When the first Confederate shot was fired upon the United States flag, then floating over Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, many months of unrest, foreboding, and apprehension of a coming terror were experienced by the people of the North. This fatal shot caused the separation of hitherto devoted families; fathers and sons were arrayed against each other, some in hate, some in sorrow; and even mothers, wives and sisters shared this unholy animosity. All took pronounced sides with North or South, except the “copperheads,” whom all loyal Northerners despised.
General Winfield Scott, the hero of many a hard fought Mexican battle, though quite superannuated, was still in command of the United States armies. Imperative, supercilious, an austere disciplinarian, usually adorned with all the ornamentation of his rank, with chapeau and white plumes, he was, especially when well mounted, a conspicuous figure, quite justifying his sobriquet of “Fuss and Feathers.”
GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT
In consequence of the secession of South Carolina, on December 20th, 1860, General Anderson, commander of the forts of the harbor of Charleston Bay, evacuated Fort Moultrie six days later.
The “Star of the West,” bringing reinforcements, was fired upon by the Confederates, thus preventing the landing of United States troops.
On April 11th, 1861, General Anderson refused an order to surrender to General Beauregard, who, during the 12th and 13th, ordered a furious bombardment from the surrounding forts upon Fort Sumter. Being unprepared for the attack, General Anderson was compelled to capitulate and to take refuge, with his garrison, on ships outside the harbor. On April 14th, 1861, however, he saved the National flag, which is now carefully preserved in the Museum of the War Department at Washington, no casualties having occurred.
The fort was held by the Confederates till the evacuation of Charleston, February 17th, 1865.
On April 14th, 1865, General Anderson had the happiness to raise the old flag once more, with his own hands, over the demolished fort.
The following extracts from an unpublished letter of John White Chadwick were selected and kindly given me by Mrs. Chadwick.