Letters from Fort Sunder. 253
alarm among the negroes, may not the Governor expect help from the President ?
President Grant, who a year before had turned a deaf ear to the call of the Governor of Mississippi for help, now when the elections are approaching finds that the rights and liberties of the citizens are in peril, sympathizes deeply with the Governor of South Carolina. In the Hamburg massacre he finds only a repetition of Mississippi violence. He volunteers the opinion that the latter State is governed by a body of officials chosen through fraud and violence such as was scarcely to be accredited to savages, much less to a civilized and Christian people. He closes with a remark the truth and significance of which doubtless did not appear either to himself or to Chamber- lain, but which everybody can understand now — a government that cajinot give protection to life, property, ayid all civil rights is a failure.
When the leaders give the key note, the masses are sure to follow. On the evening of the 17th July an indignation meeting was hold in Charleston, at which the Rev. Cain (Daddy Cain) and the Rev. Adams were conspicuous. Their language was such as this : " This thing must stop I Remember there are eighty thousand black men in the State able to bear Winchester rifles ; and twenty thousand black wo7ne7i who can light the torch or use the knife. Governor Cham- berlain must bring Butler and his clan to justice."
Letters from Fort Sumter.
By Lieutenant Iredell Jones, of First Regiment South Carolijia Reg- ulars.
Fort Sumter, August 22, 1863,
My Dearest Mother, — The firing continued all day yesterday with unabated fury, no less than 1,000 shots being thrown at us, and to give you an idea of the accuracy, our flag-staflf was shot away four times. The firing was concentrated principally on the eastern face, though but little damage was done, save the disabling of two guns. In the evening, the Ironsides came in, and we opened on her with considerable spirit for a short while, until she thought it best to retire. The casualties were few, but one of our best men had his leg shot off and afterwards amputated. General Beauregard came down about dusk, and General Ripley was here also somewhat later. The former, while he appeared highly pleased and confident, could not help dis- playing a silent wonder and amazement at the ruined and dilapidated
