the day of the confederacy-第3章

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scheme　of　compromise　than　was　the　House　committee　of　thirty…three
or　the　Senate　committee　of　thirteen；　both　of　which　had　striven；
had　failed；　and　had　gone　their　ways　to　a　place　in　the　great
company　of　historic　futilities。

And　so　the　Peace　Convention　came　and　went；　and　there　was　no
consolation　for　the　troubled　men　of　the　upper　South　who　did　not
want　to　secede　but　were　resolved　not　to　abandon　local　autonomy。
Virginia　was　the　key　to　the　situation。　If　Virginia　could　be
forced　into　secession；　the　rest　of　the　upper　South　would
inevitably　follow。　Therefore　a　Virginia　hothead；　Roger　A。　Pryor；
being　in　Charleston　in　those　wavering　days；　poured　out　his　heart
in　fiery　words；　urging　a　Charleston　crowd　to　precipitate　war；　in
the　certainty　that　Virginia　would　then　have　to　come　to　their　aid。
When　at　last　Sumter　was　fired　upon　and　Lincoln　called　for
volunteers；　the　second　stage　of　the　secession　movement　ended　in　a
thunderclap。　The　third　period　was　occupied　by　the　second　group　of
secessions：　Virginia　on　the　17th　of　April；　North　Carolina　and
Arkansas　during　May；　Tennessee　early　in　June。

Sumter　was　the　turning…point。　The　boom　of　the　first　cannon
trained　on　the　island　fortress　deserves　all　the　rhetoric　it　has
inspired。　Who　was　immediately　responsible　for　that　firing　which
was　destiny？　Ultimate　responsibility　is　not　upon　any　person。　War
had　to　be。　If　Sumter　had　not　been　the　starting…point；　some　other
would　have　been　found。　Nevertheless　the　question　of　immediate
responsibility；　of　whose　word　it　was　that　served　as　the　signal　to
begin；　has　produced　an　historic　controversy。

When　it　was　known　at　Charleston　that　Lincoln　would　attempt　to
provision　the　fort；　the　South　Carolina　authorities　referred　the
matter　to　the　Confederate　authorities。　The　Cabinet；　in　a　fateful
session　at　Montgomery；　hesitateddrawn　between　the　wish　to　keep
their　hold　upon　the　moderates　of　the　North；　who　were　trying　to
stave　off　war；　and　the　desire　to　precipitate　Virginia　into　the
lists。　Toombs；　Secretary　of　State　in　the　new　Government；　wavered；
then　seemed　to　find　his　resolution　and　came　out　strong　against　a
demand　for　surrender。　〃It　is　suicide；　murder；　and　will　lose　us
every　friend　at　the　North。。。。　It　is　unnecessary；　it　puts　us
in　the　wrong；　it　is　fatal；〃　said　he。　But　the　Cabinet　and　the
President　decided　to　take　the　risk。　To　General　Pierre　Beauregard；
recently　placed　in　command　of　the　militia　assembled　at
Charleston；　word　was　sent　to　demand　the　surrender　of　Fort　Sumter。

On　Thursday；　the　7th　of　April；　besides　his　instructions　from
Montgomery；　Beauregard　was　in　receipt　of　a　telegram　from　the
Confederate　commissioners　at　Washington；　repeating　newspaper
statements　that　the　Federal　relief　expedition　intended　to　land　a
force　〃which　will　overcome　all　opposition。〃　There　seems　no　doubt
that　Beauregard　did　not　believe　that　the　expedition　was　intended
merely　to　provision　Sumter。　Probably　every　one　in　Charleston
thought　that　the　Federal　authorities　were　trying　to　deceive　them；
that　Lincoln's　promise　not　to　do　more　than　provision　Sumter　was　a
mere　blind。　Fearfulness　that　delay　might　render　Sumter
impregnable　lay　back　of　Beauregard's　formal　demand；　on　the　11th
of　April；　for　the　surrender　of　the　fort。　Anderson　refused　but
〃made　some　verbal　observations〃　to　the　aides　who　brought　him　the
demand。　In　effect　he　said　that　lack　of　supplies　would　compel　him
to　surrender　by　the　fifteenth。　When　this　information　was　taken
back　to　the　city；　eager　crowds　were　in　the　streets　of　Charleston
discussing　the　report　that　a　bombardment　would　soon　begin。　But
the　afternoon　passed；　night　fell；　and　nothing　was　done。　On　the
beautiful　terrace　along　the　sea　known　as　East　Battery；　people
congregated；　watching　the　silent　fortress　whose　brick　walls　rose
sheer　from　the　midst　of　the　harbor。　The　early　hours　of　the　night
went　by　and　as　midnight　approached　and　still　there　was　no　flash
from　either　the　fortress　or　the　shore　batteries　which　threatened
it；　the　crowds　broke　up。

Meanwhile　there　was　anxious　consultation　at　the　hotel　where
Beauregard　had　fixed　his　headquarters。　Pilots　came　in　from　the
sea　to　report　to　the　General　that　a　Federal　vessel　had　appeared
off　the　mouth　of　the　harbor。　This　news　may　well　explain　the　hasty
dispatch　of　a　second　expedition　to　Sumter　in　the　middle　of　the
night。　At　half　after　one；　Friday　morning；　four　young　men；　aides
of　Beauregard；　entered　the　fort。　Anderson　repeated　his　refusal　to
surrender　at　once　but　admitted　that　he　would　have　to　surrender
within　three　days。　Thereupon　the　aides　held　a　council　of　war。
They　decided　that　the　reply　was　unsatisfactory　and　wrote　out　a
brief　note　which　they　handed　to　Anderson　informing　him　that　the
Confederates　would　open　〃fire　upon　Fort　Sumter　in　one　hour　from
this　time。〃　The　note　was　dated　3：20　A。M。　The　aides　then　proceeded
to　Fort　Johnston　on　the　south　side　of　the　harbor　and　gave　the
order　to　fire。

The　council　of　the　aides　at　Sumter　is　the　dramatic　detail　that
has　caught　the　imagination　of　historians　and　has　led　them；　at
least　in　some　cases；　to　yield　to　a　literary　temptation。　It　is　so
dramaticthat　scene　of　the　four　young　men　holding　in　their
hands；　during　a　moment　of　absolute　destiny；　the　fate　of　a　people；
four　young　men；　in　the　irresponsible　ardor　of　youth；　refusing　to
wait　three　days　and　forcing　war　at　the　instant！　It　is　so　dramatic
that　one　cannot　judge　harshly　the　artistic　temper　which　is　unable
to　reject　it。　But　is　the　incident　historic？　Did　the　four　young
men　come　to　Sumter　without　definite　instructions？　Was　their
conference　really　anything　more　than　a　careful　comparing　of　notes
to　make　sure　they　were　doing　what　they　were　intended　to　do？　Is
not　the　real　clue　to　the　event　a　message　from　Beauregard　to　the
Secretary　of　War　telling　of　his　interview　with　the　pilots？　*

*A　chief　authority　for　the　dramatic　version　of　the　council　of　the
aides　is　that　fiery　Virginian；　Roger　A。　Pryor。　He　and　another
accompanied　the　official　messengers；　the　signers　of　the　note　to
Anderson；　James　Chestnut　and　Stephen　Lee。　Years　afterwards　Pryor
told　the　story　of　the　council　in　a　way　to　establish　its　dramatic
significance。　But　would　there　be　anything　strange　if　a　veteran
survivor；　looking　back　to　his　youth；　as　all　of　us　do　through　more
or　less　of　mirage　yielded　to　the　unconscious　artist　that　is　in　us
all　and　dramatized　this　event　unaware？

Dawn　was　breaking　gray；　with　a　faint　rain　in　the　air；　when　the
first　boom　of　the　cannon　awakened　the　city。　Other　detonations
followed　in　quick　succession。　Shells　rose　into　the　night　from
both　sides　of　the　harbor　and　from　floating　batteries。　How　lightly
Charleston　slept　that　night　may　be　inferred　from　the　accounts　in
the　newspapers。　〃At　the　report　of　the　first　gun；〃　says　the
Courier；　〃the　city　was　nearly　emptied　of　its　inhabitants　who
crowded　the　Battery　and　the　wharves　to　witness　the　conflict。〃

The　East　Battery　and　the　lower　harbor　of　the　lovely　city　of
Charleston　have　been　preserved　almost　without　alteration。　What
they　are　today　they　were　in　the　breaking　dawn　on　April　12；　1861。
Business　has　gone　up　the　rivers　between　which　Charleston　lies　and
has　left　the　point　of　the　city's　peninsula；　where　East　Battery
looks　outward　to　the　Atlantic；　in　its　perfect　charm。　There　large
houses；　pillared；　with　high　piazzas；　stand　apart　one　from　another
among　gardens。　With　few　exceptions　they　were　built　before　the
middle　of　the　century　and　all；　with　one　exception；　show　the
classical　taste　of　those　days。　The　mariner；　entering　the　spacious
inner　sea　that　is　Charleston　Harbor；　sights　this　row　of　stately
mansions　even　before　he　crosses　the　bar　seven　miles　distant。
Holding　straight　onward　up　into　the　land　he　heads　first　for　the
famous　little　island　where；　nowadays；　in　their　halo　of　thrilling
recollection；　the　walls　of　Sumter；　rising　sheer　from　the　bosom　of
the　water；　drowse　idle。　Close　under　the　lee　of　Sumter；　the
incoming　steersman　brings　his　ship　about　and　chooses；　probably；
the　eastward　of　two　huge　tentacles　of　the　sea　between　which　lies
the　city's　long　but　narrow　peninsula。　To　the　steersman　it　shows　a
skyline　serrated　by　steeples；　fronted　by　sea；　flanked　southward
by　sea；　backgrounded　by　an　estuary；　and　looped　about　by　a　sickle
of　wooded　islan