Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Poetry and Incidents., Volume 1.
Frank Moore, Ed.

An incident of Fort Sumter.--Most of our readers are aware that we have in our office a ninety-six pound shell, which was fired from the steamer Monticello upon the Manchester Artillery, on the occasion of her attack on Sewell's Point. In connection with this incident, a gentleman who was present at the battle of Fort Sumter, states that one of these dangerous missiles entered that fortification just above the magazine, but outside of it, descended through a block of granite ten or twelve inches thick, and exploded, one of its fragments, weighing nearly twenty pounds, striking the door of the magazine, and so bending it inwards that it was afterwards found impossible to close it without the aid of a mechanic. Within a few hours of this occurrence a red-hot shot from Fort Moultrie passed through the outer wall of the magazine, penetrated the inner wall to the depth of four inches, and then fell to the ground. All this time grains of powder, spilled by the men in passing to and from the casemates and magazine, were lying loosely upon the floor, which, ignited by a spark, would have blown the structure into atoms. Throughout that entire engagement, so hotly and obstinately contested, the hand of Providence was everywhere equally visible. Death-dealing balls flew in every direction. Men heard them whistle by their ears, and had the earth torn up around their feet. Groups were spattered with the mud and dust of plunging thirty-two pounders, and splinters of wood and iron rained among the unflinching soldiers with such murderous vehemence, that nothing but a higher power could have prevented them from harm; yet “nobody was hurt.” Let us hope that the God of battles, who has thus far been so gracious, may still direct our efforts, and carry us safely through the storm of war.

In this connection we may mention that Lieut. Valentine, of the Confederate Army, who commanded one of the batteries on Sullivan's Island, which did most effective work in this battle, is now in this city, at the Exchange Hotel. On account of his labors in the fortifications around Fort Sumter for the last four months and a half, he has received a furlough of thirty days from General Beauregard; but like a true soldier, he proposes to occupy his time upon the fields of Virginia. He has no particular place to fight, but will leave in a day or two for Manassas, as the liveliest scene of operations, to take his chances of “mixing in” miscellaneously.--Richmond Dispatch, and Charleston Courier, June 11.