The steamer which carried us from Charleston to John’s island wharf had to run at night.  Indeed every move the Confederates made about there near the close of the war had to be made at night because the Yankees on gunboats outside the channel and those on Morris island kept so close a watch it was very dangerous to convey us from John’s island wharf to Fort Sumter because the oars dipping into the salt water at night made sparks like fire, and thus the Yankees on Morris island were able to see us.  Indeed their shots oftentimes took effect.

Many of the negroes were killed.  Of the fifteen from our plantation, one boy of about my age was struck by a parrot shell while climbing from the boat into the fort.  We were told of the perils we were to meet, both before and after we reached our destination.  For one of the most disheartening things was the sad report of the survivors of those whose places we were to fill.  As the rowboats left them on John’s island wharf and as we were about to embark they told us of the great danger to which we would be exposed,—­of the liability of some of us being killed before we reached the fort, which proved true, and of how fast their comrades were killed in Fort Sumter.  A number, it was said, died from fright before reaching Sumter.

THE OFFICERS AND QUARTERS.

The officers who were then in command of the fort were Capt.  J.C.  Mitchell and Major John Johnson.  The name of the overseer in charge of the negroes in the fort was Deburgh,—­whether that was his right name I can not say.

Deburgh was a foreigner by birth.  He was one of the most cruel men I ever knew.  As he and his atrocious deeds will come up later in this history, I will say no more of him here.

CONDITION OF THE FORT.

Fort Sumter, which previous to this, had not only been silenced by the Union forces, but also partly demolished, had but one gun mounted on it, on the west side.  That cannon we used to call the “Sundown Gun,” because it was fired every evening as the sun went down,—­as well as at sunrise.  On this west side the Confederate officers and soldiers were sheltered in the bomb-proof safe during bombardment.  On the east side of the fort, facing Morris island, opposite Fort Wagner, there was another apartment called the “Rat-hole” in which we negroes were quartered.

WHAT THE NEGROES DID IN FORT SUMTER.

Fort Sumter had been so badly damaged by the Union forces in 1863, that unless something had been done upon the top, the continued bombardment which it suffered up to the close of the war, would have rendered it uninhabitable.

The fort was being fired upon every five minutes with mortar and parrot shells by the Yankees from Morris Island.

The principal work of the negroes was to secure the top and other parts against the damage from the Union guns.