Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1862-12-03

/ 10 carry hinsaA Rnd his eeaaand 10 hsw
| York. a military Necessity for capt.
ulation may have existed ir case there
shoald be an attack upon the furt, or a
demand Tor It's ausTsndeE, bat sassly none
such could have existed for its voluntary
surrender and abandonment. -.st.,.
| Probably that to which the Generas
means 70 refer was not the quasi, bat the
actual truce of azms soaeiadad ss Char
lsston On the / lth January, 1856, ! between
Gov. Picksns and Maj Anderson, without
the knowledge Of the Pgesidept.' 1t was
90 the 9th January, that the Star Of the
VEST under the American Sag, was ired
upon in the harbor Of ChaEleston, By or
der Of Cor. pickens. Immediately after
this outrage Maj. Anderson sent . dag TO
tho Governor, that ha presumed the act
had beea unauthorized, and for ahas rea-
son be had not apened fire from FL. Sain-
ter on the adjacent batteries; but deman-
ding its disavowal, and, il this were not
ssnt In area@onabie time, be would con-
slider il war, and FIRE on sny vessel that
attempted TO leaVs the harboT. Two days
after this occurrence on the llth Janua~
Fy, Cor. Piekens had the audseity to de-
maud of Maj. Anderson, the surrender Of
tho fort. La his answer of the same date
the Major made the following proposition
"Should your Excslleney deem Rt, pre-
vious 70 resort 10 arms, to refer this
matter 10 Washington, it would afford me
the aineeFssS pleasure to depute one Of my
officers to accompany any messenger you
may deem proper to be the bearer Of your
demand" This proposition was prompt
ly accepted by the Governor, and, in pur-
suance thereof, be SAINT Oh his part Hon.
]. w. Hayne, the Attorney General Of
South Carolina, to Washington, whilR
Maj. Anderson deputed Lieut.. Hall, Of
the U. S. Army, TO accompany him. These
gentlemen arrived together In Washing-
ton On ths evening Of the l3ah January,
when the President obtained the Erst lu-
telligenee of the transaction. Bat it will
be recoliected that no time interv vened be-
tween the return of the Star of the West,
to New York and the arrival of tbs meas
eagsr bearing copy Of the trace NJ Wash
ingtan, within whien it would havs been
poasibls TO ssnd reanforeensnta to Port
SumptaF. Both events occurred about abe
same tame. .s4 as al gel. ts.s' -
Thas truce, or Suspension OF arms,
vas concluded between the parties to
continue aRtil the question Of thssaFren.
der Of the fort should be decided by she
President. Until this decision Major An
dsxson had placed it out Of his own pow
er to ask for reinforcements, aud equally
out of the power Of the Government to
send them without a violation Of pnblic
faith. This was what the writers on pub
lie Law denominate 'ss partial truce un-
der which hostiiisies ara suspended only
in certain places, as between town and
the army hesieging it." IL ia posi-
bic that the President, under the laws of
war, might have aunalied this truce, up
ca due notice to the opposite party; bat
neither General Scott nor any other paE
son ever suggested this sKpedient. This
would have been to cast a reflection on
Major Andersen, who, beyond question,
acted from the highest and puress motives.
Did General SCOTT ever propose TO violate
this truce during its existsneeP ? II he
did, am not now, and never was, aware
Of the fact. Indeed, | think he would
have been one Of shs last IA en in the world
to propose such measure.
Col. Hayne did not deliver tha letter
which be bore from Governor PIckens,
den anding the surrender Of the fort, TO
the President until shs 3IsE of January
The documents containing the reasons for
this sorrying delay were communicated
to Congress in special message of the
sth February, TO which refer the reader.
On the 5th Of February, tae Secretary of
War; under the instructions of the PrGsi-
dent, gave = perenptory refusal to this
demand In an able and comprehensive let
ter, reviewing the whole subject, explain
ing and iustifying the cendues Of the
President throughout. It's concluding
senteace is both eloquent and emphatic ::
''If (says Mr. Holt, with all thu mul-
tiplied proofs which exist Of the Preai-
dents an xiaty for peace, and of the earn
| estness With which be has pursued it, the
authorities of that State shall assault Fort
Sumpter aud imperil the lives Of she hand
fuI Of brave and loyal men shat up with
in its walls, and thus plunge our country
into the horrors of civil. war, then upon
them and those they represent must rest
the responsibility" -.
| The trace WIS then ended, and General
Scott is incorrect 10 stating s'that it last
| ed to the end of that Administration"
An expedition was quietly fitted out At
New York, under the supervision OF Gen.
Scott, to be ready Tor any contingency
| He arranged It's details, and regarded the
reinforoements thus provided rs sufficient.
| This was ready to sail for Fort Sumpter
On five hoursa notice. 1t is Of this sxpe-
aisioa shat General Scott thus spsaks !:
"At that time, when this the tgueel
had passed away, Secretaries Holt and
Toucey, Capt. Ward, Of the navy, aud
| fuysagf, with the knowledge Of the Presi-
dent, settled upon the employmsns. under
tbs Captain, of three or four steam srs be-
longing to the Coast Survey, bat he was
kept back By ths truea." ..s
| 4 strange inconsistency. The truce
had expired with Mr. Holt's letter TO Col.
uaYne on tha 5th Of February, and Gen,
| Scott, in his statement, says sit would
have been easy to reinforce this fort down
| to about tho 18th of February" Why
| then, did not the rainforoemsnsa proceed
This was simply because OF eoamaniea.
| sions from Major Anderson. II wss mest
| fortunate that tAey did not not proceed
| because the three or four small steamers
which were to bear them would asvea
/ hare reached the fort, and In the atsaapi
| must have been captured or destroyed -
The vast inadequacy of the force provid.
/ I'd TO accomplish the object was demon.
strassd by information reesived from Ma.
! ior Anderson at the War DeparemeaIs oz
| The last day of the Administration.
| | purposely forbeaS at the present t.
j say more on this subject, least | might
| however uninfentionally, do injustice u
one or more Of tbs parties eoneernsis Il
consequence Of the breyity required p.
the nature Of this communicasion. Th'
/ facts Felaaing 10 II, with the proper 70
compliments, have been fully prsaaates
In a histerica! review, prepared yea