April 17.–Arrived in New York. The following observations may be made upon the bombardment: The enemy’s fire on the second day, the 13th, was more rapid and more accurate than on the previous day. It seemed to be directed at the embrasures, and to set the quarters on fire. The latter object was fully attained, [...]
April 14.–The Isabel went over the bar and placed the whole command on board the steamer Baltic, which started for New York.
April 13.—At daybreak no material alteration was observed in the enemy’s batteries. The three U. S. men-of-war were still off the bar. The last of the rice was cooked this morning, and served with the pork–the only other article of food left in the engineer mess-room, where the whole command has messed since the opening [...]
April 12.–At 1 a.m. four aides of General Beauregard (Colonel Chesnut, Colonel Chisolm, Captain Lee, and Mr. Pryor, of Virginia) came with a second letter, stating that as Major Anderson had been understood to make the remark to the bearers of the first letter, in taking leave, that he would “await the first shot, and [...]
April 11.–At early dawn I detected the presence of the floating battery on the upper end of Sullivan’s Island. It is situated between the end of the jetty and the steamboat wharf, where, evidently distrusting her qualities as a floating battery intended to breach the gorge wall at short range, she has been run on [...]
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 [...]
April 9, 1861.—The four-gun battery on the upper end of Sullivan’s Island that was unmasked yesterday morning by blowing up the wooden house standing in front of it was situated very nearly upon the prolongation of the capital of this fort, and, therefore, could enfilade the terre-pleins of both flanks of the work, as well [...]