CHAPTER II.

OPENING SCENE OF THE REBELLION-ATTACK UPON AND FALL OF FORT SUMTER.

At one half-past four o'clock, on the morning of the 12th of April, 1861, opened the great contest of the American Rebellion. At that fatal hour was seen the first flash, and heard the first boom, of rebel cannon, aimed at the defenders of the flag, which for eighty-five years had honored and protected a Continent! At that hour fire was opened upon Fort Sumter by the batteries surrounding it. The enemy employed in the attack, 17 ten-inch mortars, and 33 heavy guns.

It was not yet fully light, and Major Anderson, wishing to husband the energies of his feeble garrison, gave them time to breakfast, before replying to the assault. The enemy had an excess of men, and were therefore able to work their powerful batteries with the greatest energy. The heavy shot crashed against the walls of the fort with terrific violence, or flew over the parapet in a continuous shower, rendering it utterly impossible to man the guns upon it.

Captain Doubleday, and Lieutenant Snyder, first opened fire upon Fort Moultrie, Cumming's Point Battery, and Sullivan's Island. Fort Moultrie was badly damaged by our fire, and the notorious iron-cased floating battery, on which much time and money had been expended, was penetrated by many of our shot, though most of them glanced harmlessly from its angular iron sides. We dismounted two of the guns in the Cumming's Point Battery; but the precise effect of our fire upon the enemy's work has not been ascertained, -for misrepresen

166

THE FIRST DAY'S BOMBARDMENT.

tation and concealment were here inaugurated by the enemy, a course that has been persistently and systematically followed in the subsequent events of the war.

The labor required of the small garrison was very severe in working its heavy armament. In that, they were aided by the few laborers in the fort who rendered valuable assistance; yet at no time could they man one-tenth of its guns. The defense, therefore, which the fort was able to make, was comparatively feeble. The enemy, however, were protected by the most complete works which time, money and skill, could erect, within easy range, supplied with the best ordnance, with an excess of gunners. They were therefore able, throughout the entire day, to rain a perfect shower of missiles against, or into the fort, aimed especially at the barracks and officer quarters. The former were repeatedly fired by hot shot and shell, during the first day's bombardment, but were as often extinguished. The first day's firing had badly injured, though it had not breached the Fort. The only casualties was the wounding of four men slightly, by shots that entered the fort through the embrasures. The night that followed, was so very dark that no aim could be taken or object seen, and Major Anderson closed his batteries. The enemy, however, kept up a slow fire. Toward the close of the day, the fleet outside of the harbor was seen to dip its flags, and the signal was responded to from the fort. The plan had been to throw 250 men and supplies into the fort that night, by means of boats. But the Baltic ran aground the night before, and the plan, in consequence, failed. The small and famishing garrison was therefore left to defend and support itself, as best it could.

On the morning of the 13th, when Major Anderson again opened his batteries, he was responded to by a perfect tornado of heated shot and shell. So thickly flew the fiery missiles that the air of the fort was fairly scorched by them, as they

passed through it. About nine o'clock, A. M., the southeast portion of the barracks took fire, and as the attempt to extinguish it would have been the almost certain destruction of the men, it was not made, and the fire raged from building to building with uncontrollable fury. Seeing this, the enemy, as if actuated by fiendish hate, redoubled his fire. At this time the main gates of the fort took fire and were speedily consumed. A very small force might have entered, despite any resistance which we could have made to it. The fire spread on all sides, filling the area of the fort with suffocating smoke, and fears were entertained that it might affect the walls of the magazine, and explode it. An attempt was made to remove the powder from it, but when ninety-six barrels had been removed, they were compelled to close it, leaving

in it about two hundred barrels. This shut off the supply of ammunition and the means of continuing a long defense.

Thirty-six hours before, the garrison had eaten their last biscuit! The smoke from the burning buildings compelled the men to lie prostrate on the ground, and to cover their faces with wet handkerchiefs, to avoid suffocation, and from which they were only saved by the favorable direction of the wind. The air was intensely heated, like that from a blastfurnace. The scene now was horrible beyond description, the roar and crash of shot and shell, the raging, crackling flames, the tumbling walls, the suffocating smoke and scorching heat, all conspired to form a scene of unequaled peril, and calculated to appall the stoutest hearts. Yet the old flag, torn by rebel shot, still floated upon the ramparts, and firm and patriotic hands still held to its defense.

With the ammunition yet remaining, the garrison kept up a steady fire until early in the afternoon. At that time, Senator Wigfall, of Texas, appeared at one of the embrasures, and exposing a white flag upon his sword, entered the casemate. He sought, and had an interview with Major Anderson. He introduced himself saying: "I am Gen. Wigfall, and come from Gen. Beauregard. Let us stop this firing. You are on fire, your flag is down. Let us quit this." Lieut. Davis replied, "No sir! our flag is not down. out here, and you will see it waving over the ramparts." "Let us quit this," said Wigfall. "Here's a white flag, will anybody wave it out of the embrasure ?"

Step

One of the officers replied, "That is for you to do, if you

choose."

Wigfall responded, "If there is no one else to do it, I will," and jumping into the embrasure, waved the flag towards Moultrie. The firing, however, still continued from Moultrie and the batteries of Sullivan's Island. In answer to his repeated request, one of the officers said that one of our men might