Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-04-15
BEGINNINGS OF
THE CIVIL WAR
. -
Commander in Charge of Fl. Sum-
ter was Cousin Of Maternal
Grandmother of Mrs.
4. M. Potter.
SOME INTERESTING FACT
How Mrs. Robert Anderson Took
Trusted Servant to MAJ An
derson at Charleston.

ster City will &c interested to know
that Major Robert Anderson, com
mander in charge of FIT. Sumter, AM
l. prominent figure throughout tn
civil war, was an own cousin of Mrs
Jacob Groves, maternal grandmoth
er of Mrs. A NJ. Potter of this city
Mrs. Groves was reared in the An
derson home and at her marriage
received two slaves as a part of hel
wedding dowry. Many of the fol
lowing incidents are not found iI
history and will prove interesting
reading:
Women played a prominent par
in the civil war and Mrs Robert An.
derson was one of the heroines who
was determined to take to her hus.
band trusted servant in his hour
of peril. On January 8, 1861, con.
trary to the advice of her physician
she left New York City with Peter
Hart, a faithful servant who had
been with the major in other wars.
Travelling without intermission they
reached Charleston late Saturday
night. So absorbed was Mrs. An
derson with the object of her errand,
that she had neither eaten nor slept
during the journey. From Whining
ton to Charleston she was the only
woman on the train and all along
the way she had heard her husband
cursed and threatened.
knowing Governor Pickens per-
sonally she sought from him a per-
nit for herself and Hart to enter the
fort, and was told that a man could
not be added to the garrison. Re-
garding with scorn the idea that the
addition of one man to a garrison OF
sixty-fve, when thousands Of armed
men We're in Charleston. could i'm
peril the sovereign state of South
Carolina" Mrs. Anderson sent mes
sage to the governor saying: Il
shall take Hart with me, with or
without a pass" Her message was
reported to the governor and he gave
a pass for Hart. At 10 a. m. on
Jan. 9Th the two were taken in a
boat to FIT. Sumter. AS Mr.. Ander-
son saw the banner over the fort
she exclaimed, The dear old flag"
and burst into tears. 1t was the first
time emotion had conquered her
will since she left New York. AS
she was carried from the boat to
the sallyport, her husband ran out,
caught her in his arms and eXclaim-
ed in a whisper, My glorious wife,
and carried her into the fort.
have brought you Peter Hart" she
said. The children are well. ! re-
turn tonight" In two hours she was
back in Charleston. She had REIN
forced FIT. Sumter with Peter Hart,
a more efficient power at the right
hand of Major Anderson at that
critical moment than one hundred
soldiers would have been. On a bed
placed in the cars, and accompanied
by Major Anderson's brother. the
devoted wife started for New York
that evening. She was insensible
when she reached Washington and
was carried into Wizards hotel. At
ter reaching New York she was for
long time on the verge OF brain
fever.
On April I, 1861. Gen. Beaure-
gard notified Major Anderson that
no further communication would be
permitted between the fort and the
shore. Previous to this time, al
though not permitted to replenish
the supplies of the rank and file,
Maj. Anderson-whose relations
with the confederate officers and Of
fiCials at Charleston were cordial
mail on a little steamer that piled
for the purpose. and to send per-
sonal messenger to the city to buy
such small deIicacies as could be OBJ
tanned for the officers tables. The
messenger chosen for this importan,
work-for the Charleston street
crowds We're hostile and excited and
an indiscreet man could easily have
started a riot among them-was the
trusted servant. Peter Hart.
These facts show with what alb.
sence OF personal feeling and with
what mutual courtesy the first steps
in the great war were taken. Meth.
er side impugned the good faith Of
the other. Each prayed that the
other might assume the responsible
ity of firing the FIRST shot. Bott