office matters;
but in reality he came to confer with Anderson, and ascertain the amount
of provisions on hand. He took with him the important information that
our food would be out by the middle of April.

On the 28th, Beauregard sent a message of some kind to Anderson. I do
not know its purport. The latter stated to us that he expected decisive
orders from Washington on the 29th, but none came.

The 1st of April arrived, and as the heavy work of mounting guns, etc.,
was completed, our commander thought it would be a good idea to send off
the hired laborers, and he intrusted Captain Foster to ask permission of
the rebel authorities to allow them to land. The request was granted,
and all left with the exception of a few, who desired to remain with us
and share our fortunes. Among them was Mr. William O. Lyman, the
principal overseer of the masons, a brave and reliable man.

On the 3d of April, another affair occurred similar to that of the _Star
of the West_. The schooner _R.H. Shannon_, of Boston, under Captain
Mounts, _en route_ for Savannah with a cargo of ice, sailed into the
harbor of Charleston on account of a fog. As the captain did not read
the papers, he did not know that any thing unusual was going on. A
battery on Morris Island fired a shot across the bow of his vessel to
bring her to. Very much astonished at this proceeding, he ran up the
Stars and Stripes to show that he was all right. This was regarded as a
direct defiance, and a heavy cannonade was at once opened on the vessel.
Very much puzzled to account for this hostility, he lowered his flag,
and the firing ceased. A boat's crew now put off from the shore to
ascertain his character and purpose in entering the harbor. While this
was going on, we were formed at our guns, in readiness to fire, but were
not allowed to do so, although there was every probability that the
vessel would be sunk before our eyes. It is true we could not have
reached the particular battery that was doing the mischief; but the
other works of the enemy were all under our guns, and, not expecting
immediate action, were in a measure unprepared. Anderson, however,
contented himself with sending Seymour and Snyder over in a boat with a
white flag to ask for an explanation, with the usual result: Lieutenant
Talbot and Lieutenant Snyder were then sent over to have an interview
with the governor in relation to this matter. This being far from
satisfactory, Lieutenant Snyder returned to