Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-04-04
The Forts.

already acquainted our readers with the
fact that President Davis has issued re-
QUESTION for 5000 troops; liz: 1000 from
Louisiana; 1900 from Mississippi; 1,50C
from Alabama; and 1000 from Georgia
The destination of these troops is Pensacols,
and the object to take Fort Pickens, if it is
not surrendered under the demand of the
Government of the Confederate States A
number of the troops from Mississippi and
Louisiana have by this time arrived at Pen
sacola, and the others are on their way OF
under marching orders. President Davis,
in this instance, is acting with his usual
promptness and sagacity, and in Gen. Bragg,
now in command of that station, he has one
of the most energetic and accomplished of.
6cers in the armies of either of the Confed.
eracies.
The reinforcement of Fort Pickens seems
to have been settled upon by the Lincoln
Government. A special dispatch from
Washington, in Thursdays New York Tri'
6une, says: -
"Orders were sent by special meSsen'
ger on the 18th inst. to land the 400 troops
on board the Brooklyn at Fort Pickens.-
AS the mail communication with that point
is entirely cut off, no information has been
received by the Government concerning
their execution. The telegraph is in the
hands of secessionists, upon all matters Of
this sort. therefore, the return of the mes.
senger must be awaited, or intelligence be
received through the local newspapers.
sit is not disguised that some apprehen-
sion is entertained here of a possible attack
by the revolutionary army now encamped
before Fort Pickens, under command of
Gen. Bragg, though wiser counsels are
hoped.
"The Government does not regard this
movement as reinforcement, and if treated
as such by the secession leaders, they must
take the consequences. No hostile demon.
stration is designed, and no attempt will be
made to retake.. the other forts and Navy
Yard, which were obtained by the most in.
famous t-eachery.
"In transferring these troops from sloop-
of-war which has been stationed at Pen
sacola for two months, the Secretary of War
intended to protect Fort Pickens against
surprise or surrender, and if their landing
! is resisted, re.enforcements will be imme.
diately thrown there, be the consequences
what they may"
The military sagacity of President Davis
was never better exempli6ed than in this
movement. Fort Pickens is one of the
most important Notifications Cd the South
ern coast, and be foresaw that the United
States would at all hazards attemptto re-
tain possession of it. Since he sent Gen.
Bragg there it has been in state of close
seige, and we have little doubt but that he
is ready to stake the consequences" of re-
sisting the landing of these 400 troops.
About Fort Sumter and Major Ander
son, we find the following dispatch in the
Tribune:
"The assignment of Major Anderson to
the Western Department of the Recruiting
Service, after the 30th of June next has no
reference to his present position at Fort
Sumter, and no significance as to the inten.
tion of the government concerning his with
drawal from there. The field officers for
this duty are detailed every second year
under the supervision of the commanding
general. If there be any good reason why
they should be employed elsewhere, others
are substituted. In this particular case, if
Major Anderson should be relieved from
Fort Sumter, he will assume the recruiting
duty, but the arrangement does not neces
sarily presuppose that he is to be called
from that post 1t is merely contingent
upon the relief. All the speculations,
therefore, which has been predicated upon
this abstract fact are erroneous, for it is very
well known here that it was mere matter
of routine, of which the Secretary of War
had no knowledge until his attention was
called to it to-day"
This is an ingenious, if not very plausi-
BILE, excuse for Withdrawing Major Ander.
son.
In relation to Lannon's mission to Ander-
son, the Tribune says:
"Col. Lamon returned yesterday to
Washington from Fort Sumter. He re-
ports favorably upon the condition Of the
garrison, but is fully satisfied that reinforce
ments cannot be introduced without seri
Gus collision, and that the attempt to intro
duce them would be of doubtful success
with the force now at the command of the
Administration. He describes the military
preparations Of the rebels as of great mag
nitude, and very skillfully made. After
the reports of Capt Fox and Col. Lamon,
the President would seem to have no alter
native but to withdraw Major Anderson.
The Generalship of President Davis, and
the energetic measures of his officers, Gen.
erals Bragg and Beauregard, will doubtless
place both these important fortresses in the
possession of the Confederate States.
A correspondent of the Columbus Times
gives us the following details of the opera
tions at the Florida Forts:
"Col. Bragg is now very busily engaged
in erecting batteries upon the main land op-
posite Fort Pickeus, upon which the Colum-
biads 10 Fort McRee are to be mounted
Three ten-inch Columbiads are already in
position, and it is hoped by another week
to have ten more ready for an attack. 1t
is very we'll known that Fort McRee would
be tenable but short time in case fire
should be opened upon it from Pickens,