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April 16, 1861 – A Richmond Vessel Hoists the Confederate Flag

In East Baltimore, on Sunday, great excitement was occasioned in consequence of the hoisting on the mizzen-top mast of the bark Fannie Crenshaw, lying at Chase’s wharf, lower end of Thames and Caroline streets, of the Confederate States flag at an early hour of the morning. The American says :

The fact of the flag being raised was not particularly observed for several hours after, and, on its being perceived, the Star Spangled Banner of the Union was immediately thrown to the breeze by the Captains of the barks Agnes, Mondamin, Washington, Chase, and Seaman, lying in the vicinity, from the gaff of their respective vessels.

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Surrender of Fort Sumter — Great Rejoicing among the People — Unparalleled Excitement

The interest of our citizens in the exciting events lately occurring in the neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina, always intense, as manifested by the crowds that have thronged around the bulletin boards of the different newspapers airing the past week, culminated on Saturday evening on the reception of the news of the surrender of Fort Sumter, In one of the wildest, most enthusiastic and irrepressible expressions of heartfelt and exuberant joy on the part of the people generally, that we have ever known to be the case before in Richmond. Nothing else was talked of, or thought of, save the great triumph achieved by the heroic troops of the glorious Southern Confederacy in obliterating one of the Illinois ape’s standing menaces against the assertion of Southern rights and equality.— So far as the opinion of the people is concerned, it would have been much more to the old rail-splitter’s credit had he ordered Anderson to leave Fort Sumter, as an untenable and undesirable place, than to attempt, as he and his coadjutors did, to make the undoubtedly gallant Major the scapegoat of his insiduous and damnable views. We repeat, that had wise counsels prevailed, the old ape would have had all the credit between a graceful leave-taking and an ignominious expulsion at the cannon’s mouth. 

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The Real Struggle

We will assuredly have to wage a war upon our Northern enemies. But it will be war of political economy and commercial policy. The "irrepressible conflict" must be fought out.…
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Congressional Inquiry Denied

Map of the Battle of Ball's Bluff

Parliament inquired into the conduct of the Crimean War, and out of the investigation grew the remedy for a host of grievances. The French Assembly, in the days of the Republic, also looked into the failures of their Generals. Our army claims exemption from criticism, immunity from censure, and that all its mistakes may he covered.

The Investigating Committee, on calling on General McClellan for facts in the Ball’s Bluff affair, were informed that he was too busy to look into past disasters. We confess we do not like the precedent. Once established, no limit can be named where it will end. It is not simply that a vexed question may be settled, as to who is responsible for the wholesale murder at Ball’s Bluff; who is to blame that our Federal troops were shot down like penned sheep; whose fault it was that there were no suitable means provided for crossing the Potomac; by whose mistake it was that Baker was sacrificed; why the movement was made at all; or when made, why recalled. It is not simply to settle these points that on investigation is needed, but to fix in the minds of all our commanders a consciousness that for all similar errors they are to be held responsible before the people.

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April 13, 1861 – Bombardment of Fort Sumter

Map of Charleston harbor

Civil war has begun! General Beauregard, in accordance with instructions received on Wednesday, from the Secretary of War of the Southern confederacy, opened fire upon Fort Sumter yesterday morning, at twenty-seven minutes after four o’clock. Forts Johnson and Moultrie, the iron battery at Cummings’ Point, and the Stevens Floating Battery, kept up an active cannonade during the entire day, and probably during the past night. The damage done to Fort Sumter had been, up to the last accounts, considerable. Guns had been dismounted, and a part of the parapet swept away.

Major Anderson had replied vigorously to the fire which had been opened upon him, but our despatches represent the injury inflicted by him to have been but small. The utmost bravery had been exhibited on both sides, and a large portion of the Charleston population, including five thousand ladies, were assembled upon the Battery to witness the conflict.

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Off to Pensacola

The Lafayette Guards, Capt William Delay, will be off for Pensacola at 5 o'clock, to-morrow morning, with full ranks of men. Their route will be by way of Holly Springs,…
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April 11, 1861 – Affairs in Florida

The Pensacola correspondent of the N. Y. Tribune writes from the U. S. steamer Brooklyn, off Pensacola bar, April 2d :

I can assure you our condition has been deplorable enough for some time past. At one period, we were almost reduced to the point of starvation, so successfully had the edict of Gen. Braxton Bragg, forbidding all communication with United States vessels, been carried out. As we were thus necessitated to procure the necessities of life elsewhere, we “up anchor” on the 22d ult , and steamed direct to Key West, at which place we arrived in excellent time, Here, everything was perfectly quiet, but as we run into the harbor, the hotheaded rebels that observed us busied themselves in hoisting secession flags, and as they were tauntingly flung to the breeze, accompanied the act with shouts of derision.