The National tribune. [volume], March 24, 1898, Image 1

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ESTABLISHED 1877-tfEW SERIES.
WASHINGTON, D. 0., THURSDAY, MARGE 24, 1898.-TWELYE PAGES.
VOL. XVII-NO. 24-WH0LE NO. 867.
3S
MSArL T
Bxesn View, Showing Rapid-firk Gun.
"TlE flpSlCflJi
COJFWGT."
Leading Incidents and Episodes
of the War of the Rebellion.
By HORACE GREELEY.
FORT SUMTER.
President Lincoln's Attitude Rebels
Force tlie Issue Surrender of tie
Fort Demanded Details of the
Assanlfrr-Rebels Regard Reduction
of Sumter as a Great Achievement.
The Honors of War.
Wlrcther the hesitation of the Ex
ecutive to reinforce Fort Sumter was
leal or only apparent, the reserve
evinced -with regard to bis intentions
was abundantly justified. The Presi
dent, in his Inaugural Address, had
kindly and explicitly Eet forth his con
ception of the duties and responsibilities
assumed in taking his oath of office.
2so man of decent understanding -who
can read our language had any reason
or right to doubt, after bearing or perus
ing that document, that be fully pur
posed, to the extent of his ability, to
maintain the authority and enforce the
laws of the Union on every acre of the
geographical area of our country.
Hence, Secessionists in Washington,
as well as south of that city, uniformly
denounced that manifesto as a declara
tion of war, or as rendering war inevi
table. The naked dishonesty of professed
Unionists inquiring as even Senator
Douglas, for two weeks, persisted in do
ing whether Mr. Lincoln intended
peace or war, was a sore trial to human
patience.
A Government which cannot uphold
and vindicate its authority in the
country which it professes to rule is to
be pitied ; but one which does not even
attempt to enforce respect and obedience
is a confessed imposture and sham, and
deserves to be hooted off the face of the
earth.
iS'ay, more ; it was impossible for ours
to exist on the conditions prescribed by
its domestic foes. !No Government can
endure without revenue ; and the
Federal Constitution (Art. I., Sec. 9)
expressly prescribes that
No preference shall be given, by any reg
ulation of commerce or revenue, to the ports
of one State over those of another; nor shall
vessels bonnd to or from one State be obliged
to enter, clear, or pay duties in another.
SEALED AGAINST COMMENCE.
But here were the ports of nearly
half our Atlantic and Gulf coasts
sealed against the commerce and naviga
tion of the other half, save on payment
of duties utterly unknown to our laws;
while goods could be entered at those
ports at quite other (and generally
lower) rates of impost than those estab
lished by Congress.
Hence, importers, with good reason,
refused to pay the established duties at
Northern ports until the same should be
exacted at Southern as well; so that
three months' acquiescence by the Presi
dent in what was untruly commended as
the "Peace policy," would have sunk
the country into anarchy and whelmed
the Government in Jiopeless ruin.
Still, no one is required to achieve the
impossible, though to attempt what to'
others will seem such niay sometimes be
accepted by the unselfish and intrepid as
a duty ; and this practical question con
fronted the President on the threshold :
"What means have I at command
wherewith to compel obedience to the
laws?"
3S'ow, the War Department had, for
nearly eight years prior to the last few
weeks, been directed successively by
Jefferson Davis arid John B. Floyd.
The better portion of our little army had
been ordered by Floyd to Texas, and
there put under the command of Gen.
o ss,--- ',; -j&Mi- '. ,'. .&Tj3&m&3.&,y,.m&&M . Aj&sX&3mimmB0maz.j&M'i :""rai
f w& I 1
THE
The United States has a fame for the introduction of new and effective appliances in
naval warfare, -which makes it more dreaded than any display of actual strength can be.
In every war in which we have been engaged we have brought out something phenomenal
and startling, and which has greatly aided us in the discomfiture of our enemies. The
devices of the Wars of the Revolution and of 1812, by which we helped to neutralize the
overwhelming naval preponderance of Great Britain, are too numerous to mention. We
gained our greatest glory in the latter war by the construction of a small number of frigates
which were the quickest, handiest, and most, powerful vessels of their das afloat. We put
aboard them men who had no equals as sailors. The result was that when we came up with
a French or British vessel of anything near our size, she was torn to pieces or blown out of
water with a quickness that amazed the world. Our ships would suffer triflin" losses, while
the enemy's would be converted into charnel houses, in our attacks upo the insolent
Barbary Powers we showed an inventiveness and a daring that had never been seen before at
sea. The War of the Rebellion produced the Mouitor, which in an hour revolutionized the
naval ideas of the world.
Many hope that the dynamite cruissr Vesuvius, which is now lying at the Washington
Navy-yard, will bring about as much of a revolution in naval tactics as the Monitor did
The problem it attempts to solve is to make the terrible power of dynamite effective iri
naval warfare. Before an explosion of dynamite the strongest, armor is as helpless as a
thin board. The most powerful battleship ailoat would be instantly hurled to destruction
by a comparatively small charge of dynamite dropping on her deck.
But dynamite is entirely "too touchy" .1 substance to be tired out of ordinary "uns
or mortars. The shock of an explosion of gunpowder would instantly set it off' "to" the
destruction of the vessel and gun tiring it. It must be sent on its deadly errand by gentle
Twiggs, by whom it had already been
betrayed into the hands of his fellow
traitors. The arms of the Union had
been sedulously transferred by Floyd
from the Northern to the Southern ar
senals. The most effective portion of the
navy had, in like manner, been dis
persed over distant sea?.
But, so early as the 21st of March, at
the close of a long and exciting Cabinet
session, it appears to have been definitely
settled that Fort Sumter was not to be
surrendered without a struggle ; and,
though Col. G. W. Lay, an Aid of Gen.
Scott, had visited Charleston on the 20th,
and had a long interview with Gov.
Pickens and Gen. Beauregard, with ref
erence, it was said, to the terms on
Thc New York Herald of-April 9 lias a
dispatch from its Washington cor-e-spondent,
confirming one sent 21 hours
earlier to announce the determination of
the Executive to provision Fort Sumter,
which thus explains the negotiations, and
the seeming hesitation, if not vacillation, of
March:
"The peace po'icytif the Administration
lias been taken advantage of bv tc South,
while, at the same time, their' representa
tives have been here 1-c .ing the rriMulent
to keep hands oft. Wniic lie v.as I olding
bark, in the hope that a forbi-aring dispo
sition, on the part of the a'lC .riticH of the
seceded States, would benian'fcsHd, to his
great surprise, he found that, instead of
peace, they were investing tery fort and
navy yard with rebel troops and fortifi
cations, and actually preparing to make
war upon the Federal Government. Not
only this, but, while the Administration
w.'ls yielding to the cry against coercion, for
the purpose, if possible, of averting the ca
lamity of civil war, the very men who were
loudest against coercion were preparing for
it; the Government was losing strength
with the people; and the President and his
Cabinet were charged with being imbecile
and false to the high trust conferred upon
them.
"At last, they have determined to enforce
the laws, and to do it vigorously; but not
in an aggressive spirit. When the Admin
istration determined to order Maj. Anderson
out of Fort Sumter, some days since they
also determined to do so on one condition:
Namely, that the fort and the property in it
should not be molested, but allowed to re
main as it is. The authorities of the Con
federacy would not agree to this, but mani
fested a disposition to get possession of the
Eow View of the Vesuvius, Showing Dynamite Tubes.
UNITED STATES DYNAHITE CRUISER "VESUVIUS."
which Fort Sumter should be evacuated,
if evacuated at all, the 25th brought to
Charleston Col. Ward IT. Lamon, a con
fidential agent of the President, who,
after an interview with the Confederate
authorities, was permitted to visit the
fort, and hold unrestricted intercourse
with Maj. Anderson, who apprised the
Government throutrh him that their
J scanty stock of provisions would suffice
111s little garrison only till the middle of
April.
Col. Lamon returned immediately to
Washington, and was said to have re
ported there, that, in Maj. Anderson's
opinion as well as in his own, the relief
of the fortress was impracticable.
VEKY DECIDKD ACTIVITY.
By this ,time, however, very decided
activity b'egan to be manifest in
the Navy-yards still held by the
Union. Such ships of war as were
at hand were rapidly fitted for service
and put into commission; while several
swift ocean steamers of the large size
were hurriedly loaded with provisions,
munitions, and forage.
By the Gth or 7th of April, nearly a
dozen of these vessels had left New
York and other Northern posts, under
sealed orders. Lieut. Talbot, who had
arrived at Washington on the Gth, from
fort and United States property therein,
the Government would not submit to any
such humiliation. J
"it was immediately determined to keep
Maj. Anderson in Fort Sumter, and to sup
ply bun with provisions forthwith
There is no desire to put additional men
into the fort, unless resistance is offered to
the attempt to furnish Maj. Anderson with
supplies. The fleet will not approach
Charleston with hostile intent; but in view
of the great military preparations about Fort
Sumter, the supply vessels will go prepared
to reply promptly to uny resistance of a
warlike character that may be offered to a
peaceful approach to the fort. The re
sponsibility of opening tho war will be
thrown upon tho parties who set them
selves in defiance to the Government. It is
sincerely hoped, by the Federal authorities
here, that the leaders of the Secessionists
will not open their batteries."
This illustration is from photographs taken by The National
Tribune's artist, and is an historic picture showing the only war
ship of its kind in the world. The greatest interest is felt in the
Vesuvius' 'movements and performances, for they may develop the
value of an entirely new principle in naval warfare. ,
We may mention the fact, also, that next week our artist's
pictures of the launching of the battleships New Kearsargo and
Kentucky, at Newport News, will appear on this page. In the event
of a war with Spain, its various phases will be fully illustrated from
week to week from photographs or sketches by The National
Tribune's sjpecial pictorial stafK
shockless pressure that of compressed air. Whether this can be successfully done amid
the storm and stress of battle, it is the mission of the Vesuvius to answer.
brie is a small vessel as war vessels go nowadays, being 252 feet 4 inches long, 20 feet 9
inches beam, 14 feet 1 inch deep, having a mean draft of 9 feet, and a displacement of
only 725 tons. This means that she can go almost anywhere around harbors and shoals,
and come on i!o her-proy from unexpected points. She has two vertical, direct-actintr
engines of 3,200. horsepower, which will send her through the water at the rate of 21
knots an hour. ".
- She has some quick-firing guns, but her real armament arc three lOJ-inch tubes, which
project through her deck at an angle of 45 degrees, and which will throw 200 pounds of
dynamite a distance of a mile, and can be discharged once in two minutes. The range
can be varied at will from 200 yards to u mile by controlling the amount of com
pressed air allowed to enter the tubes. The guns are not movable, but must be
aimed by turning the ship, which, as she has twin screws, can be readily done.
The conning-tower, from which the ship is directed and fought, is built of steel plates one
inch thick, and stands a little above the deck, in rear of the guns. She carries 10 dynamite
cartridges ior eacn gun. ,ne presents scarcely any mark for the enemy's guns, and if she
justifies only a small portion of the hopes entertained of her she could destroy the most
poweriui licet ailoat jn a lew minutes,
hope as to her effectiveness.
. Jiear-Admiral C. S. Norton, Commandant of the Nary-yard at Washington, in whose
charge the Vesuvius now is, is a New York man and veteran sailor, who entered the Navy
in 1851 as a Midshipman, and was a Lieutenant and Lieutenant-Commander during the
war, in which he saw much hard service. JTe has nearly 17 years' sea-service to his credit.
Uis portrait appears in the upper fight-hand corner of the illustration.
Fort Sumter, bearing a message from
Maj. Anderson that his rigidly restricted
supplies of fresh food from Charleston
market had been cut off by the Con
federate authorities, and that he must
soon be starved into surrender, if not re
lieved, returned to Charleston on the
8th, and gave formal notice to Gov.
Pickens that the fort would be provis
ioned at all hazards.
Gen. Beauregard immediately tele
graphed the fact to Montgomery ; and,
on the 10th, received orders from the
Confederate Secretary of War tp de
mand the prompt surrender of the fort,
and, in case of refusal, to reduce it.
The demand was accordingly made in
due form at 2 p. m.; on the 11th, and
courteously declined."4
But, in consequence of additional in
structions from Montgomery based on
a suggestion of Maj. Anderson to his
summoners that he would very soon be
starved out, if not relieved Gen. Beau
regard, at 11 p. m., again addressed
Maj. Anderson, asking him to state at
what time he would evacuate Fort Sum
ter, if unmolested; and Avas answered
that he would do so at noon on the 15th,
" should I not receive, prior to that time,
controlling instructions from my Gov
ernment, or additional supplies."
This answer was judged unsatisfac
tory; and, at 3:20 a. in., of the 12th,
Maj. Anderson was duly notified that
fire would be opened on Fort Sumter in
one hour.
Punctual to the appointed moment,
tho roar of a mortar from Sullivan's
Island, quickly followed by the rushing
shriek of a helB gave notice to the
worM that the era of compromise and
diplomacy "was ended that the Slave
holders' Confederacy had appealed from
sterile negotiations to the "last argu
ment" of aristocracies as well as kings.
Another gun from that island quickly
repeated the warning, "waking a response
from battery after battery, until Sumter
oy
Preliminary- triaL? have given warrant for much
appeared the focus of a circle of vol
canic fire. Soon, the thunder of 50
heavy breaching cannon, in one grand
volley, followed by the crashing and
crumbling of brick, stone, and mortar
around and above them, apprised the
little garrison that their stay in those
quarters must necessarily be short. Un
less speedily relieved by a large and
powerful fleet, such as the Union did not
then possess, the defense was, from the
outset, utterly hopeless.
CEI.EUITY OF KEI)UCTION
It is said that the Confederate leaders
expected to reduce the fort within a
very few hours ; it is more certain that
the country was disappointed by the in
efficiency of its fire and tho celerity of
its reduction.
But it was not then duly considered
that Sumter was never intended to with
stand a protracted cannonade from bat
teries solidly constructed on every side
of it, but to resist aud repel the ingress
of ileets from the ocean a service for
which it has since proved itself admir
ably adapted.
Nor was it sufficiently considered that
the defensive strength of a fortress in
heres largely in its ability to compel its
assailants to commence operations for its
reduction at a respectful distance, and
to make their approaches slowly, under
conditions that secure to its fire a great
superiority over that of the besiegers.
But here were the assailants, in num
bers a hundred to one, firing at short
range from batteries which had been
constructed and mounted in perfect
security, one of them covered Avith iron
rails so adjusted as to glance the balls of
the fortress harmlessly from its mailed
front
Had Maj. Anderson been ordered, in
December, to defend his post against all
aggressive and threatening demonstra
tions, he could not have been shelled out
(Contiuued ou seventh pugo)
Reak-Adjiiral Nop.tox,
The Commandant of the Washington
Navy Yard.
ft FihE op iflFflTOYpji.
" For Three Years, or During the War "At Home in a Shelter
Tent, and Abroad with " Three Days' Rations
and Forty Rounds of Ammunition."
37 John
CHAPTER I
TTIE POLITICAL CRISIS MAKES ITS
EFFECTS FELT IN ALL PARTS OF
THE COUNTRY DISTURBANCE IN A
CHICAGO TRINTING OFFICE PARTI
ZAN LINES DRAWN.
COPYRIGHT.
THERE MAY BE GRIMIER
places than the composing-room
of an old-time daily newspaper,
but It -would be hard -to say
what and where they are. Machine-
shops and coal-yards are dusty and
sooty, but that seems to be their busi
ness. It is ft necessary result, which
cannot be avoided. But an old-fashioned
composing-room seemed to be
deliberately and designedly dirty and
slovenly. It was usually the top floor
of some building originally intended as
a Avarehouse or store, and with no pro
viQinns fnv t.hp. accommodation of a
number of Avorkingmen.
A half-century ago a strong disregard
for appearances seemed a necessary ac
companiment of genius, or e'en talent.
It Avas the fashion for a man Avho could
do anything well to affect a contempt
for the niceties of dress and surround
ings. Given this, then turn 40 or 50
printers, who prided themselves solely
on their swiftness and correctness in
composition, into a bare "loft" of a
warehouse; equip them Avith sets of
dirty, smudgy cases ; have the irrepres
sible and ever-present printer's ink stain
everything ; have Avaste paper litter the
place like the leaves in the Fall ; haA'e
it nobody's business to keep the place
clean ; have every energy bent on get
ting the type into the cases, out again
as "matter" for the day's issue, and
into the forms in time to catch the
mails, and you Avould have the neces
sary conditions for a spot Avhich would
be the -ery antithesis of a lady's drawing-room.
In such a murky den as this, in the
city of Chicago, in the first Aveeks of
April, 1SG1, 30 compositors were setting
type with that silent diligence character
istic of a " daily " .office. Eery man
Avas running a race with every other
man, not merely to make the "longest
j string of dupes," that is, of proofs of
matter which he had set and by avUicU
he was paid, but to have his "take"
done at the same time with the others,
so as not to "hold the galiey," when the
others would have theirs ready for pror
ing. Occasionally someone Avould call
out :
" Slug Six, you end even " ; or " Slug
JNiue, you 11 have to get oft this galley,
and make room for me."
At the far end of the long room sat,
on a platform raised a feAV inches above
the iloor, Old Jo Wilson, the foreman.
That Avas before the newspapers boasted
of " telegraph editors," " news editors,"
etc., so that in addition to his duties of
administering the composing room the
foreman had to receive the telegraph
news as it came in on sheets or oiled
tissue paper, separate the different items,
put heads over them, and hang them on
the hook for the compositors.
" Old Jo," as he Avas commonly and
affectionately called, Avas ft veterau
printer, who had reached his position
through skill in his trade, general in
telligence and capacity. He Avas an
emotional man, and had an interjec
tional sliding scale, nicely adjustable to
every phase of news and by the constant
use of Avhich he kept all in the room
fully informed as to the . importance of
the dispatches passing through his hands.
TO
SUBSGR
This week an extra copy of
the paper is mailed to some
of you for use in getting
others to subscribe.
Please show this copy to
your acquaintances and get
their subscriptions. It is a
real favor to them to afford
them the opportunity of get
ting a set of $7 books and
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
for a year, ali for $1.
All good, straightforward
Americans, whether soldiers
or not, delight in reading our
paper and books. Send in a
few recruits.
Mcelroy.
A bitter sigh and " Dear ! dear ! dear 1 "
told the typos that the wire3 were telling
of some man or woman who had broken
a limb, or met with a similarly painful
accident. A deeper sigh and " Too bad I
too bad I" indicated that some poor
fellow's house and home had beea
burned, with all his Avorldly ATealth ;
that a financial calamity had befallen:
! some deserving person, or that a stagger
ing farm had gone doAvn. under a weight
of liabilities.
" O, how awful i " meant that a faith-,
fill anu loving woman had been cruelly
deserted, or that a hot-blooded alterca-1
tion had resulted in leaving one of the
disputants at death's door.
" My gracious ! this 13 just terrible ! "
told of a brutal murder, distressing sui
cide, a Avanton outrage of strength upon
weakness, or a sickening catastrophe.
The busy hands Avere arrested on their
way from case to " stick " by an excla
mation from Old Jo more intense and
earnest than anyone had erer before
heard him make :
" My God they've actually done it 1 "
Everyone's noise in the room wa3
stilled, and all ears were intent, as Old
Jo slowly read out from the dim
" flimsv " :
Charleston, S. C, April 12. At 2 p.m.,
yesterday, Col. Cuesnut and Maj. Lee, Aids
to Gen. Beauregard, conve-ed to Fort Sumter
the demand that Maj. Anderson evacuate the
fort. Maj. Anderson replied at 6 p. m.T that
. his sense of honor and his obligations to hi3
Government Avould prevent his compliance
Avith their demand. There are now 7,000
men around Fort Sumter underarms, and 140
pieces of ordnance of heavy caliber in position,
and ready for use.
At 1 a. m., this morning, a second depu
tation from Gen. Beauregard conveyed to
Fort Sumter the message that if Maj. Ander
son would name the time -when he would
evacuate, and would agree not to fire in the
meantime upon the batteries unless they fired
upon him, no fire Avould be opened on Fort
Sumter. To this Maj. Anderson replied that
he Avould evacuate at noon on the loth, if not
previously otherwise ordered, or not supplied,
and that he would not in the meantime open
fire unless compelled by some hostile act
against his fort or the flai: of his Govern
ment At 3:30 a. m., the officers who received
this answer notified Maj. Anderson that the
batteries under command of Gen. Beauregard
would open on Fort Sumter in one hour, and
immediately left.
At 4:30 a. m., fire was opened on Fort
Sumter from Fort Moultrie, and soon after
from the batteries on Mount Pleasant, Cum
mings's Point and the floating battery; in all
17 mortars, aud 30 large guns for shot
mostly Columbiads.
At 7 a. m., Fort Sumter began replying
from the lower tier of guns, tiring at Fort
Moultrie, Cummings's Point, Sullivan's Is
land, and the floating battery, simultaneously.
The bombardment soon bewinie A'ery warm,
aud smoke was seen rising from the interior
of the fort, showing that the shells Avere
taking effect, and setting tire to the bnildings.
The greatest enthusiasm prevails in Charles
ton. The entire population of th3 city is
crowded upon the docks and piers, and upon,
the housetops, Avatching the fightwith intense
interest. They cheer wildly whenever a suc
cessful shot throws up a cloud of brick and
dust.
An instant of aAved silence followed
the conclusion of Old Jo's reading. It
was broken by Dick Morgan, a tall,
slender compositor, ATith long, black
hair, exclaiming:
" Hurrah for Gen. Beauregard ! Three
cheers for gallant little South Carolina !
She's got the nerve ! She's just got tired
and sick of all this nitjuer-loviuEr Abo
litionist nonsense, and she's going to
show them that she Avon't stand their
foolishness an' longer."
The rest of the compositors regarded
him Avith astouishment. The quiet,
pleasant face of Dave Bronson another
compositor, grew A'ery pale, and his eyeg
lighted up Avith a fierceness none had
ever seen in them before. He usually
SBERS: