nel Davis displayed great gallantry at the storming of Monterey and
at the battle at Buena Vista, and on his return home was immediately
elected to the United States Senate, in which he served 1847-51 and
1857-61. From 1853 to 1857 he was secretary of war under Pierce. He was
one of the Southern leaders, and had already been mentioned as a
candidate for the presidency. He resigned his seat in the United States
Senate in January, 1861, upon the secession of his State, and, being
elected Provisional President of the Southern Confederacy February 9th,
was inaugurated February 18th. In the following year he and Stephens
were regularly elected President and Vice-President respectively, and
were inaugurated on the 18th of the month.

INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

President-elect Lincoln left his home in Springfield, Illinois, on the
11th of February for Washington. He stopped at various points on the
route, and addressed multitudes that had gathered to see and hear him. A
plot was formed to assassinate him in Baltimore, but it was defeated by
the vigilance of the officers attending Lincoln, who took him through
the city on an earlier train than was expected. General Scott had the
capital so well protected by troops that no disturbance took place
during the inauguration.

BOMBARDMENT OF FORT SUMTER.

The Confederate government sent General Beauregard to assume charge of
the defenses in Charleston harbor. Finding the fort was being furnished
with supplies, he telegraphed to his government for instructions. He was
ordered to enforce the evacuation. Beauregard demanded the surrender of
the fort, and, being refused by Major Anderson, he opened fire, early on
the morning of April 12th, from nineteen batteries. Major Anderson had a
garrison of 79 soldiers and 30 laborers who helped serve the guns. He
allowed the men to eat breakfast before replying. In a few hours the
supply of cartridges gave out, and blankets and other material were used
as substitutes. The garrison were kept within the bomb-proof galleries,
and did not serve the guns on the open parapets, two of which had been
dismounted by the fire from the Confederate batteries, which after a
time set fire to the officers' barracks. The flames were extinguished,
but broke out several times. The smoke became so smothering that the
men could breathe only by lying flat on their faces. Finally the
position became so untenable that Anderson ran up the white flag in
tok