Thomas Wright a young teenager starts his Diary in July 1858 America. Northern Kentucky, Mason county near the Town of Dover and Lees Creak. across the Ohio River the town of Ripley Ohio. Hot bed of Abolitionist movement. between befriending a slave...
13th April 1861 Anderson and his men still held Fort Sumter, fires still burning, only food left is cured pork. Shortly after the flag fell at Sumter. One man took it upon himself, to check the fort.
Louis Wigfall former senator from Texas now serving under Beauregard. With no formal authority, to negotiate. Rowed out to Fort Sumter under a white flag. He called again for Anderson to surrender. The same terms offered a few days before. Anderson would be allowed to evacuate with dignity arms in hand, and be given unimpeded transport, and given the right to salute the Stars and Stripes.
Anderson had made his stand, he held out for 34 hours. He has virtually no cartridges left. His brave and out gunned men defended the National Honor, with their lives with out respite for 34 hours. He new the outcome. His reply instead of noon the 15th I will go now.
Then the Fort is ours? Wigfall inquired? Anderson ordered a white flag to be raised.
This agreement nearly collapsed, when three Confederate Officers came to request a surrender.
Anderson nearly ran the Flag back up, to have surrender to a freelancing Wigfall. Both sides agreed to wait till Beauregard confirms the terms. The terms as stated earlier would be the terms.
Fort Sumter is in ruins, dismounted cannon the fort pocked with cannon shot. Flames smoldered the fort. An estimated 3,000 cannon shots fired at the fort. With no deaths on either side. Only a handful of soldiers were injured by fragments of concrete and mortar.
During the salute to the Flag, a cannon went off prematurely blew off the right arm of gunner Pvt Daniel Hough killing him almost instantly. Wounding another soldier fatally. We have the first two deaths of a War, that will bring more deaths than any War ever fought by this country.
Anderson handed over the fort at 4:30pm to the South Carolina Militia, the Flag of the Confederacy flew over Fort Sumter. An unheard of bloodless victory. A Steamboat carried Anderson and his men to the Federal Ships outside the Harbor.
One note here Anderson and Doubleday used the same Flag as the one used during the battle to raise over Fort Sumter in 1865 after Union forces retook the fort.
A few facts from History
Major Robert Anderson was P. T. G. Beauregard's instructor at West Point, Beauregard later became his assistant at West Point.
1861 Beauregard resigned from West Point. Leaving for the Confederacy. Becoming the Provisional Commander of the Confederacy.
During the last few Months of Buchanan's Presidency 6 States left the Union.
Abner Doubleday, the man believed to have invented Baseball for a period of time. Stayed in the Army and took part in the Battle of Gettysburg. Born in New York State, he was an Abolitionist. Who later criticised Anderson while at Sumter, for not taking the initiative at Sumter, saying he could see where it was leading.
West Points class of 1861 out of 208 Cadets 65 left for the Confederacy. Most of those were given commands, where the Union were slow to give commands to the Cadets. Even though lacking in an Officer Corp.
Of the 65 cadets 16 were northeners, they chose to go south having married southern women.
162 southern men remained loyal to the Union.
Major Anderson was from Kentucky, never once did he consider leaving the Union. Did Anderson do what he needed? Yes, he followed orders, put up a fight as long as he could. If reinforcements and supplies would have arrived he might of held out longer.
The Cherokee During The Civil War
The Cherokee had approximately 21,000 members of those members 3,000 of them served in the Nations Units for the Confederacy. Both the Eastern and Western Nations.
A few Battles and Skirmishes they participated in.
Battle of Wilson's Creek, August 10, 1861
Battle of Bird Creek December 9, 1861
Battle of Chustenahlah December 26, 1861
Battle of Pea Ridge March 6-8, 1861
Battle of Prairie Grove December 7, 1862
Those are just a few I've listed.
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Map of Charleston Harbor and her Defenses
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Fort Sumter
Think this will conclude this chapter. I know it was short, didn't want this all in one chapter. Little to long I think. Next chapter we are back to Thomas about the same time as we left him. Hope all enjoyed these chapters of history, do some research of your own, think you will find it interesting.
Sorry for the slow updates, sometimes life just gets in the way. Thanks for reading vote comment if you please Dram12
