No. 26.
Joint reports of Maj. D. R. Jones, Assistant Adjutant-General,
C. S. Army; and Col. Charles Allston, jr., Commander H. T. Hartstene, C. S.
Navy, and Messrs. William Porcher Miles
and Roger A. Pryor, aides-de-camp.
CHARLESTON, April 15,
1861.
SIR: We, the undersigned, beg leave to submit the
following report of our visit to Fort Sumter, and of our interview with Major
Anderson, on Saturday, the 13th instant, in obedience to your orders.
We arrived at the fort about a quarter to 3 o'clock p.m.;
were met at the wharf by Captain Seymour, and were at once conducted to the
presence of Major Anderson. We informed him that we came from you to say that,
on learning the fort was in flames, and his flag down, you had sent Colonels
Miles and Pryor and Captain Lee, members of your staff, to offer any assistance
in your power, and that as soon as his flag of truce was hoisted you sent us to
receive any propositions he might wish to make. Major Anderson said an
exceedingly disagreeable and embarrassing mistake had occurred; that his
flagstaff had been shot down, but that as soon as it could be done his flag was
again hoisted.
Just at this time it was reported to him that General
Wigfall was outside the fort demanding to see the commanding officer. Major
Anderson said that he went out and met General Wigfall, who told him that he
came from General Beauregard to demand the surrender of the fort, and urged
Major Anderson to haul down his flag and run up a flag of truce; that General
Beauregard would give him the same terms offered before the conflict began.
Major Anderson then stated that he was much surprised to learn from Colonels
Miles and Pryor and Captain Lee, who had arrived at the fort soon after he had
lowered his flag, that although General Wigfall was on the staff of General
Beauregard, he had been two days away from him, and was acting on the staff of
some general on Morris Island; that as soon as he (Major Anderson) learned
this, he told Captain Lee that he would immediately run up his flag and
recommence his firing.
Major Anderson then read to us a note which he had sent to
you by the hands of Captain Lee, in which he said that he would surrender the
fort on the same terms offered by you in your letter to him on the 11th
instant. On learning this we told him that we were authorized to offer him
those terms, excepting only the clause relating to the salute to the flag, to
which Major Anderson replied it would be exceedingly gratifying to him, as well
as to his command, to be permitted to salute their flag, having so gallantly
defended the fort under such trying circumstances, and hoped that General
Beauregard would not refuse it, as such a privilege was not unusual. We told
him we were not authorized to grant that privilege, and asked him what his
answer would be if not permitted to salute his flag. He said he would not urge
the point, but would prefer to refer the matter again to you, and requested us
to see you again and get your reply.
Major Anderson requested us to say to Governor Pickens and
yourself that, as an evidence of his desire to save the public property as much
as possible, he had three times on Friday and twice on Saturday sent his men up
to extinguish the fire under the heavy fire of our batteries, and when the
magazines were in imminent danger of being blown up.
We then returned to the city and reported to you
substantially as above.
We have the honor to
be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servants,
D. R. JONES,
Assistant
Adjutant-General.
CHAS. ALLSTON, JR.,
Colonel and A. D.C.
Brig. Gen. G. T. BEAUREGARD,
Commanding Provisional Army.
_______________
CHARLESTON, S.C.,
April 14, 1861.
GENERAL: In accordance with your order we have the honor to
take the following report:
On Saturday, April 13, at about 7 o'clock p.m., we proceeded
to Fort Sumter by your order to arrange finally the conditions of the
evacuation. We presented your communication to Major Anderson, who, after
perusing it, read it aloud to his officers, all of whom, we believe, were
present. The major expressed himself much gratified with the tenor of the
communication and the generous terms agreed to by you. We inquired of Major
Anderson when he desired to leave, He said as soon as possible, and suggested 9
o'clock the next morning. It was arranged that the Catawba or some other
steamer should convey the major and his command either directly to New York or
put them on board the United States fleet then lying outside the bar, according
as one or the other plan might be agreed upon after a conference with the
commander of the fleet. Major Anderson requested us to take Lieutenant Snyder
down to the fleet for the purpose of arranging the matter. This Captain
Hartstene undertook to do.
We have the honor to
be, very respectfully, your obedient servants,
D. R. JONES,
Assistant
Adjutant-General.
WM. PORCHER MILES,
R. A. PRYOR,
H. J. HARTSTENE, C. S. N,
Aides-de-Camp.
Brigadier-General BEAUREGARD,
Comdg. Provisional Army, C. S. A.
SOURCES: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume
1 (Serial No. 1), p. 64-6; This report is quoted in Samuel Wylie
Crawford’s The Genesis of the Civil War: The Story of Sumter, 1860-1861,
p. 442.
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