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

[54]

Wigfall replied, “They fired at me two or three times, and I stood it; and I should think that you might stand it once.”

Wigfall then said, “If you will show a white flag from your ramparts they will cease firing.”

Lieut. Davis replied, “If you request that a flag shall be shown there while you hold a conference with Major Anderson, and for that purpose alone, it may be done.”

At this point Major Anderson came up. Wigfall said, “I am Gen. Wigfall, and come from Gen. Beauregard, who wishes to stop this.”

Major Anderson, rising on his toes, and coming down firmly upon his heels replied, “Well, Sir.”

“Major Anderson,” said Wigfall, “you have defended your flag nobly, Sir. You have done all that is possible for men to do, and Gen. Beauregard wishes to stop the fight. On what terms, Major Anderson, will you evacuate this Fort?”

Major Anderson's reply was, “Gen. Beauregard is already acquainted with my only terms.”

“Do I understand that you will evacuate upon the terms proposed the other day?”

“ Yes, Sir, and on those conditions only,” was the reply of the Major.

“Then, Sir,” said Wigfall, “I understand, Major Anderson, that the fort is to be ours?”

“On those conditions only, I repeat.”

“ Very well,” said Wigfall, and he retired.

A short time afterward a deputation, consisting of Senator Chesnut, Roger A. Pryor, Capt. Lee, and W. Porcher Miles, came from Gen. B., and had an interview with Major Anderson; when it came out that Wigfall had no “authority to speak for Gen. Beauregard, but acted on his own hook.” “Then,” said Lieut. Davis, “we have been sold,” and Major Anderson, perceiving the state of the case, ordered the American flag to be raised to its place.

The deputation, however, requested him to keep the flag down till they could communicate with Gen. Beauregard, as matters were liable to be complicated. They left, and between two and three hours after, the garrison meanwhile exerting themselves to extinguish the fire, another deputation came from Gen. Beauregard, agreeing to the terms of evacuation previously proposed, and substantially to the proposals of Wigfall. This was Saturday evening. That night the garrison took what rest they could. Next morning the Isabel came down and anchored near the fort. The steamer Clinch was used as a transport to take the garrison to the Isabel, but the transfer was too late to allow the Isabel to go out by that tide.

The terms of evacuation were that the garrison should take all its individual and company property, that they should march out with their side and other arms with all the honors, in their own way and at their own time; that they should salute their flag, and take it with them.

The enemy agreed to furnish transports, as Major Anderson might select, to any part of the country, either by land or water. When the baggage of the garrison was all on board of the transport, the soldiers remaining inside under arms, a portion were told off as gunners to serve in saluting the American flag. When the last gun was fired, the flag was lowered, the men cheering. At the fiftieth discharge there was a premature explosion, which killed one man instantly, seriously wounded another, and two more not so badly. The men were then formed and marched out, the band playing “Yankee Doodle,” and “Hail to the Chief.”

Vast crowds of people thronged the vicinity.. Remaining on board the Isabel that night, the next morning they were transferred to the Baltic, this operation taking nearly the whole day.

On Tuesday evening they weighed anchor and stood for New York.

Another account.

On Thursday, the 11th of April, three of Gen. Beauregard's aids appeared at Fort Sumter, and brought a communication which stated that he had refrained from making any hostile demonstration, with the hope of finally obtaining the fort by a treaty, etc. But orders having been received from Jefferson Davis to demand of Major Anderson, in the name of the Southern Confederacy, its surrender or evacuation, Major Anderson replied that he was sorry a request had been made which he could not grant; that he had already gone as far as his sense of duty and his sense of honor would allow. Major Anderson also mentioned to one of his aids, aside and unofficially, that the garrison was out of provisions, having nothing but pork; that they could probably manage to live till Monday, the 15th. The aids carried this reply to Gen. Beauregard, who telegraphed it to Jefferson Davis, and also the remark that Major Anderson was nearly starved out.

The next morning, at half-past 1 o'clock, the aids came down with another communication from Gen. Beauregard to the effect that he had learned that the garrison was nearly starved out, and desired to know of Major Anderson on what day he would evacuate the fort; that Gen. Beauregard would allow him to evacuate and take him to any port in the United States, provided he would agree not to fire upon the batteries unless Fort Sumter should be fired upon.

[Query.--Does this fact show that the despatches to Major Anderson had been opened, and, knowing that an attempt to put provisions into the fort would soon be made, the boats coming in could be fired into, while Major Anderson would be precluded from protecting them?]

Major Anderson replied that he would be obliged to evacuate by Monday, the 15th, before noon, provided Fort Sumter or the flag that it bore was not fired upon. Councils of war were held immediately after the receipt of these two communications, which were unanimous in favor of the answer that was returned. The deputy which brought the second communication consisted of Major Lace, Col. Chism, Roger A. Pryor, Senator Chesnut, and others. Major Anderson's reply was considered by them for fifteen or twenty minutes, when they returned an answer that the batteries would open their fires in one hour. This was at 38 o'clock on Friday morning. After this reply the deputy of Gen. Beauregard immediately left.

The sentinels were immediately removed from the parapets of Fort Sumter, the posterns closed, the flag drawn up, and an order sent to the troops not to leave the bomb proofs, on any account, until summoned by the drum. At 4.30 a. m. one bombshell was thrown at Sumter, bursting immediately over the fort. After the pause of a few moments the firing became general on the part of the batteries of the Secessionists, doing the greatest credit to the artillerists. The command did not return a single shot until the men had had their breakfast.