary Press.l