Major Anderson landed at the Battery, and was received by an immense crowd. His carriage was surrounded by the people, who expressed in cheers and other demonstrations their congratulations. He was followed by an immense throng through Broadway to the Brevoort House, where he was joined by his wife.
The following is a digest of Capt. Doubleday’s statement :
The demand to surrender Fort Sumter was made on the 11th, and refused, not only by Major Anderson, but the unanimous voice of his command. On Friday morning, at 3 o’clock the rebels sent word that a fire would be opened in one hour, and at 4 o’clock the fire opened upon us in every direction, including the hidden battery. The fire was opened with a volley of seventeen mortars, firing ten inch shells, and shot from thirty three guns, mostly Columbiads. We took breakfast, however, very leisurely. The command was divided into three watches, each under the direction of two officers. After breakfast they immediately went to the guns, and opened fire on Fort Moultrie, Cummings’ Point and Sullivan’s Island. The iron battery on Cummings’ Point was of immense strength, and most of our guns glanced off. Major Anderson refused lo allow the men to work the guns on the parapet, on account of such a terrific fire directed there.
There is scarcely a room left in Fort Sumter inhabitable. Several shots went through the Floating Battery, but it was little damaged – Two guns on the Iron Battery were dismounted. A man was stationed who cried shot or shell when the rebels fired, the garrison being thus enabled to dodge them. At first the workmen were reluctant to help work the guns, but afterward served most willingly and effectively against the Iron Battery. The barracks caught fire several times on Friday, but were extinguished by the efforts of Mr. Hart of New York and Mr. Lyman of Baltimore, both volunteers.
On Saturday, the officer’s quarters caught fire from shell, and the main gates were burnt. A magazine was surrounded by fire, and ninety barrels of powder were taken out and thrown into the sea. When the magazines were encircled by fire, all our materials were cut off, and we had eaten our last biscuit two days before. The men had to lie on the ground with wet handkerchiefs on their faces, to prevent smothering, and a favorable eddy of wind was all that saved our lives. The cartridge bags gave out. Five men were employed to manufacture them out of our shirts, sheets, blankets, etc. It will take half a million of dollars to repair Fort Sumter’s interior. Most of their shot was aimed at our flag.
The following is the conversation that occurred between Anderson and Wigfall : The latter said, “Gen. Beauregard wishes to stop this, sir.”
Anderson only replied, ” Well, well.”
Wigfall said, ” You have done all that can be done, and General Beauregard wishes to know upon what terms you will evacuate the Fort.”
Anderson – “Gen. Beauregard is already acquainted with the terms. “
Wigfall – ” Do I understand that you will evacuate on the terms proposed?”
Anderson ” Yes, and only on those.”
Wigfall then returned. Ten minutes after, Colonel Chestnut and others came from Beauregard, asking if Anderson wanted any help, and stating that Wigfall had not seen Beauregard for two days, and had no authority for his demand on Anderson. To which Major Anderson replied ; ” Then we have been sold – we will raise our flag again.” But they requested him to keep it down until communication could be had with Beauregard. Firing then ceased, and three hours later another deputation came, agreeing to the terms previously decided upon.
On Saturday morning, steamer Isabel came down and anchored off the fort, when all the baggage was put on board the steamer Clinch, which was used as a transport between the fort and the Isabel. The troops were under arms. A portion were told off to salute the flag, and when the last of fifty guns were fired, the flag was lowered amid the loud and hearty cheers of the men, who then formed in the gorge, and embarked to the tune of ‘Yankee Doodle.” Two men were killed on the second round of the salute by the explosion of a gun, four wounded, one badly, and left at Charleston. On Monday the Isabel steamed down the harbor, and transferred the troops to the Baltic, which sailed Tuesday morning.
Fort Sumter had not been reinforced on any occasion.
The Baltic arrived off Charleston on the morning of Friday, after the firing on Fort Sumter had commenced. The Pawnee and Pocahontas arrived next day. The Powhatan and Atlantic had not been seen. During all the while the fleet was off Charleston a heavy gale was blowing. The day Major Anderson evacuated, preparations for reinforcing him had been made, to be attempted that night. A schooner was seized and an agreement made to pay the pilot and captain $500 to put men in the Fort: but the Fort was evacuated before the attempt could be made.
Captain Fox had instructions to attempt to provision the Fort, without troops, and if fired on was to rush in the best way be could ; but the gale prevented the arrival of tugs and transports.
The Harriet Lane is soon expected to arrive. The Pawnee has gone to Washington.
Among the many incidents of the battle, is that of a Mr. Hart, a volunteer, who, when the flag was shot down, and the rebel fire concentrated on the flag staff, gallantly nailed the stars and stripes, amid the deadly fire and the cheers of the United States troops.
The Daily Green Mountain Freeman, Montpelier, VT
Peter Hart
Peter Hart was a New York City police patrolman and had served as a sergeant under Major Anderson in the Mexican-American War, with whom he had maintained a close relationship. In January 1861, he escorted Mrs. Anderson to South Carolina to see her husband, and was in Fort Sumter as a non-combatant when the bombardment began.
On April 13th, after hours of bombardment, the U.S. flag flying over Sumter was finally shot down. Hart volunteered to raise it again and, under fire from Confederate batteries, climbed up a temporary flagpole and nailed the flag aloft. The flag remained flying until the evacuation of the fort.