taken possession of by the
Confederate forces. On the 12th of April, Fort Sumter, at Charleston,
S. C., was fired upon, and after two days' bombardment by the rebels,
commanded by General Beauregard, the garrison, comprising seventy
United States Regulars, commanded by Major Robert Anderson,
surrendered the fort. Meanwhile the National Capital at Washington
was in danger, and on the 15th of April Abraham Lincoln issued his
proclamation, calling for seventy-five thousand troops for the
defence of the city of Washington.

Governor Sprague, of Rhode Island, tendered the services of one
regiment of Infantry, and one battery of Light Artillery, which being
accepted by the Secretary of War, the Governor at once sent a
telegram to Colonel George W. Tew, commanding the Newport Artillery
company, asking how many men of his command would go to Washington
for the defence of the Capital. Colonel Tew replied that he would go,
with fifty men. April 16th, Colonel Tew received another telegram
from the Governor, directing him to recruit his company to one
hundred, and to report at Providence, armed and equipped, upon
receipt of orders. At that time the Newport Artillery were as well
equipped as any company in the State. They were armed with the latest
improved Springfield rifles. They had just purchased, at their own
expense, fifty artillery sabres of the latest French pattern. They
had likewise, the year preceding, had made to their order new
military overcoats, which no other company in the State was at that
time provided with. These overcoats and sabres were afterwards
purchased of them by the State of Rhode Island, and were used for
equipping the 1st Battery.

On April 16th Colonel Tew called a meeting of the company, and after
reading the telegrams received from the Governor that day, made a
patriotic speech, and was followed by Mayor Cranston, who was
present. Colonel Tew then requested those of the company that would
volunteer to go to Washington, to step to the front, when
thirty-three of the thirty-nine active members of the company
responded. A call was then made for volunteers to fill up the company
to the required number of one hundred men, and in a very short time
there were more men applied than could be taken.

That evening the company paraded through the streets of the city, to
the inspiriting music of a fife and drum, and were dismissed at 10 P.
M., to meet again on the receipt of orders from Providence, to be
ann