STAR OF THE WEST. At sunset 5 Jan. 1861, the merchant steam-vessel Star of the West sailed from New York to supply and re inforce Major Robert Anderson, at Fort Sum ter, Charleston Harbor. She was commanded by Capt. John McGowan, was unarmed, and car ried a large quantity of supplies for Anderson, as well as Lieut. C. R. Woods, United States army, with four officers and 200 artillery re cruits. She reached ;he outer bar of Charles ton Harbor before daylight 9 January and as the harbor lights were out. put out her own and groped in the dark until nearly daylight, when, guided by the light on Fort Sumter, she stood in. The South Carolina authorities had been notified of her coming by Secretary Thompson of President Buchanan's Cabinet, and a vecsel was lying off the main channel watching for her, and when she was seen gave signal-lights of warning to the Confederates on Morris Island, and then ran up the harbor, the Star of the West following, as soon as it was light. and stea-n up the main channel for Fort Sumter. She flew the United States ensign at the fore and went on without interruption until within one and three-quarters miles of Forts Sumter and Moultrie, when she was fired upon by a bat tery near the north end of Morris Island and about five-eighths mile distant. She ran up a garrison flag, to which no attention was paid, save to increase the rapidity of the Con federate fire, which was kept up on her from Morris Island, with an occasional shot from Fort Moultrie. McGowan was powerless to de
fend himself, and no assistance came from the guns of Fort Sumter, as Major Anderson had not been notified of this expedition for his re lief. Therefore McGowan turned his vessel seaward after 17 shots had been fired at it, two of which had struck it, and returned to New York on 12 January. This firing on the flag of the United States was the first overt act in the Civil War. At the South there was great exul tation that the flag of the Union had been in sulted; at the North it produced but little ex citement. Consult 'Official Records' (Vol. 1).
Bulgaria (Turkish name ESKI-ZAGRA), a town in Eastern Rumelia, capital of the department of the same name, 45 miles south of Tirnova, at the foot hills of the Balkans. Rose oil is the town's principal indus try. It has also mineral springs and its com merce is helped by its location at the junction of the principal passes of the Balkan Range. In the neighborhood, in July 1877 the Russians were defeated by the Turks under the command of Suleiman Pasha. Pop. about 22,000.