there to resist them, the
only fighting-men present being Lieutenant R.K. Meade, of the engineers,
and Ordnance-sergeant Skillen, who resided there with his family, and
who was in charge of the work. Meade, himself a Virginian, had a sharp
colloquy with Petigru, and expressed himself in severe terms in relation
to this treasonable assault.

After taking possession, one of the rebel officers found the sergeant's
daughter, pretty Kate Skillen, aged fifteen, weeping bitterly at the
foot of the ramparts. He assured her no harm should befall her. She
replied, "I am not crying because I am afraid!" "What is the matter,
then?" said he. "I am crying because you have put that miserable rag up
there," she said, pointing to the Palmetto flag which had just been
raised to the top of the staff.

Foster's few reliable workmen proved to be a bad investment. It is said
that most of them, when they found the enemy were actually coming, hid
in closets, sheds, and under the beds, and some cried bitterly.

While this was going on, Major Anderson and myself stood side by side on
the parapet, watching the scene through our spy-glasses. From his
expressions of indignation, I was in hopes he would take prompt measures
to close the harbor against any further encroachments of the State
troops, made with a view to occupy Fort Moultrie or Fort Johnson. It
would have required but a short time to mount a few pieces; and when
these were once in position, it would have been easy to cut off all
direct communication by water between the different posts. In short, he
could take entire possession of the harbor. He did threaten to put out
the lights in the light-houses with his artillery, and close the port in
that way; but his anger soon passed away, and he took no aggressive
measures of any kind.

In my opinion, if he could have been satisfied that no other States
would join South Carolina in her mad attempt, he would have done every
thing that lay in his power to punish her; for he looked upon her as a
spoiled child that needed correction. Having married a lady from
Georgia, he had almost identified himself with that State. He did own a
plantation and negroes there, but had recently sold them. The purchaser
afterward refused to pay for them, on the ground that Anderson had
destroyed their value by virtually warring against slavery. At this
period the feeling in many parts of the South was strong against South
Carolina. This was particularly the cas