Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-01-17

Having carefully examined the report made
by Capt McGoWan, of the steamship Star Of
ths West in relation to bis recent unsuccess-
ful attempt to reach Fort Sumpter with rein
forcements Of men and munitions I'VE are
compelled to regard the failure of his mis-
sion as mainly attributable to want of firm
ness and loss Of judgmfnt in himself at the
critical moment. Had he obeyed the instruc-
tions given him by the eharterers Of the ship
had he not utterly lost his presence ofmind
under the practically harmless fire of the
Cummings Point Battery,-Major Andeson
would, long ere this, have had two hundred
additional men under his command, and all
the supplies needed for standing protracted
siege. We speak on information which we
regard as perfectly reliable, and propose to
direct public attention to some few of the
salient errors in Capt. McGowan's course.
The Star Of the Vest, on arriving opposite
Cummings Point where fire was opened up
on her, had cleared all the difficult passages
Of the channel leading into Charleston har-
bor The Captain had orders, if fred upon,
to hoist the flag of the United States and also
ReVeHus flag, which latter would have an
nounce1 to Major Anderson that the vessel
was employed by the Federal Government,
and claimed the protection of Fort Sumter.
He had also orders, if nothing better could
be done, to beach the vessel as near Fort
Sumter as possible, launch the boat, allow the
soldiers to show themselves, and make bold
push for the fort under such protection as the
guns Of Major Anderson were Rbundantly
able to extend had the officer in command
of Sumter known the errand Of the vessel
and the character of her cargo. That the
Captain knew such to be his orders and in
tended, at the outset to obey them, is evi-
denced from the fact Of his having had all
the munitions, &C. brought on deck, and the
boats Of the ship cleared away for launching
before entering the harbor. But with the
first gun fired at his vessel, as itcame nearly
abreast of Cummings Point his presence of
mind seems to baye deserted him, and his
previous orders to have been forgotten.
According to his own account, he was but
two miles from Fort Sumter, the same dis
tance from Fort Moultrie, and little over
half mile from the twO-gun battery on
| Cummings Point when the first shot was
fred from the last-named battery across his
bow. He is very minute in describing how
near each ball came to striking the ship
several of hem 'passing clear over her. one
| VI sAAOAa WAA9NAAh DOENSGA bAAo nAADA-obiAeA
and walking-beams of the engine;" another
striking the ship 'just abaft the fore rigging"
but doing no damage that very few dollars
would not repair; while another Of the
harmless missiles, we are told, ''came within
an ace Of carrying away the rudder." Never
theless, and in spite Of all these threatening
demonstrations, the Star Of the Wsst Capt.
MCGOWAN tells US, held on her course for
"oyer ten minutes, which must have brought
her to within less than mile of Fort Sum-
ter; but not then, did the Commander of the
transport vessel think of hosting the Rev
enue Flag to announce that his vessel was
employed in the service of the Federal Gov
ernmentl
On the contrary, Capt. McGowan, took
this particular moment for wheeling his yes
sci round-not that he might obey his orders
by running her ashore as near to Fort Sum-
ter as possible,-but then he might
steam back past the harmless battery
on Cummings Point and get out to sea agair
as soon as possiblsl His excuse Is that a
steamer was approaching him g with ar
armed schooner in toW'-The stolen Revenue
schooner Aiken of sixty tons burden, mount
ing one swivel cannonade; and that h'
would have had to approach Fort Moultri'
TO within three-quarters Of a mile before b
could "keep away for Fort Sumter in tht
regular etannel. So Capt MCGOWAN, IN or
. der ITO avoid certain capture or destruction,
laboriously and slowly wore the vessel roun
and stood out 70 sea, having again to ruI
the gauntlet of the two guns mounteC
amongst the sand bills at Cummings Point.
Without the loss of a man, or the receip
of q single telling shot from any quar-
ter, this steamer, with the American ensigI
flying at her masthead, and with two hun
,, dred American soldiers "stowed away in he
coal-bunkers,3 fed ignominiously out o
Charleston harbOr without having made an
serious attempt to obey the orders given b.
her chsrterers-without having displayed tn
revenue flag TO announce her character Il
: Mai. AndersoR-without having allowed th
q two hundred soldiers to appear on deck
q where they could readily have been seen b,
! the telescopes on the lookout at Fort Sum
o ter-and without any attempt having bee
q made to run the vessel straight Cor the poin
n Of her destination, even at the cost Of beach
: ing her, and then trusting 10 the boats 70
= She transportation Of the soldiers cAd proTiE
1 ions Never It appears to rs, has q noble ds
: sign found more unfit commander and
Is mainly out Of charity, and e the 0nl