The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1861-01-17

subject, I refer you to an order issued by
the Secretary of War, on the 1lth inst, to
Major Anderson, but not brought to my
notice until the 21st inst. 1t is as fol-
lows:
"lNemorand'ama of Verbal Instructions to
Mgor anderson 1st AatiHery, Com
maandiag Fort MoMtte, South Caro-
Ina:
"You are aware of the great axiety of
the Secretary of War that collision of
the troops with the people of this State
shall be avoided, and Of his studied de-
termination to pursue a course with ref
erence to the military force and forts in
this harbor which shall guard against such
collision. He has, therefore, carefully
abstained from increasing the force at this
point, ortaking any measures which might
add to the present excited state of the
public mind, or which would throw any
doubt on the confidence he feels that South
Carolina will not attempt by violence to
obtain possession of the public works or
interfere with their occupancy.
''But as the counsel and acts OF rash
and impulsive persons may possibly dlsap-
point these expectations of the Govern
mcnt, he deems it proper that you should
be prepared, with instructions, to meet so
unhappy contingency. He has, there
fore, directed me verbally to give You
such instructions.
"You are carefully to avoid every act
which would ueedlcssly tend to provoke
aggression, and for that reason you are
not. without necessity, to take up any po-
sition which could be construed into the
assumption of a hostile attitude; but you
are to hold possession Of the forts i'll this
harbor, and if attacked you are to defend
yourself to the last extremity.
sThe smalness Of your force will not
permit YOU, perhaps, to occupy more than
one of the three forts, but an attack OH,
or attempt to take possession of either OF
them, will be regarded as an act OF hos
tility, and you may then put your COM
mand into either of them which you may
deem most proper, to increase its power
of resistance. You are also authorized to
take similar steps whenever you have tan
oible evidence of design to proceed to
= hostile act. d. B. BUTLER,
".Assistant Adjutant-Gcnsral.
"FoRr MorLTRlE, S. c., Dec. II, 1850"
This is in conformity my instructions to
Major Buell..
JOHN B. FLOYD,
Secretary of War"
These were the last instructions trans
mitted to Naior Anderson before his re-
mova to Fort Sumter, with Il single ex-
ccption, in regard to Il particular which
does not in amy degree affect the present
question. Under these circumstances, it
is clear tat Major Anderson acted upon
his own responsibility and without All
thority, unless, indeed, he had ''tangiblc
evidence of design to proceed to a hos
tile act'' on the part Of the authorities of
South Carolina, which has not been al
legged. Still he is Il brave and honorable
officer, and justice requires that he should
not be condemed without a fair hearing.
Be this as it may, when learned that
Major Anderson had left Fort Moultrie
and proceeded to Fort Sumter, my first
promptings were to command him to re-
turn to his former position, and there to
await the contingencies presented i'll his
instructions. This would only have been
done, with amy degree of safety to the
command, by the concurrence of the South
Carolina authorities. But before any steps
could possibly have been taken in this di-
rection, we received information that the
"Palmctto flag f1oated out to the breeze
at Castle Pincbney, and Il large military
force went over last night Qhe 27th) to
Fort Moultrie.'
Thus, the authorities of South Carolina,
without waiting or asking for any expla-
nations, and, doubtless, believing as You
have expressed it, that the officer had
acted not only without, but against my
orders, on the very next day after the
night when the removal was made, seized
by Il military. force, two Of the three Fed
eral forts in the harbor Of Charleston, and
have covered them under their own flag,
instead of that Of the United States. At
this gloomy period of our history, start
ling events succeed each other rapidly.
On the very day, the eth instant, that
possession of these two forts was taken,
the Palmetto flag was raised over the
Federal Custom House and. Postofice in
Charleston and on the same day every
officer of the Customs-Collector, Naval
Officer, Surveyor and appraiser-resigned
their offices. And this, although it was
well known from the language of my
NJ 4I,4 90 or Tyooufivo of1,oor 7