New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-10-22

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to church. '"W
forbid moments delay aud II misled BY zeal be hon..
the Presidents forgiveness. -p"@
the War Department and otherwise a. sscrety s,'euss
to send 80 recruits from New harbor TO rssaorcs
Sumter, together with some extra muskets naes suma
"t, hoped that sloop-owsr and cutter may b srd,
Cen s s. vii wait upon the Prssds !. an,
may be called for"
The South Carolina Commissioners had alre,ds
been many days in Washington, and no moyemsnt
of defense ION the part of the United Statssl v,s
permitted.
will here close my notice Of Fort Sumter b.
quoting from some Of my previous reports.
| 1t would have been easy TO reinforce this fort
down to about the 18th Of February. In this lous
delay Fort Moulirie Lad been le-armed and greatly
strengthened in every way by the Rebels. MANI
powerful new land batteries beside formidsbI.
raft have been constructed Hulks, too have bee,
sunk in the principal channel so as to render accea
to Fort Sumter from the sea impracticabIs withou
first carrying all the lower batteries Of the Secession
lists. The difficulty Of reinforcing has thus been
increased ten or twelve fold. First, the late Prea.
dent refused 10 allow any attempt to be made becauss
lie was holding negotiations with the South Carolina
Commissioners.
Afterward Secretary Holt and myself endeavored.
in win, to obtain ship Of war for the purpose, and
were finally obliged to employ the passenger-tsamsr
Star of tho West" That vessel, but for the hest.
tation Of the master might, as is generally believed,
have delivered at the fort the men aud Subsistence
on board. This attempt at succor failing, l next,
verbally submitted to the late Cabinet either that
succor be sent by shps-ofwar, fighting their way By
the batteries increasing In strength daily, or that
Major Anderson should be left to amcliorate bic Goa.
dition by the muzzes Of bis guns-tbat is, enforcing
supplies BY bombardment and by bringing 10 msr.
chant vessels helping himself giving orders for pay.
ment), or, finally, be allowed to evacuate the fost,
which, in tina. case, would be inevitable.
But, before any resolution was taken, the late
Secretary Of tie Navy making difficulties about tho
want of suitable war vessels, another CommissiohSf
from South Carolina arrived, causing further delay.
When this had passed away Secretaries Holt and
Toucey, Capt. Wsrd Of the Navy, and myself-wih
tic knowledge Of the President buchanan settled
upon the employment, under the Captain lwho wa
eager for the expedition, of three or four small
steamers belonging to the Coast Survey. At that
line late in January have but little doabt Capt.
Ward would have reached Fort Sumter with all hi
vessels. But be wac KEEP. back by something hsSA
truce OF armistice made berel, embracing Charles
ton and Pensacola harbors agreed upon between The
late President and certain principal seceden II
South Carolina, Florida, louisiana &c., and thh
truce lasted to the end Of that Administration.
That Plan and all others, without squadron II
war ships and considerable srmy-cOmpetsnt 10
take and hold the many foTmidable batteries below
Fort Sumter, and before the exhaustion Of ts sub
ss,enee- having been pronounced, from the change
Of circumstances, imprac,icab.e by Maj. Anderson.
Capt Foster Chief Engineer) and all the other OH.
GERS of the fort, as we'll as by Brig. Gen. Tottsu
Chief Of the Corps Of Engineers; and concurring 10
that opinion did not hesitate to advise March IL
tba, Maj Anderson be instructed to evacuats The
fort, 90 long calamity held by him and bis COM
panons, Immediately on procuring suitable transpor.
ta.ion to take them to New.York. His relative
weakness had steadily Increased in the last eighteen
days.
II was not till Jan. (when the first Commission.
ers from SJGth Carolina withdrew that the permis.
sion had solicited Oct 81 obtained to admonish
commanders Of the few Southern forts with garrif
sons to be on the alert against surprises and sudden
assaults. Maj. Anderson was not among the ad'
monished being already straitly beeaguered.l
January $40 Lieut.. Senmer, commanding ID
Pensacola Harbor:
The 0eneralin Chief directs that you take measure.
d. the utmost IN your TO prevent the seizure Of ethes
OF the forts In Peusscos abor by surprise assault c,
suliias Art with the Commander OF the SavyYMd who VIZ
probably have received instructions cooperate with yea
This order was ssued BY Aide-de Camp Lsy)
II was just before the surrender Of the Pensacos
Navy-Yard Jan. l2) that Lieut. Semmer, calling
upon Com. Armstrong, obtained the aid Of some "
common seamen or laborers but no marines, which,
added to bis Is soldiers, made up his numbers to -
men, with whom this mertorious officer has since
held Fort Pickens and performed. working night
and day. an immense amount Of labor in mounting
guns, keeping up a strong guard, &C., &c.
Early in January renewed as has been seen.
my solicitations to be allowed to reinforce Fort
Pickens but good deal Of time was lost in vaca.
lions. First, the President Thought il no move
ment is made by the United States, Fort McRle will
probably not be occupied nor Fort Pickens attacked.
In case OF movements by tho United States, which
will doubtless be made known by the wires, there
will be corresponding local movements and the at
tempt to reenfofce will be useless Quotation
from note made by Aide-de Camp Lay, about Jan.
H., Of the Presidents reply to a message from me)
Next, it was doubted whether il would DO safe 70
send reeaforcements in an unarned steamer, and tue
want as usual, Of q suitable naval vessel-shs
Brooklyn being long held in reserve at NOf0lk for
some purpose unknown to NE. Finally, after l had
kept a body Of 200 recruits IN Nsw.Yoik Harbos
ready for some tme-and they would have been
Sufficient to reinforce temporarily Fort piekens aud
to occupy Fort McRse also-the Presiden', atoas
Jan. Is, permitted that the slooP-of.war Brooklyn
,bond have a single company, 30 men, from Fort
N pad. and reinforce Lieut.. Meme