FORT SUMPTER FALLEN: The Fort on Fire and the Garrison Exhausted; NO ATTEMPT AT REINFORCEMENT; Call for Seventy-Five Thousand Militia (4/15/1861)

New York Times archives – Times Machine ^ | 4/15/1861

[Homer_J_Simpson]

CHARLESTON, Saturday, April 13 -- Evening.

Major ANDERSON has surrendered, after hard fighting, commencing at 4 1/2 o'clock yesterday morning, and continuing until five minutes to 1 to-day.

The American flag has given place to the Palmetto of South Carolina.

You have received my previous dispatches concerning the fire and the shooting away of the flagstaff. The latter event is due to Fort Moultrie, as well as the burning of the fort, which resulted from one of the hot shots fired in the morning.

During the conflagration, Gen. BEAUREGARD sent a boat to Major ANDERSON, with offers of assistance, the bearers being Colonels W.P. MILES, and ROGER PRYOR, of Virginia, and LEE. But before it reached him, a flag of truce had been raised. Another boat then put off, containing Ex-Gov. MANRING, Major D.R. JONES and Col. CHARLES ALLSTON, to arrange the terms of surrender, which were the same as those offered on the 11th inst. These were official. They stated that all proper facilities would be afforded for the removal of Major ANDERSON and his command, together with the company arms and property, and all private property, to any post in the United States he might elect. The terms were not, therefore, unconditional.

Major ANDERSON stated that he surrendered his sword to Gen. BEAUREGARD as the representative of the Confederate Government. Gen. BEAUREGARD said he would not receive it from so brave a man. He says Major ANDERSON made a staunch fight, and elevated himself in the estimation of every true Carolinian.

During the fire, when Major ANDERSON'S flagstaff was shot away, a boat put off from Morris Island, carrying another American flag for him to fight under -- a noteworthy instance of the honor and chivalry of South Carolina Seceders, and their admiration for a brave man.

[jeffersondem]

“Thought they hanged the Wertz for his conduct at Andersonville.” (sic)

In my post 18 I did not address Andersonville or Henry Wirz.

Before I do that I want to give you the opportunity to climb way out there on that limb.

[BroJoeK]

jeffersondem: "I'd have to look it up but for some reason I think it was you that published a Castro-length post some seasons back drawing an equivalency between the casualties of Fort Sumter and Pearl Harbor."

You have a good memory, but it wouldn't take "Castro-length" to show the comparisons between Sort Sumter & Pearl Harbor.
It should be plenty enough to report, accurately, they were the opening battles of their wars and had about the same effect on average Americans.

But since your point is to insinuate Fort Sumter was a "Gulf of Tonkin incident", I simply remind you that even Pearl Harbor is claimed by some to have been "engineered".
Doesn't mean it was, but people can claim pretty much anything.

jeffersondem: "Never have I seen more long winded bs in all my life."

Nothing either long-winded or "bs" in comparing Fort Sumter to Pearl Harbor, FRiend.

[BroJoeK]

jeffersondem: "A number of states left the Union before Lincoln was even inaugurated.
No violence; not even from the US."

From Day One in December 1860 Confederates threatened violence and used force to:

1. Seize dozens of major Federal properties, including forts, ships, arsenals & mints.

2. Threatened United States officials.

3. Fired on Union ships.

4. Demanded surrender of Union troops in Union forts.

In almost every case Doughfaced Northern Democrat President Buchanan backed down in the face of Confederate threats.
He was unfit to lead and did not want to start war.
But even Buchanan, weak as he was, refused to give up Forts Sumter & Pickens without a fight.