At the outbreak of the war, Stephen Lee was a Captain and Aide-de-Camp in the Provisional Confederate States Army
These dispatches were compiled with primary source materials from The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Chapter 1)
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CONTENTS
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(US Maj) Robert Anderson
- At the outbreak of the war, Robert Anderson was a Major in the United States Army commanding two half-full companies of United States Artillery troops
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From Lee:
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| April 12, 1861 - Colonel James Chesnut / Captain Stephen Lee to Major Robert Anderson
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 Click for full-sized scanned image Reports of Major Robert Anderson, 1st U.S. Artillery, of the bombardment and evacuation of Fort Sumter.
5.]
FORT SUMTER, S.C.,
April 12, 1861-3.20 a.m.
SIR: By authority of Brigadier-General Beauregard, commanding the Provisional Forces of the Confederate States, we have the honor to notify you that he will open the fire of his batteries on Fort Sumter in one hour from this time.
We have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JAMES CHESNUT, JR.,
Aide-de-Camp.
STEPHEN D. LEE,
Captain, C.S. Army, Aide-de-Camp.
to Major ROBERT ANDERSON,
U.S. Army, Commanding Fort Sumter.
(To view this page in its Source Category, click HERE)
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(CS AAG) David Jones
- At the outbreak of the war, David Jones was a Major and Assistant Adjutant General in the Provisional Confederate States Army
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From Lee:
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| April 11, 1861 - James Chesnut (Jr.) et al to Major D.R. Jones
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 Click for full-sized scanned image Joint reports of James Chestnut (Jr.), Lieutenant Colonel A.R. Chisolm, Captain S.D. Lee, and Messrs. John L. Manning, William Porcher Miles, and Roger A. Pryor, aides-de-camp
HEADQUARTERS PROVISIONAL FORCES, C.S.A.,
Charleston, S.C.,
April 11, 1861.
SIR: In obedience to the orders of Brigadier-General Beauregard, we left headquarters at 2.20 p. m., charged with a communication from him to Major Anderson, at Fort Sumter, in which we were authorized to demand the evacuation of the fort. We arrived there at 3.45 p. m., under a white flag. Lieutenant Davis, the officer of the day, received us very politely, and on being informed that we had a message in writing for Major Anderson which we desired to deliver in person to the officer in command of the fort, conducted us into the presence of Major Anderson. We were welcomed by the major with great courtesy, who, after receiving and reading our communication, left us to consult with his officers. About 4.30 he again joined us, bringing his reply, the contents of which he stated to us, after which, and but a short time before departing, we held a short conversation with him, in the course of which he made the following remarks: "Gentlemen, if you do not batter the fort to pieces about us, we shall be starved out in a few days." These words, under the circumstances, seemed to have much significance, and to be of sufficient importance to induce us to report them particularly. We took leave of Major Anderson and the fort at 4.40 p. m., and reached the city at 5.10 p. m. We verbally reported immediately at headquarters the substance of what is written above.
All of which is respectfully submitted for the information of the brigadier-general commanding.
JAMES CHESTNUT, JR.,
Aide-de-Camp.
STEPHEN D. LEE,
Captain C.S. Army, Aide-de-Camp.
A.R. CHISOLM,
Lieutenant-Colonel and Aide-de-Camp.
to Major D.R. JONES,
Adjutant-General of the Provisional Forces, C.S.A., Charleston, S.C.
(To view this page in its Source Category, click HERE)
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| April 12, 1861 - James Chesnut (Jr.) et al to Major D.R. Jones
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 Click for full-sized scanned image Joint reports of James Chestnut (Jr.), Lieutenant Colonel A.R. Chisolm, Captain S.D. Lee, and Messrs. John L. Manning, William Porcher Miles, and Roger A. Pryor, aides-de-camp
HEADQUARTERS PROVISIONAL FORCES,
Charleston, S.C.,
April 12, 1861.
SIR: We have the honor to submit the following report of our movements and action:
After leaving the brigadier-general commanding last night, at 11 o'clock p. m., in obedience to orders we repaired with the second communication to Major Anderson, at Fort Sumter. This communication was based on the telegram from Honorable L. P. Walker, expressing a desire not to injure the fort unnecessarily, and wishing to make another effort to avoid any useless effusion of blood. We reached fort Sumter at 12.45 a. m., delivered the communication, and received Major Anderson's reply at 3.15 a. m. He expressed his willingness to evacuate the fort on the 15th instant at noon, if provided with the necessary means of transportation, if he should not receive prior to that time contradictory instructions from his Government or additional supplies, and that he would not in the mean time open his fire upon our forces unless compelled to do so by some hostile act against his fort or the flag of his Government by the forces under General Beauregard's command,d or by any portion of them,or by the perpetration of some act showing a hostile intention on our part against this fort or the flag it bears. His reply. which was shown to us, plainly indicated that if instructions should be received contrary to his purpose to evacuate, or if he should received supplies, or if the Confederate troops should fire on hostile troops of the United States, or upon transports covered by his flag, although containing men, munitions, and supplies intended for him, and designing hostile operations against us, he would still feel himself bound to fire upon us, and at liberty not to evacuate Fort Sumter.
These terms being manifestly futile of ar as we were concerned, placing us rather at a great disadvantage, and not within the cope of the instructions verbally given us, we promptly refused them and declined to enter into any such arrangements. Under these circumstances, pursuing our instructions, we notified him at once in writing that our batteries would open fire upon him within an hour from that time, which would be at 4.20. We then proceeded at once to Fort Johnson, which we reached at 4 a. m., and to Captain George S. James, commanding at that post, gave the order to open fire at the time indicated. His first shell was field at 4.30 a. m., the other batteries generally opening at 4.45 a. m. We were delayed at Fort Sumter longer than we expected, and we think longer than was necessary to decide upon the communication we received, and so indicated to Major Anderson; but this delay we could not avoid. Immediately upon leaving Fort Johnson we reported to General Beauregard, at his office, about daylight.
All of which is respectfully submitted for the information of the brigadier-general commanding.
JAS. CHESTNUT, JR.,
Aide-de-Camp.
STEPHEN D. LEE,
Captain, C.S. Army, Aide-de-Camp.
to Major D. R. JONES,
Adjutant-General of Provisional Forces, Charleston, S.C.
(To view this page in its Source Category, click HERE)
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| April 15, 1861 - Stephen D. Lee et al to Major D.R. Jones
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 Click for full-sized scanned image  Click for full-sized scanned image Joint reports of James Chestnut (Jr.), Lieutenant Colonel A.R. Chisolm, Captain S.D. Lee, and Messrs. John L. Manning, William Porcher Miles, and Roger A. Pryor, aides-de-camp
HEADQUARTERS PROVISIONAL ARMY, C.S.A.,
Charleston,
April 15, 1861.
SIR: We have the honor to submit the following report of our visit to Fort Sumter on the 13th instant:
Informed about 1 o'clock that no flag was waving over Fort Sumter, General Beauregard detached us immediately to proceeded to the fort and say to Major Anderson that his flag going down and his quarters in flames we were sent to inquire if he needed any assistance. When about half-way from the city to Fort Sumter we observed that the United States flag had been raised again. At once we determined to go back to the city, but had not proceeded far in return when, discovering a white flag floating form the ramparts of Sumter, we again directed our course to the fort. On landing we were conducted to the presence of Major Anderson, whom we informed that in consequence of the conflagration in the fort we had been sent by General Beauregard to inquire if he needed assistance. Major Anderson replied: "Present my compliments to General Beauregard, and salt o him I thank him for his kindness, but need no assistance." Continuing, the major said: "Gentlemen, do I understand you have come direct from General Beauregard?" We replied int he affirmative. "Why," returned Major Anderson, "Colonel Wigfall has just been here as an aide to and by authority of General Beauregard, and proposed the same terms of evacuation offered on the 11th instant." We informed him we had just left General Beauregard in the city, and had come in obedience to his orders, charged with the message just delivered. The major expressed regret for the misunderstanding,and repeated that he had understood Colonel Wigfall to say he was direct from General Beauregard, and as one his aides was authorized to propose terms of evacuation. We then inquired if he would reduce to writing the terms proposed by Colonel Wigfall. To which the major replied, certainly he would. Major Anderson then declared than he would immediately run up his flag; that he regretted it had ever been taken down, and that i would not have been lowered if he had not understood Colonel Wigfall to come directly from General Beauregard to treat. We requested that, under the peculiar circumstances, he would not raise his flag until we could communicate to General Beauregard the terms of evacuation with which he had furnished us; he assented to the proposition, and we left the fort.
STEPHEN D. LEE,
Captain, C.S. Army.
ROGER A. PRYOR,
WM. PORCHER MILES,
Aides-de-Camp.
to Major D.R. JONES,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Provisional Forces, C.S.A.
(To view this page in its Source Category, click HERE for Part 1 and HERE for Part 2)
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