From Charleston.
[Special Correspondence of the Dispatch.] Charleston, April 12, 1861.
And such another day never dawned on America, nor, perhaps, upon the world. The birth-day though it is of the immortal Clay, yet it shrouds the nation and the world in mourning, not on account of the slain, but that the same family should be so alienated and enraged with each other, that an engagement in deadly strife should be the result.--I write at 10 o'clock P. M., and will try to describe the scenes of the day. Last evening Gen. Beau-regard demanded Fort Sumter, and it was denied. At 3 o'clock A. M. he visited Maj Anderson in person, to see if some arrangement could not be made to save the effusion of blood. Major A. would enter into no negotiations. At 4:27 A. M. the first gun was fired, and in quick succession another. An interval of 15 minutes and off go two others. Three war steamers reported outside last night must be about to enter, and the batteries are playing upon them. Off goes the fifth. Its deep, terrible report, the jarring of the windows and shaking of the house, only tells its power and its destructiveness. It comes from Stevens Iron Battery. Off goes Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, in rapid succession. I hasten to the wharf. There goes a shell, and bursts just over Sumter. Quick flashes of lurid light are seen, and in twenty seconds the hoarse voice of the dog of war is heard. Moultrie plays into Sumter. There goes a shot from the Floating Battery--it strikes. There goes one of Anderson's shells — it falls near to his terrible adversary. There goes another shot from Sumter's Barbette. I see the white volume of smoke rise at the Iron Battery the very earth shakes — it is Stevens' 10 inch Columbiad. There is another flash, and presently the report and the whistle of the ball, though three miles and more off — it is the Rifle cannon. There goes Moultrie again, and then the Floater. Anderson answers each manfully. Another shell bursts just over Sumter. All is enveloped in smoke, and I can see neither Sumter nor the Islands. Six o'clock arrives. Our batteries continue, but Anderson does not answer. Shells and balls fly thick and fast around him, but he answer, not. His flag still waves. What can the matter be Seven o'clock arrives.--He remains silent. They are pouring into him from Johnson, Stevens, the Howitzer Battery, Moultrie, the Floater, and two Mortar Batteries. A heavy shower of rain comes up, but it stops not the hoarse throats of the ordnance, nor drives away the thousands of spectators lining the wharves and housetops. Eight o'clock--Anderson opens his fire from his Columbiads in his casemates, his Barbettes being deserted on account of the shower of shell that falls around him. All the batteries are now fairly playing into him, and he playing upon Stevens', on the south, and Moultrie and the Floater on the northeast. "There goes Stevens'," exclaims one--the earth trembles again. That is a terrible gun. All is now enveloped in smoke, and the glass aids me not. A little interregnum, and the smoke clears away; the flag still flies over Sumter. Nine o'clock arrives. I think I see a breach in Sumter's walls. I see it with the naked eye — the glass confirms it. A gentleman says it is not, another confirms me, and another denies. A dispatch from Gen. Beauregard.--All's well, the men behaving admirably--Stevens' Iron Battery and the Howitzer dealing heavy blows on Sumter. A report that thirty-five men are wounded on Sullivan's Island — all are sad. Ten-and-a-half o'clock — a dispatch from Gen. Beauregard. All's well on Morris' Island. Anderson keeps up his fire on each side of his fort. He fights like a man of pluck. The balls whistle — the shells burst — the conflict grows hotter. A dispatch from Sullivan's Island, with the happy news — no one killed or wounded up to 11½ o'clock. Terrible is the conflict now — all enveloped in smoke.--Now it is clear again. I see distinctly the breach in Sumter. Another dispatch, at 1 o'clock, from Morris' Island--two of Stevens. guns, under the Iron Battery, silenced; but all will be repaired in two hours, and a large breach in Sumter, and the Howitzer Battery and Stevens' two guns still pouring into Anderson's breach. Three o'clock, and Anderson's guns bearing on the Iron Battery silenced, but he blazes away with his northeastern guns upon Moultrie and the Floater. Five o'clock, and Hon. W. Porcher Miles arrives from Moultrie, and reports all well. Glorious news. A messenger from the Float. She has been struck eighteen times — damages very slight and no one injured, and the messenger brings a piece of the shell that has just fallen on her roof. Six o'clock, and Anderson ceases his fire, out our batteries fire fifty-three times into him, and dark envelopes all, and all are hushed. Has he surrendered? No. He is tired out, we suppose. Nine o'clock P. M., and two heavy guns are heard. Those three steamers outside are coming in. On the house-top I go. Two flashes on Morris' Island, and away high in the air I see two great halls of fire following each other in their curved course, and they fall in close proximity to, if not into, Sumter. There goes another; it comes from Sullivan's Island, and it mounts higher and higher, and now begins its descent and bursts just over the fortress. It is now 12 P. M., and the fire is kept up.--Whether Anderson replies, I cannot say; but all is restless; all is nervous and unhappy, and dread hangs over us all, lest those ships get in on the flood which makes about now. I must take a little rest, and I make this letter no longer to-night, only to say, the mails are stopped, the trains are stopped, and so is the telegraph, else I would have given you the news at the first fire. "The Lord reigns, let the people tremble."
Charleston, April 13, 1861.
The proudest day of my life.
Too excited, too stated to write you any other than hastily and, I fear, incoherently.
Sumter is ours; we have conquered it, not by cheat, deception, a la Lincoln, a la Scott, but by the chivalry, the undaunted courage of South Carolinian.
I left you last night at 12 o'clock. Nothing occurred after that hour until daybreak this morning, when our batteries belched forth again their iron contents, almost every shot and shell taking effect.
Anderson answered all in a determined style.
About 9 o'clock, a shell from Stevens' battery set the fort on fire in the southwest corner.
Anderson kept up his fire, although completely enveloped in thick black smoke.
At half-past 10 o'clock he ceased his fire, and turned his attention to the conflagration.
He subdued it, when a shell from Sullivan's Island set the east side on fire.
In the midst of all this an explosion took place in the fort, and we looked to see the walls tumble, but not so. What the explosion was is not yet known.
At 1 o'clock a shot from Stevens' battery shot down his flagstaff.
Just the another war steamer arrives, and takes position with the other two.
We continue to pour in the deadly messengers, and at 2 o'clock the white flag goes up. You may imagine, but you cannot realize the joy, as the shouts of joy went up from thousands on the decks, wharves, houses, and steeples.
Gen. Beauregard sends his Staff to Sumter.
They have just returned.
Hon. Lewis T. Wigfall being bearer of dispatches.
An unconditional surrender is the result.
Another boat has gone down, and I will keep this letter open for the result.
Later.--Major Anderson surrenders unconditionally, and respectfully requests that he and his men, such as choose, be delivered to one of the war steamers to convey him, which has been granted. The fire companies are now in Sumter playing on the fire, and in a few minutes the flag of the Confederate States will be hoists where, a few hours ago, the Stars and Stripe floated. Col. Wigfall brought with him the flag that was cut down, which showed that it had been terribly used. We are expecting that these war steamers are for a blockade. We don't doubt it, but we shall try by some means to get clear of them, too. Our Southern Congress meets here on Friday next. Gen. Beauregard and about one hundred of the members of the late Convention, and his officers, are now in secret session. Great events hang upon them.
