The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1861-01-10
MESSAGE NO. lOF GOV. PICKENS.
To the Members of the Senate and
House of ReDreSentdtiUeS.

10 the 4lemOerS OF tHe Sehdte dIt@
House of Representatives.
The events that have recently transpir-
ed in the harbor of Charleston, make 1t
proper that I should communicate the
General facts in relation to the same. 1t
was distinctly understood that those who
had the right to pledge the faith OF the
TTnitcd States Government on the one
part and those who had similar right
on the part of this State, had agreed that
after the Act of Secession there should be
no change in the forces within its keep
inc at the forts in the harbor, nor should
there be any increase Of the United States
forces until after the Commissioners ap-
pointed by the Convention should present
themselves at Washington and lay before
the President of the United States the
Ordinance of Secession and the PROPOSE
ton to negotiate for the delivery of the
posts and for the State to account for al!
public property on just and equitable
principles. All this is admitted and sta
ted by the late Secretary Of War, Gov.
Floyd, in his letter OF resignation, which
has been published.
Pending this solemn pledge, during the
night of the Goth of December last, the
commandant of Fort Moultric suddenly,
without notice, evacuated that fort and
with nearly every effective man under
his command, and transferred the garri-
son over to Fort Sumter, the strongest
position commanding the harbor, and to
a great extent Fort Moultric itself. He
not only did this, but actually burned the
carriages of most Of the heavy guns in
effective position, and spiked all the guns
and injured the public property in other
respects. The fort was cnvclopcd in
smoke and flames. When this was
known in the early morning to the good
people of Charleston, they were thrown
into great excitement. [ sent off an Aid
de-Camp to the fort to know by what au-
thority the commandant had acted and
to require that the commandant should
return back to Fort Moultrie, as the Gov
ernment of the United States was pledged
to keep all its forces as they were in the
different forts. The reply of Major An
derson was that he did not know any
thing of such pledge, and acted on his
own responsibility, with view to pre-
vent the effusion of blood, and declined to
return. Immediately ordered the occu-
patton of Castle Pincllney and Sullivan's
Island, and if it could be done in safety,
after All examination as to the reported
undermining, then Fort Moultric itself
should be occupied.
In the orders issued, it was expressly
stated that these occupations were made
with view to prevent the further de-
struction of the public property and to Sc
cure the public safety, if possible. The
officer taking possession Of Castle Pinck-
ney stated that if it had not been done
the public property in that fort would
have been destroyed, as was done in Fort
Moultric. The Arsenal, containing the
arms of the United States, in the city,
was moro recently taken possession OF, to
prevent any premature collision, and for
safe-kccping, in the present excited state
of the public mind. All the steps which
have been taken have been taken from
necessity, and with q view to give sccuri-
ty and safety in the present condition of
the country.
The Convention has, by its Ordinance,
withdrawn the State from the Federal
Union, and, by consequence, imposed up
on the Executive the duty of endeavor-
ing to sustain the rights of the State ::
and in this emergency, [ confidently rely
upon the Legislature to sustain the Exc
cutivc in all proper measures.
f. w. PICKENS.
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