Major Anderson, Commander of Fort Sumter

 

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January 12, 1861 Harper's Weekly

Other Pages From this Edition of Harper's Weekly

Major Anderson in Harper's Weekly |

Seizure of Southern Forts, and Beginning of Hostilities |  News of Loyal Union States |  Major Anderson's Command at Fort Moultrie |  Major Anderson Enters Fort Sumter |  Major Anderson Enters Ft. Sumter (Cont.)

In order to allow you to see the major events of the Civil War unfold just as the people living at the time, we present original Harper's Weekly articles in their entirety.  Below we present the cover leaf of the January 12, 1861 edition of Harper's Weekly.  We have digitized an image of the original leaf, and have converted it to readable text.  We acquired the original, 140 year old newspaper for the purpose of permanently archiving it on this WEB site.  If you would like to acquire the original 140 year old leaf used to create this page, we are making it available to you for a price of $175. Your purchase of this piece allows us to continue to expand the resources on this site.  For more information contact paul@sonofthesouth.net

 

 

VOL. V.—No. 211.]

[PRICE FIVE CENTS.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the Year 1861, by Harper & Brothers, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York.


NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1861.

The Great Southern Movement.

THE Publishers of HARPER'S WEEKLY beg to draw attention to the following list of Illustrations of the PENDING REVOLUTION, which have been published in HARPER'S WEEKLY within the past few weeks:

In this Number,

A PORTRAIT OF MAJOR ANDERSON ;

THE ENTRY INTO FORT SUMTER ;

THE OCCUPATION OF CASTLE PINCKNEY BY THE CHARLESTONIANS ;

SEVERAL PICTURES OF FORT MOULTRIE.

In last Number,

THE GEORGIA DELEGATION IN CONGRESS.

In previous Numbers,

A MAP AND PROFILE VIEW OF THE HARBOR OF CHARLESTON, SHOWING THE FORTS, ETC. ; THE CHARLESTON DELEGATION IN CONGRESS ; THE CHARLESTON MARINE SCHOOL, FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS;

 

THE STATE HOUSE AT COLUMBIA ;

THE GRAVE OF OCEO, LA;

FORT SUMTER, FROM  SULLIVAN'S ISLAND; PALMETTO - TREE AND

OLD CUSTOM-HOUSE AT CHARLESTON; THE OLD POWDER MAGAZINE ;

THE PALMETTO FLAG  AND COCKADE;

TOMB OF JOHN C. CALHOUN;

FORT MOULTRIE — CHARLESTON IN THE DISTANCE.

The Publishers have the pleasure of announcing that in No. 204 (Nov. 24) of Harper's Weekly a new Novel by CHARLES DICKENS, entitled

Great Expectations,

was commenced. Mr. DICKENS'S Story will be richly illustrated by JOHN McLENAN, Esq.

It is printed from the Manuscript and proof-sheets of the Author.

- Any person who remits FOUR DOLLARS to the Publishers will receive both Harper's Magazine and Harper's Weekly for one year, and will thus provide himself with the best reading of the day, published in a beautiful and attractive style, far a very small sum of money.

- Harper's Weekly will be sent gratuitously for one month—as a specimen—to any one who applies for it.

Specimen Numbers of the Magazine will also be sent gratuitously.

TERMS OF HARPER'S WEEKLY

1 Copy for 20 Weeks, $1

1 Copy for One Year, $2.50

1 Copy for Two Years, $4.00

5 Copies for One Year, $9.00

12 Copies for One Year, $20.00

25 Copies for One Year, $40.00

An Extra Copy will be allowed for every Club of TWELVE SUBSCRIBERS.

MAJOR ANDERSON, U.S.A., COMMANDING AT FORT SUMTER.

WE are indebted to Mrs. Anderson, wife of Major Anderson, for the likeness from which the accompanying portrait of that gallant officer has been copied. It may be safely said that he, above all other men, is in every one's thoughts and conversation at the present time.

Major Anderson is a Kentuckian; he was born in that State in September, 1805. At the age of fifteen he entered the Military Academy at West Point, and graduated in 1825. He joined the army with the rank of Second-Lieutenant of the Second and subsequently of the Third Artillery. In 1832 he was Inspector-General of the Illinois Volunteers, in the Black Hawk War; Mr. Lincoln, the President-elect being a captain of those volunteers. In 1833 he received his commission as First-Lieutenant, and became Instructor and Inspector at West Point. This post he held for four years, during which period he collected the material for his work on Artillery, the standard text-book on the subject.

In 1838, for gallantry in the Florida War, he was made Brevet-Captain, and soon afterward joined General Scott's military family as aid-de-camp. The relations of Major Anderson with the gallant old chief were so friendly and agreeable that one can well imagine the interest felt by the latter in the Major's present movements. In October, 1841, so slow is promotion in our army, Anderson received his commission as captain in his regiment.

In March, 1847, he was with the Third Regiment of Artillery in the army of General Scott, and took part in the siege of Vera Cruz—being one of the officers to whom was entrusted, by General Bank head, the command of the batteries. This duty he performed with signal skill and gallantry, and he continued with the army until its triumphal entry into the city of Mexico, in September following. During the operations in the valley of Mexico, he was attached to the brigade of General Garland, which formed a part of General Worth's division. In the attack on El Molino del Rey, on the 8th of September, where he was wounded very severely, his conduct was the theme of especial praise on the

part of his superior officers. Captain Burke, his immediate commander, in his dispatch of September 9, says : " Captain Robert Anderson (acting field-officer) behaved with great heroism on this occasion. Even after receiving a severe and painful wound, he continued at the head of the column, regardless of pain and self-preservation, and setting a handsome example to his men of coolness, energy, and courage." General Garland speaks of him as being, with "some few others, the very first to enter the strong position of El Molino;" and adds, that "Brevet-Major Buchanan, Fourth Infantry, Captain Anderson, Third Artillery, and Lieutenant Sedgwick, Second Artillery, appear to have been particularly distinguished for their gallant defense of the captured works." In addition to this testimony to his bearing on that occasion we have that of General Worth, who particularly directed the attention of the Commander-in-Chief to the part he had taken in the action. " For gallant and meritorious conduct in the Battle of Molino del Rey" he was promoted to the brevet rank of Major, dating from September 8, 1847. October 5, 1857, he was promoted to the position of Major of the First Artillery, which he now holds.

All last summer Major Anderson was occupied as a member of the Commission appointed to inspect the United States Military Academy at West Point —a Commission, by-the-way, whose report singularly confirms certain strictures passed on the diet of the cadets in this journal last summer. It was only six weeks ago that he took the command at Fort Moultrie.

Of Major Anderson's physique a writer, who seems to know him well, says:

"In personal appearance he is about five feet nine inches in height; his figure is well-set and soldierly; his hair is thin and turning to iron gray; his complexion swarthy; his eye dark and intelligent; his nose prominent and well formed. A stranger would read in his air and appearance determination and an exaction of what was due to him. In intercourse he is very courteous, and his rich voice and abundant gesticulations go well together. He is always agreeable and gentlemanly, firm and dignified."

It is universally conceded by all who know Major Anderson, that he is a man who will die at his post rather than surrender. The following letter, written by him on Christmas Day to a friend in Baltimore, shows that he is as modest as he is brave:

"FORT MOULTRIE, S. C., December 25.

"- -, Esq., Baltimore:

"DEAR SIR,—I thank you for the trouble you were kind enough to take in correcting some of the rumors about me. You are right in the opinion that I could not, and would not, say any thing contradictory of them. My plan always has been to try to do my duty honestly and fully; and to trust that, in the good sense of justice of the people, they would give me credit for good intentions, even if my judgment should turn out not to have been good.

" I must confess that I regret that the papers are making so much of my position here. I do not deserve the least credit for what I am doing—nothing more than any one else would do in my position — and, perhaps, not half so well as many others would do. I receive, nearly by every mail, letters of sympathy, and many of them from strangers. (Continuation of Major Anderson biography on Next Page)

MAJOR ANDERSON, U.S.A., COMMANDING AT FORT SUMTER, S. C. - [FROM A PORTRAIT IN THE POSSESSION OF MRS, ANDERSON.]

Picture
 
 

 

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