[Fort Sumter]. Edward S. Aldrich, Surgeon: Letter Giving First-Hand Account of the Bombardment of Fort Sumter as Viewed from a...

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"...the once honored stars & stripes have disappeared by fire never again to wave over the ramparts of Fort Sumter..."

N. B. I have sent you a Mercury- Any important letter send by Adams Express

Off Charleston Harbor

Saturday April 13, 1861

Dear Ellen

We have had a most boisterous passage, & many cases of sea sickness, myself however not included. And with all much fun created by an old maid from Warren, R. I. Miss Elmira Barney. The old lady is taking her first experience at sea going. She is on her way to Alabama to obtain possession of some property left to her by will. She would not have started had she known before of the horrors & dangers of the sea - she reminds me of the old lady I have read about who at sea wanted the captain to tie-too for the night as it was too rough for her nerves to endure.

My heroine wanted two life preservers - and my services were in demand to prescribe for her sea sickness. On the subject of life preservers, I told her that floating about in the ocean was no fun. She would only be food for sharks to be snapped up at their leisure, better die at once. Today at the dinner table where she has made her first appearance, she exclaims (to the edification of all present) against the nasty life preservers - it is enough for a lady to encounter the danger of the briny deep without lashing themselves to one of those nine bags to be nibbled at by fishes - she never opens her mouth without making people laugh - she is always fidgety & uneasy and imagining a thousand impossibilities to happen - that the steamer may blow up - that lightning may strike her & she may have powder on board blow up from that cause. And she takes a fancy to refer to me for my opinion which she declares alone will satisfy her, as she thinks I know all about it. She has a dread that Fort Sumter may blow up just at the time we are passing by - as the batter/s are now playing upon it, & some one told her that when the fort surrendered a slow match would be left to blow up the magazine. Today she handed me her card with a request that I would write to her to Warren when she should return in one month. We have as passengers Mr. Appleton, democratic member of Congress from Massachusetts - and Mr. Baily (editor of the Boston Herald) with his lady - Mr. B. - is a South Carolinian - we have been for hours off the harbor witnesses of the bombardment but alas! Too late for our ship to get in that we may participate. We discovered at day light yesterday that the fight had commenced - The scare & the excitement it creates with all of us on board is indescribable. I have left the deck to try to reconcile myself to circumstances. Gladly would I have landed on Morris Island with three others could I have got a boat but the captain would not listen to it. In sight, & detained the honor of participating all because our ship was unnecessarily delayed in N. York beyond her usual day of sailing. Nine o'clock today the fort is on fire from the shells of the batteries. Eleven o'clock the old once honored stars & stripes have disappeared by fire never again to wave over the ramparts of Fort Sumter. The fort has been one dense smoke for hours still the lower tier of cannon flash away and the batteries pour in to her in rapid sucession - At twelve the firing has ceased, and we can discern with the glass the Confederate flag gaily floating from all the ships in the Harbor.  Soon the same flag will wave over Sumter. We can't get in till tomorrow morning. Nine o'clock as the tide recesses too late this afternoon. Yesterday the Harriet Lane headed for us & fired a cannon across our bow for the ship to lay too. The Captain obeyed the summons. The Lane steamed around us with all the men beat to quarters, with port holes open & bristling cannon, looking quite warlike & dangerous. This maneuver on the part of the officers evinced great coolness & courage to sail around an unarmed vessel instead of going to the assistance of their brethren. But it certainly show much discretion - she did go near enough over to get a shot from one of the batteries which made her steam away like a quarter horse without taking time to return the compliment though armed to the teeth, and commanded by half a dozen nice brave officers all in their new clothes & nice swords belted on - how very brave. They hailed us, what ship, where from, & where to - All which the nice gentlemen knew before -I wish I had been commander with only one thirty two pounder armed ship. I would have blown Miss Lane out of the water. The ships of war belonging to the perjured government lay off the harbor manned by brave officers & fierce soldiers, with abundance of all the munitions of war - with small rifle cannon & barges for taking men on shore for attacking the rebels reinforcing Fort Sumter. But strange to say they do not make the first attempt.

The ships keep at a very respectable distance giving heed to the old saying that discretion is the better part of valor - There is evidently something lacking - as General Floyd would say they have not got the silk - that means the heart, The ships are the Frigate Powhatan, one other large steam ship arrived today with troops, the brig Dolphin, Harriet Lane & transport ship Atlantic - Today Sunday, we have arrived. Fort Sumter is deeply indented with hundreds of bullet holes. No less than three hundred shells exploded in & upon the Fort when the flag of the Fort came down & white flag of truce went up. Wigfall with a small boat went off to it raising his sword with a white handkerchief attached to it as a flag of truce he was admitted. - He demanded the presence of Major Anderson - informing him that he as one of the aids of the commander in chief Gen Beauregard was empowered to demand an unconditional surrender of Fort Sumter. Maj. Anderson wished to be permitted to go on board the Fleet outside the harbor - Wigfall informed him that Gen B. - would prescribe all the conditions & make them known to him next day - today, as yet we do not know what is decided upon only that they continue as prisoners in the Fort as rats caught in their own trap. Most wonderful of all after a continual fire of over thirty hours not one man has been killed at the batteries - Tomorrow I shall call on the Surgeon General & soon learn my destination. My health is perfect - And I am ready for duty - I hope you have heard from Louis. I can write no more today. There is too much excitement around me & in me. Do write my love to Georgie, Villette & Willoughby & man from your ever affectionate brother

Edward S. Aldrich