aptain that we
could not go over the bar till sunset. Some one asked him, "Are the
people over there in Charleston loyal now, pilot?" He shook his head
gravely, and was non-committal. "Well, then, we've come down here to
_make_ you loyal, pilot!" Turning his keen eye, which had peered into
many a northeaster, directly upon his interviewer, the old salt
vigorously replied, "You can't make _me_ loyal, for I always _have_
been!" Noble words and truly spoken, as we afterwards found.

The sun was still shining brightly in the western horizon as we
weighed anchor, and with colors flying and whistle sounding, steamed
slowly towards the majestic bay which expands its broad bosom before
the city of Charleston. The pilot, dressed in navy blue, stood at the
window of the pilot-house, guiding the helmsman and announcing the
various points of historic interest.

[Illustration]

Close at hand two buoys marked the spots where the monitors "Keokuk"
and "Weehawken" were sunk; and lashed to a mast-head of the latter,
still visible above the water, was a small American flag floating in
the breeze. But the attention of all was now suddenly arrested by a
more imposing display in the sky. For high above the city the
glorious sunset had painted the western heavens with streaming bars of
red and white and blue, fringed with gold. It was our banner,
stretched out again by a Divine hand, over the recovered city; and all
eyes turned to behold the sight, as the shout went up, "See, the Red,
White and Blue! The Red, White and Blue!" Fort Strong, formerly
called Fort Wagner, on Morris Island, was passed with uncovered heads,
in honor of Colonel Shaw, who fell gallantly leading his colored
regiment to the assault; then Fort Putnam, formerly Battery Gregg, on
Cummings' Point, and on the right Fort Moultrie and Battery Bee, on
Sullivan's Island, were pointed out, till at length the cry rang out,
"Fort Sumter! Fort Sumter!" Battered and crumbled almost to
shapelessness, it rose before us like some vast monster in the centre
of the harbor. As we drew nearer, we could distinguish the sentinels
on the ramparts, whose bayonets glistened in the rays of the setting
sun.

[Illustration: FORT SUMTER IN RUINS.]

For a few moments we contemplated in silence the storied fortress, as
memories of the long and bitter struggle here inaugurated passed in
quick procession before us. But victory had come at last, and
rebellion had perished. As by a common inspirat