The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-08-05
Renaissance
III.

Editor Star: When / closed my last
number the First Regiment, S. c. ",
was on board the steamer DeKalb
headed for James Island through the
inland route. Our ultimate destina-
ton was Morris Island, which lies in
the harbor short distance beyond
Fort Sumter from Charleston. We
could not travel the direct way to
Morris Island because it would have
brought the steamer in close and
direct range of the guns of Fort
Sumter and as the battle had already
opened there is no doubt that Major
Anderson would have trained some Of
his guns at SO tempting target.
Therefore to get to the place where it
was deemed that our services might
be most urgently needed and most ef-
fectively used we steamed by the in
land route from Charleston to
point on James Island called Dill's
Bluff, where we disembarked and
marched across the island to Lagare's
Point, from which place we were
taken by boat to Morris Island and
went into camp at or very near the
place where the famous Battery
Wagner was afterwards construct
ed. All day long while on our jour
ney the booming of cannon and burst
ing of shells constantly vibrated the
air as Forts Moultrie and Johnson
and other batteries pounded away at
Fort Sumter and that fort replying
directing its shots at the various
forts and batteries that were batter
ing away at its walls. When we
reached our camping place we had a
clear and open view of all the forts
engaged in the fight, as Morris Island
is woodless. Fort Sumter was not
then armed with any gun that could
reach our camp and we could there
fore watch the bombardment just as
people now watch such scenes in the
movies" OF course none of US had
ever witnessed such a scene before.
It was strange and interesting spec
tacle and you can well imagine that
we viewed it with the deepest interest
and excitement. All day long after
we reached our destination we watch
ed the forts and especially Sumter, to
see the hits of the balls and shells and
try to make out the effect they were
having on the walls of the fort. As
night came on the firing of the cam
mons ceased but at short intervals
mortars, which had been trained in
the day, threw shells which were in
tended to fall (and did, inside of
Sumter. These were fuse shells and
fired at high elevation would de-
scribe a parabola through the air,
drop into the fort and explode. When
enc was fired at night it's course could
easily be followed in its flight by the
burning fuse as it turned over and
over, winking it's eye like FREELY,
until it fell into the fort. Sometimes
they would explode just ass they got
over the top of the fort and scatter
| its fragments down into the parade
ground inside. At dawn of the day
the 18th of April, the forts all around
began again their furious lombard
ment while Sumter opened up it's re-
| ply distributing its shot and shell
wherever it was thought they would
be the most effective. During "a hours
$500 shot and shell hit Sumter or fell
inside of it, and during the day the
barracks were set on fire and endan.
gered the magazines. On the after.
noon of the 18th the surrender of the
fort was again demanded and terms
were arranged by which the fort was
surrendered on the 18th. By the terms
of the surrender Major Anderson anc
his garrison were allowed to salute
the U. S. flag and march out with
honors of war and were transported
to steamer and sailed for New York
Our troops then took possession. Il
was found that the fort was consid
erably damaged, but there were rs
serviceable guns and to these after.
wards quite number were added. Il
is little remarkable that no one wa:
hurt on either side during the entire
bombardment up to the time Major
Anderson began the salute to his flag
and then by the premature firing Of
a gun two or three of his men were
seriously wounded. The damage done
to the fort or its garrison was Ger.
tainly not the cause which led Major
Anderson to surrender. What moved
him was doubtless the fact that hi:
provisions were about exhausted anG
he knew that further supplies coulc
not reach him and these conditions ex
listing he saw that starvation woule
compel him to yield and that it was
useless for him to take any further
chances of having his men killed OF
wounded.
Fort Sumter! What a gallant ane
heroic history it has after it was
taken possession of by the Confed.
crate troops! The federal forces aft.
erwards bombarded it from land ane
from sea, using the largest and most
powerful guns then known in war
fare. Hammered away and pounded
at it for months and months until the
fort was mere pile of debris OF
broken bricks, sand and mortar slop-
ing down to the waters edge, and moi