The Washington herald., 1914-02-04

Fifty years ago today Confederafe
military officers at Charleston reported
that the Federais had fired 1.s,5 shots
against the city during January. OF
which $50 had taken effect.
The scenes attending the Federal siege
of Charleston-if siege 1t could be called
were Of a curior=ly interesting char
acter.
Although there re no Federal guns
within four miles of the city. there had
been an almost continuous lombard
ment of Charleston since July. when
Federal forces under Gen. Quincy A.
Gilmore had succeeded in establishing
siege guns on Morris Island in Charles
ton Harbor.
The city was not closely invested by
a Federal military force and its in
habitants were free to retire into the
country, which many of them had
done Others had chosen not only to
remain in the city, but to live in the sec
tions in which the Federal shells fell.
about one-haif of the city being within
range and the remainder out of range OF
the Federal guns.
The Charlsstonians not only clung to
their city, but they calmly counted the
Federal shots and the effect Of each one
An observer was posted in the tower of
st. Michaers Church for the purpose of
observing where the shells fell From
his reports and those of other Confeder-
ate officers, Col. Alfred Rhett. command
ing the city, was able to make the follow
ing returns of the Federal fire for the
winter of 1854; In November. total
shells fired 81, reached the city q; in De-
cember. total shells fired 31s. reached the
city, 2Ss; in January, total shells fired
l525 reached the city, go: February, to-
tai 1.7z7, reached, the city s64; March. to-
tai 3e5, reached the city 23s. This made
a total for five months of 3s7s shells
fired, Of which ESQ had fallen in Charles
ton and Les had fallen short.
shells Shrek Over Houses.
In the observatory Of the steeple of St.
Michaers a stove was fitted up, for the
comfort of the observer, who, through q
powerful telescope. watched every move
ment OF the Federal ships of the har-
boris mouth and of the troops which
manned the Federal batteries on Morris
Island.
Night and day an observer kept post
in the steeple. making a note OF every
shot that came into the city. A rope
ladder hung outside the steeple, by which
the observer could descend IL the Eteeple
beneath him should be struck and choked
with debris. However, the steeple was
not struck during tho bombardment. al
though shells fell in the graveyard south
the north.
When the first Federal shells had come
whistling over the city on certain
summer night the people were terror
stricken.
1T was near midnight" wrote one
resident in his "reminiscences, "and with
the exception Of & few more wakeful
ones, the whole city was buried In slum-
ber. Suddenly and without the least
premonition a whizzing. shrieking sound
was heard above the roofs of the houses.
The sound was repeated and it was no.
ticed that ii was each time preceded
by the faint flash and followed by the
distant reverberation Of a great gun.
The fact then became evident and
was soon corroborated by. the shouts of
the people in the streets that the Fed
erals were shelling the city.
Had the advent of the final judgment
been announced 1t could not have created
greater surprise and CONSERVATION. The
sidewalks were soon filed with flying
women and children. hurrying to secure
a refuge in the upper part of the town.
The excitement was increased by the
breaking out of a fire.
Effects of Bombardmcnt.
These shells had come from the cele