The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-11-16

sioners.in their official capacity, but mere
ly as private gentlemen, yet 1t might |
be considered an improper act to send |
The Brooklyn with reinforcements TO Fort |
Sumter until | had received an answer |
from them to my letter of the preceding !
day that the delay could not continue |
more than forty eight hours, He prompt |
ly concurred in this suggestion as gem
tlemanly and proper, and the orders !
were not transmitted 10 the Brooklyn on |
that evening. My anticipations were
correct, for on the morning Of the I'd Of |
January ] received their insolent note |
and sent IL back 10 them. In the mean |
time, however, the General had become |
convinced, by the representations of a
gentleman whom forbear to name, that |
the better plan, as the Secretaries of War
and Navy informed me, TO secure secrecy
and success and reach the Fort, would
be 10 send fast side wheel mercantile
steamer from New York with the rein
forcement Accordingly the Star of the
West was selected for this duty. The
substitution of this mercantile steamer
for the Brooklyn, which would have been
able TO defend herself in case Of at
hhths W rs ltiuIAdhAil NlNihNh Wy NV w
the high military judgment Of General
Scot.
The change Of programme required a
brief space Of time, but the Star of the
West left New York for Charleston on
the evening Of the 9th of January. On
the very day, however, when this Inflated
steamer left New York, telegram was
despatched by General Scott TO Colonel
Scott to counl ermand her departure, but
it did not reach its destination until af
ter she had gone to sea. The reason for
hhis countermand shall he stated in the
language Of Secretary Holt, to be found
IN q letter addrcs sed by him TO Mr. Thomp-
son, the late Secretary Of the Interior, on
the 9TH OF March, 1861, and published in
the National LteIhgeacer. Mr.. Holt says
The cOuntermand spoken of (by Mr.
thompson was not more cordially sane
toned by ths President than it was by
General Scott and myself: not because
of any dissent from the order on the part
of the President. but because of letter
received that day from Major Anderson,
stating in effect, that he regarded himself
secure in his position; and yet more from
Intelligence which late on Saturday eve
ming 10Th January, 1861, reached the
Department that heavy battery had
been erected among the sand hills, at the
entrance 80 Charleston harbor which
would probably destroy any unarmed
vessel land such was the Star of the
NestN which might attempt TO make its
way TO Fort Sumter. This important
information satisfied the Government that
there was 10 present necessity for send
ing reinlOrccmeuts, and that when sent
thew should go, not in a vessel of COM
mcrcc. but Of war. Hence the counter
mand was despatched by telegraph to
New York; but the vessel had sailed a
short time before it reached the officer
(Col. Scott) TO whom il was addressed
4 statement Of these facts establish
ed by dates, proves conclusively that the
President was not only willing but anx-
ious in the brieIcsl period to reinforce
Fort Sumter.
On the 4th of January, the day before
the. departure of the Star of the West
from New York, as Gen Scott in his
statement admits, succor was sent to
Fort Taylor. Key West, and to Fort
jefferson, Tormgas Island, which reach
ed these points in time for their securi-
tv. He neverthe ess speculates on the
consequences which might have follow
ed had the reiniorcements not reached
their destination in due time; and even
expresses the extraordinary opinion that,
with the possession of these forts, "the
rebels might have purchased an early
recognition"
! shall next advert 10 the statement
that the expedition under Captain Ward,
'of three or four small steamers belong
ing 10 the Coast Survey" was kept back
nv something like truce or armisiice
Cmade here,) embracing Charleston and
Pensacola harbors, agreed upon between
Ihe late President and certain principal
scccders Of South Carolina, Florida,
Louisiana, &c. And this truce lasten to
The end of the Administration" Things
altogether distinct in their nature are Of
ten so blended in this statement that il
IA difficult 10 separate them. Such is
eminently the case in connecting the
facts relative TO Charleston with Pensa-
cola.
Having already treated of the charge
of having kept back reiniorcements from
Pensacola, shall now say something OF
the charge Of having also kept them
back from Charleston. Neither a truce,
nor quasi truce, nor anything like it, was
ever concluded between the President
and any human authority concerning
Charleston On the contrary, the South
Carolina Commissioners, first and last
and all the time, were informed that the
President could never surrender Fort
Sumter, nor deprive himself of the most
entirp liberty IA send rel nforcamenta IN
il whenever it was believed to be in
danger, or requested by Major Anderson,
Il is strange that General Scott was not
appraised Of this well known fact
II was then, with some establishment,
that learned from the statement of the
General that he had, on the 18th March,
1861, advised that Major Anderson should
eyacuate the fort as soon as suitable
transportation could be procured to carry
himself aud his command 10 New York