Captain J. G. Foster’s Journal of the Bombardment of Fort Sumter
    

Captain J. G. Foster’s Journal of the Bombardment of Fort Sumter

April 10.—Every one, by order of the commanding officer, Major Anderson, changed his quarters into the gun casemates to-day. The work on the traverse progressed well. Lieut. R. K. Meade, Engineers, being placed on ordnance duty, found the supply of cartridges on hand to be too small, and took immediate measures to increase the supply by cutting up all the surplus blankets and extra company clothing to make cartridge bags. The curb for the traverse at the right shoulder angle was completed and put together on the terre-plein at nightfall, and after dark raised up on the parapet and filled with earth, which had been hoisted from the parade. The working party, under Lieutenant Snyder, increased by a large detail from the command, completed this work about midnight.

The supply of bread failed to-day, and its absence was supplied by rice obtained by picking over some damaged rice, which, while spread out to dry in one of the quarters, had been filled with pieces of glass from the window-panes shattered by the concussion of guns fired in practice.

A second battery was unmasked to-day on Sullivan’s Island, nearer the western point of the island than the one last discovered. It is of one gun, and very heavy—evidently a 9-inch Dahlgren gun, or a 10-inch columbiad.

The enemy’s steamers were very active at night, but no alarm occurred.

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