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batteries thus far erected.,
General Beauregard, therefore, in order to perfect his line of attack and also to prevent a landing of any reinforcement at the postern gate of the fort, constructeda masked battery of four guns at the west end of
Sullivan's Island, in rear of a small summer residence abandoned by its owners.
It proved to be, says
General Doubleday, in his ‘Reminiscences,’ page 140, a formidable work ‘which effectually enfiladed two rows of our upper tier of guns
en barbette, and took a third tier in reverse, It was a sad surprise to us, for we had our heaviest metal there.’
Immediately after the delivery of
Mr. Lincoln's message by
Mr. Chew,
General Beauregard sent the following despatch to the
Secretary of War, at
Montgomery:
Dear Sir,--An authorized messenger from
Mr. Lincoln has just informed
Governor Pickens and myself that provisions will be sent to
Fort Sumter, “peaceably if they can, forcibly if they must.”
To this the
Secretary of War replied:
If you have no doubt of the authorized character of the agent who communicated to you the intention of the
Washington government to supply
Fort Sumter by force, you will at once demand its evacuation; and if this is refused, proceed in such a manner as you may determine to reduce it.
General Beauregard was ready.
He had displayed untiring energy in his preparations, and had been most zealously and effectively assisted by the
South Carolina authorities and the officers and men under him. One thing only remained to be attended to, and that was the placing in position of a small
Blakely rifled gun, the first ever used in
America, which had just arrived from
England—an unexpected present to the
State from
Charles K. Prioleau, of
Charleston, a partner in the
Liverpool branch of the firm of
John Frazer & Co. It arrived off the harbor on the day before the order from
Montgomery was received, and delayed its execution for twenty-four hours.
At two o'clock P. M. April 11th,
General Beauregard, through
