Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 26.djvu/113

 Bombardment of Fort Sumter. 103

black lines. While the bombardment was in progress on the 12th of April, he sent seven bulletins of 100 words each by the "magnetic telegraph," but the Tribune was perfectly satisfied that it had done its best, and the best that could possibly be done, and the public didn't know any better, and was satisfied, too.

But when the battle of Bull Run was fought the Tribune devoted a page to it, and announced it as a "Splendid Union Victory!" which would show that if there was not the enterprise there was at least the talent there to be developed on a later day.

In this connection the account of the attack on Fort Sumter, as reported in the Charteston Courier of the following day, makes in- teresting reading now, as showing the change that has been wrought both in the ways of newspaperdom and the ways of warfare.

The Courier did not give the story a "scare head" even. A two-line head of comparatively small type was thought sufficient, and no paper was published on Sunday (the day following) to relate the occurrences of Saturday.

Here is the story, word for word, as published Saturday, April 13, 1861, on the second page, next to the editorials:

" HOSTILITIES COMMENCED."

"BOMBARDMENT OF FORT SUMTER."

"About 2 o'clock on the afternoon of Thursday, General Beaure- gard made a demand on Major Anderson for the immediate surren- der of Fort Sumter, through his aides, Colonel James Chestnut, Jr., Colonel Chisholm and Captain Lee. Major Anderson replied that such a course would be inconsistent with the duty he owed to his government to perform. The answer was communicated by the general-in-chief to President Davis.

"This visit and the refusal of Major Anderson to accede to the demand made by General Beauregard passed from tongue to tongue, and soon the whole city was in possession of the startling intelli- gence. Rumor, as she is wont to do, shaped the facts to suit her purposes, enlarged their dimensions, and gave them a complexion which they had not worn when fresh from the pure and artless hands of truth.

"A half an hour after the return of the orderlies, it was confidently believed that the batteries would open fire at 8 o'clock P. M., and in exportation of seeing the beginning of the conflict, hundreds con- gregated upon the Battery and the wharves, looking out upon the