NOTES ON THE SURRENDER OF FORT SUMTER.

BY A. R. CHISOLM, COLONEL, C. S. A.

ERY soon after Major Robert Anderson moved with his command into

▼ Fort Sumter from Fort Moultrie, Governor Francis W. Pickens sentJames Fraser, of the Charleston Light Dragoons, to me at my plantation,fifty miles south of Charleston , with the request that I would assist with mynegroes in constructing batteries on Morris Island. Taking my own negromen and others from the plantation of my uncle, Robert Chisolm, and thatof Nathaniel Heyward, I was engaged in this work when General Beauregardarrived to take command. I then informed the governor that it would benecessary for General Beauregard to have an aide-de-camp who was familiarwith the harbor and with boating; that I was the owner of a large six-oared boatand six superior oarsmen, that were at his service free of cost. I was thereuponcommissioned lieutenant-colonel, and ordered to report to General Beauregard.

Having visited Fort Sumter five times under a flag of truce, and once afterthe surrender, I became well acquainted with most of its officers. During avisit in company with Captain Samuel W. Ferguson, the officers jokinglycomplained of being short of cigars and like luxuries. With General Beau-regard’s approval, the next time duty called us to the fort we presented themwith several cases of claret and boxes of cigars.

April 12th, 1861, I visited the fort in company with James Chesnut, Jr.,and Captain Stephen D. Lee 'with the demand for its surrender, and heardMajor Anderson say in conversation with us, “ I shall await the first shot, andif you do not batter us to pieces we shall be starved out in a few days.” Thesewords being communicated to General Beauregard, w r e were again sent to thefort, arriving there about 1:30 A. M., April 12th. After waiting nearly two hoursfor a reply, we sent word to Major Anderson that our orders did not admit ofour waiting any longer. He came to where we were in the guard-room, andinformed us “ that we had twice fired on his flag, and that if we did so againhe would open his fire on our batteries.” Under our instructions this replyadmitted of no other answer than the one dated April 12th, 1861, 3:20 a. m.[see page 76], which was dictated by Chesnut, written by Lee, and copied byme. Roger A. Pryor was with us on the second visit, but did not enter the fort,giving me as a reason that his State, Virginia, had not yet seceded. Forthe same reason he declined to fire the signal shot. Moreover, I believe hewas then a member of Congress, and may have been unwilling to compro-mise himself.

The facts of the surrender of Fort Sumter to ex-Senator "Wigfall are these:General Beauregard, seeing the fort on fire, sent me with a note to GeneralJames Simons, commanding on Morris Island, in which he directed him, if hecould do so without risk to his command, to offer assistance in extinguishingthe fire. I passed down between Fort Sumter and our batteries; deliveringmy dispatches, I volunteered to go to Fort Sumter, which offer was accepted.

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