100 



CHARLESTON, S. 0. 



" It -was at first currently reported and be- 

 lieved that Fort Moultrie had been laid in 

 ruins ; that the guns were spiked, and the car- 

 riages, together with the barracks, burned, and 

 that the post had been entirely abandoned. 

 The reports spread like wild fire, and soon 

 gained currency in every part of the city. In- 

 stinctively, men flew to arms. Orders were 

 immediately issued to the military companies 

 to hold themselves in readiness for service; 

 and all of them, thus ordered out, promptly 

 obeyed the summons. 



" About noon the excitement in the streets 

 had attained the highest pitch. The State Con- 

 vention was known to be in secret conclave, 

 and it was believed that this was the subject- 

 matter of their deliberations. The streets 

 swarmed with people. Additional flags were 

 displayed from the stores and houses on the 

 principal streets. The custom-house and other 

 buildings, formerly in the possession of the 

 United States Government, displayed the bunt- 

 ing of the infant Republic of South Carolina. 

 Every one looked upon the ' war as actually 

 begun.' 



" Later in the day, however, the excitement 

 was somewhat abated, when it became known 

 that the movement on the part of the forces of 

 the United States at Fort Moultrie was not at 

 the instance of the Administration at Washing- 

 ton, but was merely a precautionary measure 

 taken by Major Anderson, under the conviction 

 that his position within the fort on Sullivan's 

 Island would not be tenable if attacked by 

 well-organized and disciplined troops. The 

 contradiction of the first report in relation to 

 the damage done the fort by the troops that 

 had evacuated it, also had a tendency to allay 

 the excitement of the occasion." 



Castle Pinckney, a small fort near the city, 

 was immediately occupied by the troops of the 

 State. These troops also took full possession 

 of the United States Arsenal, over which, for 

 some weeks previous, they had acted as a guard. 

 The United States officer hitherto in command 

 was relieved by them. It contained, at the time, 

 seventy thousand stand of arms and other mili- 

 tary stores, which were estimated in value at 

 half a million of dollars. About the same time 

 Capt. N. L. Coste, who had been appointed to 

 the revenue service in 1845, abandoned the 

 cutter "Wm. Aiken and discharged his crew. 

 Captain, cre^ and vessel afterwards passed 

 into the service of South Carolina. At this 

 time, also, the mob set at liberty the captain 

 of a slave ship recently brought into Charleston 

 in charge of a prize crew. The delivery of cem- 

 ent, stone, and other supplies for the United 

 States officers was prevented. Military prep- 

 arations were actively commenced, and compa- 

 nies of volunteers from other Southern States 

 were tendered. At the custom-house, notice 

 was given to the masters of all vessels from 

 ports outside of South Carolina that they must 

 enter and clear at Charleston. Precautions 

 were likewise taken in and around .the harbor 



to prevent any reinforcement to Fort Sumter. 

 In consequence of these proceedings, trade was 

 almost entirely stopped, and money became 

 scare enough to alarm the most sanguine. 

 Anxiety was depicted in the faces of those 

 whose interests were most seriously involved, 

 and the brisk air of many of the inhabitants 

 was gone. 



Such measures were adopted to prevent all 

 vessels of an offensive character entering the 

 harbor of Charleston, that even those belonging 

 to that city could not get out without aid. All 

 the buoys were removed, and some, if not all, 

 of the beacons taken down. All lights were 

 extinguished at night except that at Fort Sum- 

 ter, which, for the purposes of navigation, 

 might as well have been a hundred miles off, 

 and the light-ship was withdrawn. From 

 Cumming's Point to the lighthouse, a distance 

 of several miles, sandbank batteries were erect- 

 ed and well manned, and vessels laden with 

 paving stones and other heavy substances were 

 placed at important points to sink, so that any 

 vessels of an opposing character that might be 

 disposed to prowl in would be stopped. Pilots 

 were firmly charged not to pilot vessels of war 

 into the harbor, but no restrictions were placed 

 upon vessels of commerce and trade. When 

 the steamship Columbia was ready for sea, al- 

 though she belonged to the city of Charleston, 

 so completely had all marks of the channel 

 been obliterated that it cost the sum of one 

 hundred and fifty dollars to get her clear of the 

 harbor. It was estimated that the value of the 

 vessel and cargo, which consisted of cotton, 

 rice, domestic produce, &c., was not less than 

 $450,000, and yet this large amount was 

 " locked up " for some time rather than allow 

 chances for the vessels of the enemy to make 

 their way to the fort or the city. The new 

 manifests and clearances were but slightly al- 

 tered from the original ones, the only difference 

 being that the words " United States of Amer- 

 ica " were struck out, and the words " Sover- 

 eign State of South Carolina " substituted. 



The movements in Charleston and in the 

 State had been of such a character that com- 

 mercial men now began to feel their influence. 

 Indications were manifest of a strong expression 

 of dissatisfaction from that portion of the peo- 

 ple. The trade of Charleston, and, in reality, 

 that of the whole State, had ceased to exist. 

 The port of Charleston was, for the time, 

 blotted from the charts, its lighthouse dark, its 

 beacons destroyed, the channel to its harbor a 

 pathless maze. 



Meantime, the work of fortifying the harbor 

 was carried steadily forward by the South 

 Carolina authorities. Steamers watched Fort 

 Sumter constantly, and mortars were planted 

 on Cumming's Point, the nearest land to the 

 fort. 



At Morris Island three large Columbiads 

 were mounted and intrenched in sand-bags, 

 with a forty-two-pounder and a formidable 

 mortar. 



