Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 229, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1910 — STORIES OF CAMP AND WAR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STORIES OF CAMP AND WAR

LOWERED FT. SUMPTER FLAG Veteran of Famous Battle Celebrates Anniversary of Event by Playing Billiards. April 13 was the forty-ninth anniversary of the taking of Fort Sumter by the confederate forces. There has Always been some doubt as to the identity of the man who fired the first shot in that famous fight; but there has never been a question as to the identity of the man who, on that 13th of April, 1860, lowered the American, flag from over the fort in the first de-> feat suffered by the Union army ia the Civil war. The man was Lieut. Col. H. W. Hammer, now a resident of Los Angeles, and the old man, now more than seventy years old, celebrated the fall of that famous fort by playing billiards all afternoon with a fellow soldier at his hotel. Although having passed his three score years and ten, the old soldier is hale and hearty, and the hand that held the billiard cue was as steady and the eye as clear as they were 49 years ago, when he lowered the flag. It is his boast that he can outwork many a man 20 years younger than himself. He neither drinks, smokes nor chews, and he thinks nothing of starting out in the morning for a tenmile ramble over the hills. Colonel Hammer’s memory in regard to the taking of the fort is wonderfully clear, and to hear him tell ot the events which took place during the battle, one would think they had happened yesterday instead of nearly half a century ago. “I was regimental quartermaster sergeant, First artillery,” said Colonel Hammer. “I was assigned to Fort Moultrie, but was transferred with two companions of artillery to Fort Sumter, which was located about 1,300 yards from . Moultrie. The reason for abandoning Fort Moultrie was that It could be easily svaept by a rifle fire from the tops of the near-by houses. “The confederate troops were stationed in front of Sumter, and when they saw us transferring all our forces to that fort they begin building batteries. The next day, the 12th of April, they sent a demand to Major Anderson, who was in command of Fort Sumter, to surrender. Anderson refused, and word was sent that unless he surrendered within an hour they would open fire. “Our supplies were low. He had heard that Lincoln was sending relief but whether or not we could hold out until it reached us we did not know. Our ammunition was low, too. “Anderson agreed that unless provisions reached us by the fifteenth we would leave the fort, and meanwhile

Lowered the American Flag Front Over the Fort. he said he would make no hostile movements/ This did not satisfy the confederates, who were under General Beauregard, and between two and three o’clock on the morning of the twelfth they opened fire. The first shot came from a mortar on Johnson’s island. It was afterward said that the first shot was 'fired by former Governor Russo of Virginia from the ironclad battery on Morris’ island, but this is not right. ‘‘So low was our ammunition that we could not afford to waste a shot; every shell had to tell, so we waited until it was light enough for our gunners to take careful aim before reply, ing to the fire of ths confederates. “There is a popular idea that Anderson surrendered the fort. That is not true. We did not surrender, and never would have. We marched out under Anderson’s own terms, with our flag flying and the band played ‘Yankee Doodle,* and we were allowed to board the transport .Isabella, which was lying In the harbor.*’ T 7-? """ 1 ~ 1 • ■ . i -