Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-01-17

that no change would be made ~ the mil
itary arrangements at Charleston, gives the
agreement aud his understanding of it,
and then quotes an order issued by the
Secretary Of War, on the 18th of Dcccm-
Der, to Major Anderson, but not brought to
his notice until the 2lst 1t is as follows:
Memoranda Of Te,bqI Instructions to Na
.jor anderson Isl A.f:HsTy, CommaR9inq
Fort Nouitrie. South Carolina
You are aware of the great anxiety Of tie
Secretary Of War that a collision Of the troops
with the people Of the State shall be avoided
and of his studied determination to pursue
a course with reference to the military force
and furts in this harbor which shall guard
against such a collision. lie has, therefore,
carefully abstained from increasing the force
at this point, or taking any measures which
might add to the pgeecnt excited state Of the
public mind or which would throw any
doubt On the confidence lie feels that South
Carolina will not attempt by violence to ob
tain possession Of the public works or inter-
fere with their occupancy
But as the counsel and acts Of rash and i'm
pulsive persons may possibly disappoint these
expectations Of the Government, he deems it
proper that you should be prepared with in.
struciions to meet so unhappy contingency.
lie has, therefore, directed ME verbally to
give you such Instructions
You are carefully to avoid every act which
would needlessly tend to provoke aggression,
and for that reason you are not, without ne.
cessity, to take up any position which could
be construed into the assumption Of hostile
attitude; but you are to hold possession Of
the forts In this harbor, and if attacked you
are to defend yourself to the last extremity.
The smallness of your force will not per
nit you, perhaps, to occupy more than one of
the three forts, but an attack on, or attempt
to take possession Of either Of them, will be
regarded as an act Of hostility, and you may
then put your command into either of them
which you may deem most proper to increase
its power Of resistance. You are also author
jzed to take similar steps 1cheRerer you hare
tGRqj5Ie eUjdeRce of design 10 proceed to a
hostile act D. P. BUTLER,
Assistant Adiutant General.
Fort Moultrie, S. c., Dec IL, 1860
This is in conformity to my instructions to
Major Buell.. JOHN B. FLOYD.
Secretary of War.
1t is certainly questionable whether the
last sentence of these instructions did not
fully authorize Major Anderson to change
his position, for, by all the accounts from
Charleston which have reached us, there
seems little doubt that he had an abun-
dance Of tangible evidence of design to
capture Fort Sumter or attack Fort Moul
trie, when threats indicatire of such pur-
pose were daily resounding through the
streets, and when the Convention was dis
cussing plans for their seizure However,
Mr.. Buchanan argues in his letter that
Major Anderson acted entirely upon his
own responsibility, and without authority
and that his first promptings were to order
him to return to his original position But
the intelligence that Castle Pinckuey and
Fort Moultrie had been seized by the South
Carolina authorities, and the Palmetto
flag hoisted over them, as well as over the
custom house and post office, Immediately
changed this determination. He concludes
as follows:
" 1t is under all these circumstances that |
am urged Immediately to withdraw the troops
from the harbor of Charleston, and l am in
formed that negotiation is impossible This
/ cannot do; this 10U not do Such an idea
was never thought of by me in any possible
contingency. No such allusion had been
| made in any communication between myself
| and any human being. But the inference is
! that am bound to withdraw the troops from
the only fort remaining in possession Of the
/ United States In the harbor Of Charleston,
because the officer there in command of all
the forts, thought proper without instrnc-
! tions to change his position from one Of them
to another.
8 At this point of writing have received
information, by telegraph, from Capt Hum.
phreys, in command of the Arsenal at Charles
ton, that it has to day Sunday, 30th) been
taken by force Of arms. 1t is estimated that
the munitions of war belonging to the United
States, in this arsenal, are worth half a mil
lion of dollars.
Comment is needless. After this infor-
nation, ! have only to add that whilst it is
my duty to defend Fort Sumter, as a portion
OF the public property Of the United States,
against hostile attacks from whatever quarter
they may come, by such means as | may pos
sess tOR this purpose, | do not perceive how
such defence can be construed into men,
ace against the city of Charleston.
With great personal regard. remain
yours, &c, JAMES BUCHANAN.
To Honorable Robert W. Barnwell, J.
FL. Adams, j. L. Orr
The Commissioners replied to this letter
under date of January l, 1861, and they
bitterly upraid him for an alleged change
IN his policy. The tone of this extraordi-
nary document may be inferred from the
following extracts. Referring to his course
several weeks ago, they say:
= Seeing very clearly that this question of
property was difficult and delicate one, you
manifested desire to settle it without a col
lision. You did not reinforce the garrison in