The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-07-11
A|e5 WAR
fR5HIg1NlIs:eE:yg{s5S
SAW FALL OF FORT SUMTER.
Capt. John A. Bunker While Aboard
Coasting Schooner off Charleston
Witnessed Battle.

On an April day in 1861, while the
guns of Moultrie and Castle Pinckney
were laundering against the walls OF
Fort Sumter, there lay at anchor out.
side the harbor at Charleston, S. c.. a
coasting schooner. From its low-lying
deck it's officers and crew of half
dozen sailors watched the artillery
duel that proved to be the opening
scene in the Civil War.
The schooner was the Pennsylvania.
chartered by Boston shippers, and
freighted with ice for Charleston. One
of the crew that was thus privileged
to be eyewitnesses of the first overt
act of rebellion against the United
States government, was John Allen
Bunker. then aged %. Of Edgartown,
Mass.
Il was % years of age at the time
serving before the mast IN the coast
ing trade. Our craft, which was
schooner-rigged, was owned in Rock
land, Me. Early in April. 1861, we
sailed out of Boston, carrying ESQ tons
of ice consigned to parties in Charles
ton, s. G. OF course we had heard for
several months mutterings of impend-
ing trouble, and we knew that Maj
Anderson had transferred his CON-
mand from the shore Notifications to
Fort Sumter and was holding for
Uncle Sam, but think not soul on
board the Pennsylvania, our schooner,
realized the seriousness of the situa-
ton. | know felt no hesitation about
making the trip.
after rounding Cape Cod we ran
down the coast without special de-
lay, so far as l cen remember, and
in about five days, should say we
were off Charleston, and headed for
the channel leading to the city.
Fort Sumter was being lombard
ed. We were four miles away but we
could see the flash of the guns in
Moultrie and other shore Notifications.
Over all hung great volume OF
smoke.
what did we do? Why there was
but one thing for the captain to do
drop the anchor, and await the out
come. 1t would have been suicidal to
have attempted to ran the gauntlet
off that heavy crossfire. Yes, We were
held up all right. and so through the
afternoon we swung at anchor and
watched the pattle, too far away to
Judge whether one side or the other
was gaining an advantage.
There was mighty little sleep on
the Pennsylvania that night. and when
the morning broke every eye was
strained harborwards to see whether
the old flag was still flying over Sum-
ter. We could not make it out, and
our fears were realized when later a
harbor pilot boarded us and told us
Sumter had fallen
Under his guidance we worked our
way up the channel past the now 81
lent forts of the city. There all was
excitement. Nothing but the victory
gained by the South Carolina soldiers
was talked about, and Yankee sailor
was not enthusiastically welcomed
THAT port officers advised our cap
tain to discharge his cargo without de-
lay and get away while there was a
chance. We took the hint and lost no
time in acting upon it. In consider
able less than forty-eight hours our
cargo was hoisted out and we had said
| 'goodby' to Charleston.
1.-The next time / sailed to that port
was about one year later, should say.
and then we carried stone instead OF
ice. You see, it was this way: The