668 



SUMTER. 



hot shot from a large number of their guns, 

 especially from those in Fort Moultrie ; and at 

 nine o'clock volumes of smoke issued from the 

 roof of the officers' quarters, where a shot had 

 just penetrated. From the exposed position, it 

 was utterly impossible to extinguish the flames, 

 and permission was given to remove as much 

 powder from the magazine as was possible, be- 

 fore the flames, which were only one set of quar- 

 ters distant, should encircle the magazine and 

 make it necessary to close it. All the men and 

 officers not engaged at the guns worked rapidly 

 and zealously at this ; but so rapid was the 

 spread of the flames that only fifty barrels of 

 powder could be taken out and distributed 

 around in the casemates before the fire and 

 heat made it necessary to close the magazine 

 doors and pack earth against them. The men 

 then withdrew to the casemates on the faces of 

 the fort. As soon as the flames and smoke 

 burst from the roof of the quarters, the sur- 

 rounding batteries redoubled the rapidity of 

 their fire, firing red-hot shot from most of their 

 guns. The whole range of officers 1 quarters 

 was soon in flames. The wind, being from the 

 southward, communicated fire to the roof of 

 the barracks, and this, being aided by the hot 

 shot constantly lodging there, spread to the en- 

 tire roofs of both barracks, so that by twelve 

 o'clock all the wood work of quarters and of 

 upper story of barracks was in flames. Although 

 the floors of the barracks were fire-proof, the 

 utmost exertions of the officers and men were 

 often required to prevent the fire communi- 

 cating down the stairways, and from the exte- 

 rior to the doors, window-frames, and other 

 wood work of the east barrack, in which the 

 officers and men had taken their quarters. 



The clouds of smoke and cinders which were 

 sent into the casemates by the wind, set on fire 

 many boxes, beds, and other articles belonging 

 to the men, and made it dangerous to retain 

 the powder which had been saved from the 

 magazine. Orders were accordingly given that 

 all but five barrels should be thrown out of the 

 embrasures into the water, which was done. 



The small stock of cartridges now only al- 

 lowed a gun to be fired at intervals of ten 

 minutes. 



As the fire reached the magazines of grenades 

 that were arranged in the stair towers and im- 

 plement rooms on the gorge, they exploded, 

 completely destroying the stair towers at the 

 west gorge angle. 



About this time information was brought to 

 the commanding officer that Mr. Wigfall, bear- 

 ing a white flag, was on the outside and wished 

 to see him. He accordingly went out to meet 

 Mr. Wigfall, passing through the blazing gate- 

 way, accompanied by Lieutenant Snyder. In 

 the mean time, however, Mr. Wigfall had passed 

 to an embrasure on the left flank, where, upon 

 showing the white flag upon his sword, he was 

 permitted to enter ; and Lieutenant Snyder, en- 

 tering immediately after, accompanied him 

 down the batteries to where some other officers 



were posted, to whom Mr. Wigfall commenced 

 to address himself to the effect that he came 

 from General Beauregard to desire that, inas- 

 much as the flag of the fort was shot down, a 

 fire raging in the quarters, and the garrison in 

 a great strait, hostilities be suspended, and the 

 white flag raised for this object. He was re- 

 plied to that the flag was again hoisted on the 

 parapet ; that the white flag would not be 

 hoisted, except by order of the commanding 

 officer ; and that his own batteries should set 

 the example of suspending fire. He then refer- 

 red to the fact of the batteries on Cummings' 

 Point, from which he came, having stopped fir- 

 ing, and asked that his own white flag might 

 be waved to indicate to the batteries on Sulli- 

 van's Island to cease aljso. This was refused ; 

 but he was permitted to wave the white flag 

 himself, getting into an embrasure for this pur- 

 pose. Having done this for a few moments, 

 Lieutenant Davis, First Artillery, permitted a 

 corporal to relieve him. Very soon, however, 

 a shot striking very near to the embrasure, the 

 corporal jumped inside and declared to Mr. 

 Wigfall that "he would not hold his flag, for it 

 was not respected." 



At this moment, the commanding officer, 

 having reentered through an embrasure, came 

 up. To him Mr. Wigfall addressed nearly the 

 same remarks that he had used on entering, 

 adding some complimentary things about the 

 manner in which the defence had been made, 

 and ending by renewing the request to suspend 

 hostilities in order to arrange terms of evacua- 

 tion. The commanding officer desiring to know 

 what terms he came to offer, Mr. Wigfall re- 

 plied : " Any terms that you may desire ; your 

 own terms the precise nature of which Gen- 

 eral Beauregard will arrange with you." 



The commanding officer then accepted the 

 conditions, saying that the terms he accepted 

 were those proposed by General Beauregard on 

 the llth ; namely, to evacuate the fort with 

 his command, taking arms and all private and 

 company property, saluting the United States 

 flag as it was lowered, and being conveyed, if 

 he desired it, to any Northern port. 



With this understanding Mr. Wigfall left, 

 and the white flag was raised and the United 

 States flag lowered by order of the command- 

 ing officer. 



Very soon after, a boat arrived from the city, 

 containing three aides of General Beauregard, 

 with a message to the effect that, observing the 

 white flag hoisted, General Beauregard sent to 

 inquire what aid he could lend in extinguishing 

 the flames, &c. Being made acquainted with 

 the condition of affairs and Mr. Wigfall's visit, 

 they stated that the latter, although an aide of 

 General Beauregard, had not seen him for two 

 days. 



The commanding officer then stated that the 

 United States flag would be raised again ; but 

 yielded to the request of the aides for time 

 to report to their chief and obtain his instruc- 

 tions. 



