The Defense Of Fort Sumpter

The followiug interesting account of the defenae of Fort Suuipter is derired from. th,a report of Geu. Beauregard's Inspector Öeneral : The garrison of the fort was 400 men of the First South Carolina Artillery, under coicmand of Col. Alfred Rhett. At the commencement of the bombardment of August 17, 1863-, therewere in the fort Ï3lÖO poaods of gunpowder Tlie magazines containing it became in a few days unsafe from the destructivo effect of the '200 pounder Parrot sbells and shots hurled iuto ths walls adjoining it. The powder was removed by night to the west magazine, and shipped as. fast as possible to Charleston. On Suuday, August 23, the ironside aud scven monitors commenced a territic borabardment. A fog protected them from the guns of Moultrie. Sumpter, haviiig-only two-10 inch and one 11-inch gun left en larlette, could only an occasional shot too show life. For seven ho.urs, at close range, tke fleet hurled shot and alieü inte-, thp work. Striking the wal] near íhe parapet, loóse briska were thrown vip ia eolurnns, and feil iu showers around the gunners and about thework. Walls were ploughed through, casements were filled with sand, and the shells passed across tho parade, striking the interior wall of the west magazine, containmg powder euougb to destroy fort and garrison. Oue shell struofc the veDtilator and exploded. It filled the magazine wtthsmoke. Another more successt'ui shot, and all would have been lost It was an anxious moment, bui the fort was held. Gradually the morn ing davyned. The fog lifted, and Porti Moultrie oponed fire on tho sbips. Instead of' coutinuing the r. fire ai the oritical poriod, the fleet witlidrew, and the danser was remitted The object was uow, io the unsafe conditiou of tlie fort, to get rid of the powder. Had the flcei fcariy renewed the attaok, the business w.ould have been done. The fleet delayed Í Night after nigbt the powder wa,s removed in barrels undcr the enemy's guns. Ouly cight hundrod pounds were ieft. The crisis was passed ! The fort was now safe from the explosión of the powder in its magazine. Auother grand combimed attaok of land batteries and floet was made, duriug which a ehell from the ship passed thro' the wall into the shell room and exploded, immediately endanguriug piles of loaded shells, and bursting open tlie door. of the magazine adjoining. Uol. JRhett ordered the shells to be rolled iuto tLe - water. This was done unuer a hoavy fire directed upon that part of the work. The fort was uow safe from explosión of any sort. It only remained to hold tho work under the enemy's battering and repulse assaults. The attaek of S' ptembar '2d failed and the first bombardment of Sumpter ended. It had lasted sixteen days. Siuce then 130. such grand attaek of all the monitovs has been made upon Fort Surapter. Puriug the figbt of September 3d, threo monitors wei e ijisabled in an effort to save the Weohawken, grouudud within range. Besides the detachmeut at the guna, men and offieers were iieessantly oecupied. Heavy ordnanee was mounted, shifted and dismounted. Banks, ten.po-, rary buildings and combustible matter, were cleareel away. There was muohj work to be done by soldiers in digging dirt frorq the parade and filling casemeuts with Sand. Negrees were also cugaged iu tbis duty, as also in protecting the hospital, magazines and gutjs by saud traversas Trqops, ammutiitioii, and prqvisions were earried all night long, in small boats. to and from Fort Suriipter and Morris Island. Invaluuble pieoes of huge ordnance, shot, shell, powder aud commissary stores were saved to the Conf'ederacj by this oight work of the garrison. August 27, tho artillery was withdrawn leaving but ooe eompany in. the fort. General Beauregard offered to relieve Colonel Rhett, if lie needed rest. The Colonel deelined to bo relieved while any of bis men were ui the woik, or it was considered to be an artillery post. The South wall of :he furt was knocked into a mass of rubbjsh. The north,east and northwest walls were out down and honeyeombed ; the caseraents battered into' heaps of brick and mortar. - ; The est wall was scarred pitted, and b.reaolied.. ISvery available gun had t)6en dÍ3mounted or rcüdered unservioeable. The fort was a mere wreek ; but the Confedérate flag still flew over the silent ruin. Half of the men left d the fort were unfit for duty, from want of sleep and exhaustinn. On the night of the 8th of September the enemy assaultcd Sumpter; but as had been auticipated, Major Eliott in command easily lep-alsed them, sinking many of their barges and launehes. The enginc?ra were allowed fifty days to build bomb-proofs of earth, an erect additional traversos for proteetion of the garrisou, before the second bombardnient of Oetober 20. Today (January 15th) for all purposes of defense Fort Sumpter is stronger than ever.