Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-06-28
D@MEAR
HRdMsNqRHz[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 he walls OF
Fort Sumter. there lay at anchor out
side the harbor at Charleston, S. c., a
coasting schooner. From Its [ow-lying
deck its officers and crew OF half a
dozen sailors watched h 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 hat was thus privileged
TO be eyewitnesses of the first owe
act OF rebellion against the United
States government. was John Allen
Bunker. then aged %. Of Edgartown.
Mass.
Il was 90 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 $50 tons
of ice consigned to parties in Charles
ton, S. C. OF course we had heard for
several months mutterings OF 1mpend-
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 I think not a soul on
board the Pennsylvania, our schooner,
realized the seriousness Of the situa-
ton. know l felt no hesitation about
making the trip.
after rounding Cape Cod we ran
down the coast without special de-
lay, SO far as l a 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
Mou1trie and other shore Notifications.
Over all hung a great volume OF
smoke.
What did we do? Why there was
but one thing for the captain to 10
drop the anchor, and await the out
come. It would have been suicidal to
have attempted to run the gauntlet
off that heavy crossf1re. Yes. we were
held up all right, and so through tho
afternoon we swung at anchor and
watched the battle, 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 y was
strained ~harborwards to see whether
the old flag was still flying over Sum-
ter. We could not make 1t 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 a 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 q
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.
'The next time I sailed to that port
was about one year later, / should say,
and Their we carried stone instead Of
Ice. You see, it was this way: The