Morris Is’d, Jan 1^st 61

The “Zouave Cadets” were not ordered into service until the 1^st January 1861 when I received orders about 12 o’clock to appear at the Armory of the company Queen Street, east of Meeting, over a large warehouse, at 1 o’clock;  I quickly took leave of my employer, Mr. Bornemann, went home, where I found all out.  The order did not state for what purpose we should assemble but I could well guess the object.  Having but an hour to make my preparations I hastily donned my uniform, wrote a note to Mother bidding her “good bye” in case I should be sent off as I expected we would, took my blanket which was, by the way, the only article of equipment for active service I had, bid farewell to my home, and started with a heavy heart for the [12] place of rendezvous.  I had got as far as the gate when an alarm of fire was sounded which I found to be Mr. Goe. W. Williams’s house in George Street, hardly more than a stone’s throw from our house;  of course under the circumstances I did not feel like leaving, so waiting until the fire was nearly subdued and all danger over I at last got off, reaching the Armory in time.  I found the men engaged in packing their knapsacks, which had just been distributed and turned to do the same, though with some difficulty as I had brought nothing along to put in it.  Soon the assembly was beat, and the men “fell in”, the company having been formed the role was called, after which Lt. Chichester, who was in command in the absence of Capt. P. H. Stevens, addressed the men stating that the company had been called on by the Governor for service on Morris Island, and that he hoped we would to a man do our duty faithfully, and if need be, bravely.

Midst the waving of handkerchiefs by the ladies, and general admiration for the excellence of our drill we were [13] marched to the Steamer “General Clinch” at Southern Wharf where we found the German Riflemen en route for the same destination;  having embarked amidst the shouts of those on the wharf, the boat moved off, our company giving in return for the cheers “a Tiger:” “One, two, three, four, tiger, Zouave!” the customary cheer of the company.  I cannot say how many heavy hearts there were amongst our boys as the boat left the city, I can answer though for one, and that was rather heavy, it was my own, I had no doubt though companions in feeling as well as in arms there; not that I regretted the duty that called me, but when at all times it is sad to leave home and loved ones, how much more so in this case, I who had never yet been out of the city, to leave home and family without even a proper leave taking on a service where I did not know what danger awaited me; surely enough to make a boy, I was hardly more, feel sad at heart.

We had just left the wharf when the rain that had threatened for the last 3 or 4 hours, began to fall and made our [14] trip across the harbor a very dreary one; we arrived at Cumming#8217;s Point about 4 o’clock and under a heavy rain, the two companies marched along the beach a distance of two miles from the point, where we took our quarters at Lieghing’s house;

Fort Morris, Morris Island, the first battery built during the war.

just before reaching there we passed a battery under construction facing the channel, on which the citadel cadets were hard at work midst rain and mud, this sight gave me my first idea of “military necessity”.  We had barely had time to take off knapsacks when the company was called on to assist the cadets in hauling a heavy gun out of the mud, wherein it had sunk;  by the united efforts of the three companies we were successful, and our company was dismissed, as we thought, for the night, but shortly after requisition came for reliefs of 10 men each, to work on the battery during the night.  While there I saw for the first time, hard at work, directing the construction, Mr. C. H. Stevens, cashier of one of our city banks and afterwards projector of the Iron Battery and later Brigadier General in the Confederate Army [15] as which he was killed in battle in the West;  with him was his brother, Major P. H. Stevens, our Captain but in command of the Citadel Cadets, now a minister of the gospel;  they had planned the battery we were working on, and which, not long after, as “Fort Morris” so signally interfered with the reinforcement of Fort Sumter by the “Star of the West”.

The next morning after role call and prayers, let me here remark, as a coincidence, that of both commands with which I had connected myself, the head officers could lead their men in prayer as well as in battle, were professed Christians and whenever possible held prayed meetings at their quarters after role call every morning, and services on Sundays, when no church was near.  I do not mean to detract from the Christianity of the other officers, who whenever duty allowed were present at those meetings, but in Capt. Chichester and Lieut. Gilchrist of the Zouaves, and Capt. Walter and Lieut. Whilden of the Washington Artillery we had praying men, who did not “hide their light under a bushel”, nor their devotions [16] from the men as if ashamed of them.  There is no doubt this tended in a measure to give a moral to both companies, as profanity was not often heard amongst them, though the men of both had been picked and therefore above average.

After prayers and breakfast on the morning after our arrival we were ordered to exchange houses with the German Riflemen, our company having, though fewer in number, got the largest house of the two. 

First furlough, Jan 4^th 60

With guard duty on the beach and fatigue duty at the battery the 2^nd and 3^rd of January passed when on my birthday, the 4^th I received permission to go to the city for a pair of shoes, the rain and mud having given the finish to my old ones, and more suitable underclothing for service;  whilst in the city I considered myself “the observed of all observers”, a very hero as I walked the streets in my uniform.  Having returned to the Island the next day the same monotonous round of duty was resumed with almost a constant rain, without a single ray of the blessed sunshine for a week.

On Sunday, January 6^th, Rev. I. Allan [17] Tupper preached a sermon to the troops the services being held in the rear of the battery, the same being attended by nearly all the men of our command and some from the Vigilant Rifles, at the Lighthouse.

Repulse of “Star of the West”, Jan 9^th 1861

On the morning of the 9^th January, early, when, having been just relieved from post at Cumming’s Point and looking around from one of the high sand hills that skirted the island then, I saw a steamer coming up the channel that runs along Morris Island;  when abreast of Fort Morris the report of a gun was heard and soon a ball ricocheted along the water just beyond her, she knew the meaning of this, “show your colors!” in more polite language, for she soon did so, hoisting the Stars and Stripes, though we had already guessed that the promised reinforcement for Fort Sumter had arrived, though not at its final destination, we had yet something to oppose to that.  Soon Fort Moultrie joined in the chorus, when after six shots from Fort Morris, two of which were said to have struck her, and four from Fort Moultrie, most of which fell short, the [18] steamer lowered her flag and like a whipped spaniel made her way out again;  thus failed the attempted succor for Maj. Anderson at Fort Sumter; the latter had remained a passive spectator to the defeat of her intended relief.  During the firing on the vessel it was expected to see Anderson return the complement (?) to his flag, and we who were at the point divided our attention between Fort Morris and Sumter, as we momentarily expected to hear the balls flying over our heads, if not in closer proximity, but with the exception of the opening of a few portholes nearest Morris Island, Fort Sumter remained quiet, and made no objection to the insult to the flag that yet floated over her, and which she was to protect.

The repulse of the “Star of the West” by the 24 Pounders of Fort Morris was as a signal gun for battle, it brought the other southern states to our side on account of the perfidy of the United States government, who had promised not to relieve the garrison at Fort Sumter till all means of a peaceful solution had failed [19] for this purpose commissioners had been sent by our authorities to Washington to seek a settlement of the same;  the north now also rose and prepared to revenge, as they said, this insult to their flag.  We know what the failure of the expedition brought about, but who can say what may have been the result if it had proved a success, what sorrow and desolation it may have averted from us, how much ruin it had saved?

Guard duty on the beach

It was during our stay on Morris Island, while on guard at Cumming’s Point that I have experienced more of a sensation of fear than at any other time while in service;  the post there was over a mile from the company and fifty yards from the nearest sentinel, with the nights rainy and as dark as pitch, the monotonous splash of the billows upon the shore, the enemy within three quarters of a mile from us and a watch of four hours on a stretch, almost enough to bring a feeling of fear over a brave man, how much more so then over a novice as I was then, to whom every billow seemed a boat.

Visit of Gov. Richardson

The Sunday after the repulse of the steamer, January 13^th, we were visited by ex Gov. [20] Richardson of our State, who addressed us in a few, but earnest, remarks in which he complemented us for our discipline and bade us persevere in our duty to our State.

Midnight Alarms

With the exception of a few midnight alarms, started by the Palmetto Guard and Irish Volunteers who were stationed at the Lighthouse at the other end of the island, when we had to turn out and remain perhaps 3 or 4 hours mid sleet and rain at the battery and find at last that we had been fooled, everything passed off quietly and we were, the rain having ceased meanwhile getting somewhat reconciled to our “sandy, island home”, when on the 15^th Jan we were gratified by the arrival of the Carolina Light Infantry to relieve us, so we packed our knapsacks and were soon again, after an absence of just two weeks, in the city, where we were heartily welcomed by loved ones and friends.