Alfred Roman, The military operations of General Beauregard in the war between the states, 1861 to 1865

General Beauregard's despatch, forwarded on the same day to the Secretary of War, was as follows:

Charleston, April 11th, 1861.
To L. P. Walker:

Major Anderson replied: “I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication, demanding the evacuation of this fort, and to say, in reply thereto, that it is a demand with which I regret that my sense of honor and of my obligation to my government prevent my compliance.” He adds, verbally: “I will await the first shot, and if you do not batter us to pieces, we will be starved out in a few days.” Answer.

G. T. Beauregard.

The answer came in all haste. It was as follows:

Montgomery, April 11th, 1861.
To General Beauregard, Charleston:

We do not desire needlessly to bombard Fort Sumter. If Major Anderson will state the time at which, as indicated by him, he will evacuate, and agree that in the meantime he will not use his guns against us, unless ours should be employed against Fort Sumter, you are authorized thus to avoid the effusion of blood. If this, or its equivalent, be refused, reduce the fort as your judgment decides to be the most practicable.

L. P. Walker.

The substance of these instructions was immediately forwarded to the fort, by General Beauregard's aids, accompanied by Colonel Roger A. Pryor, of Virginia. But Major Anderson, as the official despatch has it, ‘would not consent.’ In consequence of which, after timely notice had been given to him in General Beauregard's name, on April 12th, at 4.30 A. M., ‘We opened fire.’