Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/494

 The Wee Nee Volunteers of WHliamsburg District. 493

pass our batteries without so much as asking permission. When she got within easy range I directed a shot fired across her bows. She continued on her course, and I sent another a little nearer. She then came about and lowered a boat, which came ashore under our guns. The boat contained the captain and some of his sailors. He re- ported that his vessel was a schooner from Maine loaded with ice. Probably he thought that as things were somewhat warm inside he would find a good market for his cargo. We thought that we had a lawful prize and that we would turn over to the Confederate Govern- ment the first property captured since the opening of hostilities. General Simons soon came to my tent, and when he had heard a statement of the affair directed me to release the captain and allow him to proceed with his vessel. We were strongly inclined to the opinion that after a fight of thirty-two and a-half hours, the war had commenced, but as our commanding officer did not seem to be of that opinion, of course we had to acquiesce. I don't yet think that the burnt-out garrison of Major Anderson considered that we had been engaged in a sham battle with them. The commander of the fleet who had witnessed the fight " from afar " must certainly have thought that there was some very rough amusement going on inside the har- bor; in fact too rough to suit his refined taste. I never heard any more of the vessel or her ice.

The next morning Sunday the i4th of April, 1861, the steamer Isabel went down to the fort, and about 12 o'clock took Major Ander- son and his garrison out to the fleet and transferred them to the Baltic.

In saluting his flag, one of Anderson's men was killed and five were wounded. One of the guns went off prematurely, probably not being properly sponged, and killed the gunner. The others were wounded by the explosion of a pile of cartridges near by, which were ignited by the fire from the gun.

There was nobody killed or wounded on either side during the bombardment, though the Northern papers shortly afterwards per- sisted in stating that the Confederates met with considerable loss.

The first Confederate garrison of Fort Sumter consisted of the Palmetto Guards, Captain George Cuthbert, and Captain Hallon- quitt's company of South Carolina Regulars. A splendid silk flag, made by the ladies of Charleston, was run up, instead of the stars and stripes. The name of the member of the Governor's staff who, in behalf of the State of South Carolina, participated in the ceremony, is not worthy of a place in these papers and is omitted. A great