Fine Books and Manuscripts

Manuscript telegram, sent from South Carolina, April 13, 1861, from General Pierre G.T. Beauregard to Hon. L.P. Walker in Secretary of War, Montgomery, Alabama. The telegram states: "Officers quarters in Sumter burning. Part of roof supposed to have fallen in. Sumter firing at long intervals. Ours regular and effective. Six vessels outside, in signals with Sumter." Likely the received copy made by the telegrapher in Montgomery, and very possibly the clerical copy delivered to L.P. Walker. Confederate troops, led by Gen. Beauregard, opened fire on Fort Sumter at 4:30am on April 12 against Union troops who had taken the Fort and refused surrender. Following a barrage of shelling, implied above, lasting 34 hours, the Union troops surrendered to Beauregard and his men, making the Battle of Fort Sumter the Confederacy's first success. On lined paper, split at the center crease 2/3 of the way through; loss to center of sheet; tape repair to verso.