ce Sumter. On the 5th of January
notice was sent by Assistant Adjutant-General Thomas, from New York, to
Major Anderson that a swift steamship, "Star of the West," loaded with
two hundred and fifty recruits and all needed supplies, had sailed, that
same day, for his relief. Major Anderson failed to receive the notice.
On the morning of the 9th the steamer steamed up the channel in the
direction of Sumter, when presently she was fired upon vigorously by the
secessionists. Her captain ran up the stars and stripes, but quickly
lost heart as he caught sight of the ready guns of Fort Moultrie, then
put about, and back to sea.

The commander at Sumter was enraged. He sat down and wrote a brief note
to the Governor of South Carolina, demanding to know "if the firing on
the vessel and the flag had been by his orders, and declaring, unless
the act were disclaimed, he would close the harbor with the guns of
Sumter." The Governor's reply was both an avowal and a justification of
the act. Anderson, in a second note, stated that he would ask his
government for instructions, and requested "safe conduct for a bearer of
despatches." The Governor, in reply, sent a formal demand for the
surrender of the fort. Anderson responded to this, that he could not
comply; but that, if the government saw fit "to refer this matter to
Washington," he would depute an officer to accompany the messenger.

This meant a truce, which the conspirators heartily welcomed. On the
12th of January, therefore, Attorney-General I.W. Hayne, of South
Carolina, proceeded to Washington as an envoy to carry to President
Buchanan the Governor's demand for the surrender of Fort Sumter. The
matter was prolonged; but, on the 6th of February, Mr. Hayne found that
his mission was a failure.

On the 4th of February, while the Peace Conference, so called, met in
Washington to consider propositions of compromise and concession, the
delegates of the seceding States assembled in Montgomery, Alabama, to
organize their conspiracy into an avowed and opened rebellion. On the
9th Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, was elected President, and
Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, Vice-President of the new
Confederacy. On the 18th Davis was inaugurated.

On the 1st of March General Beauregard was, by the rebel government,
placed in command of the defence of Charleston harbor, with orders to
complete preparations for the capture of Fort Sumter. The Governor had
been exceedingly anxious tha