Yankee Girl at Fort Sumter

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Girl at Fort Sumter, by Alice Turner Curtis

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Title: Yankee Girl at Fort Sumter
Author: Alice Turner Curtis
Release Date: May, 2004 [EBook #5696] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on August 9, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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A YANKEE GIRL AT FORT SUMTER
BY
ALICE TURNER CURTIS
AUTHOR OF The Little Maid's Historical Series, etc.
Illustrated by ISABEL W. CALEY
PHILADELPHIA 1920

INTRODUCTION
Sylvia Fulton, a little Boston girl, was staying with her father and mother in the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina, just before the opening of the Civil War. She had become deeply attached to her new friends, and their chivalrous kindness toward the little northern girl, as well as Sylvia's perilous adventure in Charleston Harbor, and the amusing efforts of the faithful negro girl to become like her young mistress, all tend to make this story one that every little girl will enjoy reading, and from which she will learn of far-off days and of the high ideals of southern honor and northern courage.
I. SYLVIA
II. A NEW FRIEND
III. SYLVIA IN TROUBLE
IV. AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
V. ESTRALLA AND ELINOR
VI. SYLVIA AT THE PLANTATION
VII. SYLVIA SEES A GHOST
VIII. A TWILIGHT TEA-PARTY
IX. TROUBLESOME WORDS
X. THE PALMETTO FLAG
XI. SYLVIA CARRIES A MESSAGE
XII. ESTRALLA HELPS
XIII. A HAPPY AFTERNOON
XIV. MR. ROBERT WAITE
XV. "WHERE IS SYLVIA?"
XVI. IN DANGER
XVII. A CHRISTMAS PRESENT
XVIII. GREAT NEWS
XIX. SYLVIA MAKES A PROMISE
XX. "TWO LITTLE DARKY GIRLS"
XXI. FORT SUMTER IS FIRED UPON
CHAPTER I
SYLVIA
"Your name is in a song, isn't it?" said Grace Waite, as she and her new playmate, Sylvia Fulton, walked down the pleasant street on their way to school.
"Is it? Can you sing the song?" questioned Sylvia eagerly, her blue eyes shining at what promised to be such a delightful discovery.
Grace nodded smilingly. She was a year older than Sylvia, nearly eleven years old, and felt that it was quite proper that she should be able to explain to Sylvia more about her name than Sylvia knew herself.
"It is something about 'spelling,'" she explained, and then sang, very softly:
"'Then to Sylvia let us sing, That Sylvia is spelling. She excels each mortal thing, Upon the dull earth dwelling.'
"I suppose it means she was the best speller," Grace said soberly.
"I think it is a lovely song," said Sylvia. "I'll tell my mother about it. I am so glad you told me, Grace."
Sylvia Fulton was ten years old, and had lived in Charleston, South Carolina, for the past year. Before that the Fultons had lived in Boston. Grace Waite lived in the house next to the one which Mr. Fulton had hired in the beautiful southern city, and the two little girls had become fast friends. They both attended Miss Patten's school. Usually Grace's black mammy, Esther, escorted them to and from Miss Patten's, but on this morning in early October they were allowed to go by themselves.
As they walked along they could look out across the blue harbor, and see sailing vessels and rowboats coming and going. In the distance were the three forts whose historic names were known to every child in Charleston. Grace never failed to point them out to the little northern girl, and to repeat their names:
"Castle Pinckney," she would say, pointing to the one nearest the city, and then to the long dark forts at the mouth of the harbor, "Fort Sumter, and Fort Moultrie."
"Don't stop to tell me the names of those old forts this morning," said Sylvia. "I know just as much about them now as you do. We shall be late if we don't hurry."
Miss Patten's house stood in a big garden which ran nearly to the water's edge. The schoolroom opened on each side to broad piazzas, and there was always the pleasant fragrance of flowers in the big airy room. Sylvia was sure that no one