Mrs.
Robert Anderson was aghast when she learned that her husband and his men, who
had taken refuge in Fort Sumter, were likely to be starved into submission.
During
the Mexican War she had come to have great confidence in Sgt. Peter Hart, who
later left the U.S. Army in order to join the police force of New York City. At
Mrs. Anderson’s persuasion, Hart quit his job and accompanied her to
Charleston. There he manages to get permission to join the civil work force
inside Fort Sumter.
One
of the most dramatic incidents for defenders of the fort came when a hail of
Confederate hot shot set fire to wooden barracks. At the height of danger it
was the sergeant-turned-policeman who took the lead in extinguishing the fire
that threatened to engulf the installation.
Peter
Hart nails the flag to the temporary flagstaff.
