[Note: This article is being published on the anniversary of the event described, 17 days earlier than the date the article was originally published.]
Firing at the Schooner Shannon, Laden with Ice, From the
Battery on Morris Island, S.C., April 3, 1861
[Note: images are from a hand-tinted off-print of the front page of the April 20, 1861 issue of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper]
Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, April 20, 1861
In the words of an eye-witness:
“The city was startled late in the afternoon of the 3d by firing from Fort Morris. It was supposed at first to be mere practice shots; but those who had the best glasses could see that a schooner was the object, and and what that schooner meant and where she came from remained a mystery until late yesterday afternoon. I enlisted a Charleston pilot in my service , and finally he brought me the following. It seems that about four P. M. a schooner was seen beating up the channel. She had no pilot aboard, as was evident from the fact that she failed to give the usual signal to the guard boat. As she still kept on her way, apparently shaping her course for Fort Sumter, she was fired into by the Fort Morris Battery, they sending a shot across her bows. Still she kept on, but throwing out the Stars and Stripes. When she came abreast of the Mortar battery they sent some very heavy shot, not pointed at her hull, but which nevertheless hit her. As she still persisted, they sent a shell which burst close to her rudder. My informant said in his rough, sailor parlance, ‘Why in h—ll don’t you heave to? The captain of the schooner was evidently bewildered and didn’t know what to do. When the shell was fired he hove to in desperate haste.
Boat from Fort Sumter arriving at Cummings’ Point with a flag of Truce, Conveying Capt. Seymour and Lieut. Snyder, to ask Permission to run down the Schooner Shannon , to ascertain if any Damage had been done by the Firing from Morris Island, Apr 3, 1861
“Major Anderson, who had been carefully scanning the whole thing with his glass, immediately sent the fort boat and detailed Captain Seymore and Lieutenant Snyder to row over at once to Morris Island, to ask an explanation of the firing, and to obtain permission to visit the schooner. This was granted, and they immediately went on board. After tarrying awhile they returned to the fort, and the schooner put at once to sea. It has been blowing a gale for several days, and on Wednesday evening the entire bay was white with foam. To this may be ascribed the fact that although a coast steamer was sent in pursuit of the unknown vessel, she returned at midnight, stating that she was unable to find her. The fact of the visit of the officers from Fort Sumter has led all Charleston to believe the schooner had provisions and men for the fort, and that she was the avant courrier of a fleet on the way, and that the raising of the United States flag was well understood by Major Anderson. As I know she had a cargo of ice on board, I look upon this surmise as amounting to nothing, but the Charlestonians persist in thinking there was something immense intended, which they happily upset. The Captain of the Shannon evidently thought that ice was in demand here, notwithstanding the two dollars duty per ton. He certainly did his best to come in, but I fancy he will not care to repeat the experiment.”