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| Saturday April 13, 1861 |
Over 4,000 shells are fired at Fort Sumter during 34 hours of
bombardment. Around 1:00 pm the United States flag is cut from
it's staff. For some unknown reason, Louis T. Wigfall, a South
Carolinian and former United States Senator from Texas shows up
at the fort and begins negotiations with Major Robert Anderson,
the Federal Commander of Fort Sumter. A little later the
Aide-de-Camps of General Beauregard, led by Colonel James
Chestnut, for United States Senator of South Carolina arrive.
They claim that Wigfall is not an official and they are the official
delegation. Negotiations continue and the fort is surrendered at
2:30 pm. The Federal relief expedition that is off the Charleson
bar makes no move to relieve or reinforce the fort.