CHARLESTON, S. C. 



101 



The batteries at Fort Johnson were made 

 quite formidable, and it was intended to keep 

 up a fire upon Sumter from the three forts for 

 twenty-four hours before an attempt was made 

 to assault the stronghold. The impression was 

 that a breach could be made in the walls, and 

 that Major Anderson's limited garrison would 

 be so worn out by the severe labors of working 

 the guns incessantly for so long a time, that the 

 storming party on rafts would be able to ac- 

 complish the escalade without much difficulty 

 or loss of life. 



Such were the plans then rife in Charleston. 

 Meantime the work of military preparation 

 steadily moved on. The military review held 

 on the 28th was the largest parade which had 

 taken place. On the same day two Dahlgren 

 guns, of the heaviest calibre, arrived from Rich- 

 mond, Virginia. They were put immediately 

 into a proper battery. Five ten-inch mortars 

 accompanied the Dahlgrens, and two more 

 were expected in a day or two. Fifty thousand 

 pounds of powder were also received the same 

 day from Pensacola, (Fla.,) and twenty thou- 

 sand pounds from Wilmington, North Carolina. 

 It was said that they would have, in a few days, 

 ready for an emergency, from three to four hun- 

 dred thousand pounds of powder. 



The rate of taxation at this time in Charles- 

 ton was, on real estate and on stocks of goods, 

 1 4-10.per cent. On interest on bonds, on div- 

 idends, commissions, annuities, and on gross 

 income, it was 2 5-10 per cent. The tax on 

 slaves was $3 ; on horses, $10 ; on dogs, $2 ; 

 on single carriages $20 ; on double carriages, 

 $30 ; and this is without reference to the value 

 of the above kinds of property. The State 

 tax was levied in addition to this city tax. Per- 

 sons of Indian descent and free colored persons 

 held a separate place among the tax-payers. It 

 appears that the highest taxes paid by the former 

 class (Indians) were, respectively, $384, $242, 

 $227, &c. ; by persons of color, $613, $491, 

 $202, &c. Many of these paid taxes for the ne- 

 groes whom they owned the number owned by 

 single persons varying from one to fifteen or 

 twenty. The entire number of slaves thus held 

 was over four hundred. Premiums of insurance 

 were charged 1 25-100 per cent. The city ex- 

 penditures were large, but the item of interest 

 on the city debt was the most formidable and 

 onerous. The city had within a few years, in 

 the face of heavy taxes, increased its tax for 

 public school purposes. 



On the 7th of April such a force had been 

 gathered at Charleston, and preparations for an 

 attack on Fort Sumter had been so nearly com- 

 pleted, that the commanding officer, Gen. Beau- 

 regard, now issued an order prohibiting all in- 

 tercourse between the city and Fort Sumter. 

 Notice of this order was also given to Major 

 Anderson. On the next day five thousand 

 more troops were ordered out. Companies of 

 volunteers, which were constantly arriving, 

 were stationed in different positions around the 

 harbor. At this time all vessels were ordered 



to keep out of range of the fire between Fort 

 Sumter and Sullivan's Island. Business was 

 entirely suspended, and the most intense ex- 

 citement prevailed. About five thousand 

 troops were assembled on Sullivan and Morris 

 Islands and along the coast. On the 9th a 

 messenger from Washington was at Charleston 

 and in conference with the authorities, but was 

 not permitted to communicate with Fort Sum- 

 ter. The attack on the fort was commenced 

 at half-past 4 in the morning of the 12th, and 

 continued thirty-three hours. (See SCMTER.) 

 The highest excitement existed in Charleston 

 while this took place. Citizens of all classes 

 were spectators of the scene. 



On the 16th troops were still pouring into the 

 city, and it was estimated that 10,000 were pres- 

 ent. They were in a half-disciplined state, and 

 were immediately subjected to a rigid drill. The 

 state of affairs, however, soon became quiet, 

 and business was to some extent resumed, until 

 the blockade of the port commenced, about the 

 1st of May. So stringently was this maintained 

 that all foreign commerce ceased, and utter 

 stagnation ensued except in military affairs. 

 These were conducted with mq^h vigor. 



At 9 o'clock on the night of the llth of 

 December a fire broke out in a sash factory at 

 the foot of Hazel street, which extended to 

 machine shops on the opposite side of the 

 street, and fanned by a stiff breeze, with a lack 

 of water, it soon became of a most formidable 

 character. Several churches, and nearly all 

 the public buildings, banks, and insurance offices 

 became a prey to the flames. King street, Meet- 

 ing street, Church street, State street, between 

 Broad and Hazel streets, were the scenes of 

 the greatest destruction. Thousands were ren- 

 dered houseless and reduced to great extremity. 

 The value of property destroyed was estimated 

 at ten millions of dollars. Contributions were 

 sent to the sufferers by citizens of the adjoining 

 States to a moderate extent. 



The blockade of this port was very strin- 

 gent during the temperate months of the year. 

 Near its close, the attempt was made to seal up 

 the channels of the harbor with sunken ships. 

 The Secretary of the Navy thus states the plan : 



" One method of blockading the ports of the 

 insurgent States, and interdicting communica- 

 tion, as well as to prevent the egress of priva- 

 teers which sought to depredate on our com- 

 merce, has been that of sinking in the channels 

 vessels laden with stone. The first movement 

 in this direction was on the North Carolina 

 coast, where there are numerous inlets to Albe- 

 marle and Pamlico sounds, and other interior 

 waters, which afforded facilities for eluding the 

 blockade, and also to the privateers. For this 

 purpose a class of small vessels were purchased 

 in Baltimore, some of which have been placed 

 in Ocracoke Inlet. 



" Another and larger description of vessels 

 were bought in the eastern market, most of 

 them such as were formerly employed in the 

 whale fisheries. These were sent to obstruct 



