The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-23

Charleston. with its beautiful harbor.
always point OF historical interest
and naturally defensiblc. was in 1850
Eguarded By four fortrcsses. Castle
Pinckney. built OF shoai near the
acity. Was unCarrisoned and OF minor
importance. Fort Johnson. on James
Island. was comparatively Of little use.
Fort Moultric, on Sullivans Island.
three or four miles from Charleston.
was built on the site Of the little fort
dof palmetto logs made memorable in
4 the War for Indcpondc ncn BY Genera
Mouitrics heroic defense against the
British fleet In l7Ts. Fort Sumter WAS
the most important, rising apparently
8out Of the sea in the middle Of the
7cntranrc to the harbor. about a mile
i from For; Moultric. ana three and
lone half miles from tho city Vt WAS
: built OF brick and concrete masonry.
and it's walls, sixty feet high and from
8eiGht 20 twelve feet IL thickness, were
8perced for three tiers OF guns. the
first tier for forty-two Founders. the
other two for cight-inch and ten-inch
Columbiads
During the fateful year OF 1860 Col
4oncl Gardiner OF the United states
8Army Who had been IN command of
d Charleston harbor. with headquarters
~ Fort Noultric, being unjustly sus-
8nectcd OF sympathy with the seces :
8ionis,s WAS removed from his post
/ November 20. and WAS succeeded by
Major Rohert Anderson. or Kentucky.
:, brave and gallant officer. who had
8iis;inEuishcd himself in the war with
Mexico. Malor Anderson found all tho
&larbor dcfenses in poor condition. and
7o wrote to- Adjutant- General Cooper,
NJ the United States Army. calling spe-
ial attention TO Fort AIoultrie "as in
hitting attack by its weakness
Anderson's position was delicate and
&.yery day apparently more and more
threatening. Although the Carolinans
B,llowed n continuance Of mail facilities
> Between Charleston INA his hcadquar
i ers at Fort Moultric. and while he wit
Blessed the seemingly wariilSe prepara-
fions going on around him. he could
hear OF nothing encouraging TO him
Hfron his government At Washington F..
8ronseouently. ON the night Of the 26th
#lf December just before the rising OF a
Full moon, and after spikine his guns
Hand burning everything of consequence.
BE moved secretly. by means of small
Boats, his little garrison OF seven OH
8oers and siNty-on artilicrlsts, with a
ew women and Children, from Fort
- ,Ioultric TO the more defensible strong
#lold OF Sumter. Early next morning.
Has the dawn was breaking over the
8vaters OF the harbor, the smoke of the
Burning material revealed to the aston
i shed pcople of the city this change of
! ,ase The secret WAS out, and great
81 ooked upon this movement az an overt
- act of war. and al a direct violation of
compact, which they claimed had
s ,een made OF December Q. 1860, ny Mr..
Suchanan, who Was then President.
with The State authorities of South
'arolina to the effect that mo rein
orcements should he sent into those
II orts, and their military status should
8 emain AT present"
81 John r.. Floyd, OF Virginia. then Sec
- etary. of War in Buchanans Cabinet.
laiming that the solemn pledge of the
government had been violated insisted
81 hat the national troops must be with :
S3rawn from the Harbor of Charleston.
resident Buchanan refused to do this.
+ IN the advice OF General Scott, the
ommander-in-ch chief of the United
tates Army. Thereupon. Secretary
FLOYD resigned from the Cabinet. and
II I the .Grst call for troops TO invade
Virginia, he entered into the service
IF the South.
EXcitment was now at its height.
- he South Carolina Convention, still i'm
8essicn. requested Governor +. w Pick
81 ms TO take possession of Fort Moultrie.
n 'ort Johnson, and Castle Pinckney.
8'hs was done with all possible celer-
t. The State Military Academy was
sed as a general rendezvous. The
~ overnment arsenal, with its military
torres. was seized. Two hundred men,
nder command Of Colonel j. i. Petti-
rev. twho was mortally wounded in
SOS when covering Lees retreat from
= gettysburg with q brigade raised and
equipped by himself), were sent to seize
'astle Pinckney, the commander of
vhich, after slight resistance. fed to
- 'ori sumter. At the same time Colonel
Vilmot 6. DeSaussure. with n force OF
20 aitillerists. landed on Sullivans
80 Stand and occupied Fort Moultrie, its
olitary sentinel having surrendered on
~ emend. Here flag OF secession was
% aised, but as il was after nightfall,
~ nd it could not be seen by the people
CHARLESTON, three rockets were sent
p to announce their arrival. In the
Meantime, Major p. Il. Stevens. OF the
tate Military Academy. had been or
cred, with a detachment OF State ca
cts, about fifty in number. to build and
nan ON Norris Island. OH the opposite
de oil the harbor, Il battery of three
wentS Correspondents, bearing on ship
hannel. On the afternoon OF the same
ay an armed local steamer, brining
rom the city the lately arrived CO.
lmbia Flying Artillery, under COM
nandsof Captain Allen j. Green, began
: atroliing the harbor
After continuing this work through