Thursday, April 7, 2016

Major Anderson Reports the Firing on the U.S.Schooner Rhoda H. Shannon on April 3, 1861

APRIL 4TH, 1861:  Report to Col. L. Thomas, Adj. Gen. U.S. Army.

Reporting "circumstances attending a firing, yesterday afternoon by the batteries on Morris Island at a schooner bearing our flag, bound from Boston to Savannah, which erroneously mistaking the light-house off this harbor for that of Tybee, and having failed to get a pilot, was entering the harbor"

"When the firing commenced some of my heaviest guns were concealed from their view by planking, and by the time the battery was ready the firing had ceased."

He decided not to fire back at the Confederate batteries "to resent this insult thus offered to the flag of my beloved country."

Major Anderson further wants all U.S. merchant vessels to be made aware of the situtaion in Charleston harbor.  Further, he believed the Confederate authorities were "certainly blamable for not having constantly vessels off to communicate instructions to those seeking entrance to this harbor."

--Old B-Runner

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