All the rich planters were there.

Society had never been more brilliant than during those tense weeks on the eve of men knew not what.

But the Charlestonians were sure of one fact, the most important of all, that everything was going well.

Texas had joined the great group of the South, and while the border states still hung back, they would surely join.
Harry found that the batteries and earthworks had increased in size and number, forming a formidable circle about the black mass of Sumter, above which the defiant flag still swung in the wind.

The guards were distributed among the batteries, but St.Clair, Langdon, and Harry remained together.