Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-11-19
REPLY OF GEN SCOTT TO MR.. BUCHANAN.
To The Editors of the National IsteIfisencer

the venerable eX-Frcsident Buchanan.
Recently (Oct. 2l) you published my official
report to President Lincoln, dated March 30,
! 1861, giving summary of my then recent
conneciicn with ourtprincipa Southern forts,
which, au sorry to perceive, has given Of
fence to the President. That result, pure
ly incidental, did not enter into my purpose in
drawing up the paper; but, on reflection.
suppose that, under the circumstances offence
was unavoidable. Let it be remembered that
| the new President had right to demand of
me-the immediate Commander of the Army
-how 1t happened that the incipient rebels
bad been allowed to seize several forts, and
| from the bad condition OF others, were Likely
| to gain possession of them also. Primarily
| the blame rested me; hence. to vindicate
| my sworn allegiance TO the Union and prOfes-
sional conduct. the report was submitted 10
| President Lincoln. at an early day, in his ad-
mnssiration, and recently TO the world.
| To thai short paper ex-President Buchanan
| publishes reply OF double the length in the
Infeiligencer OF the lst instant. My rejoinder.
| from necessity. if not taste, will be short, for
/ hold th e pen in rheumatic hand, and
without aid de-camp or amanaensis, and with
| out printed document aud my own official
papers. Unable, in my present condition, to
| make an analysis of the ex-President's long
| reply, 1 avail myself of substitute furnished
| by an accidental visitor, who has kindly mar
ked the few points which he thinks may re-
qure some slight notice at my hands.
| FTsf-To account for not having garrison
ed sufficiently the Southern tcrts named a.
| gainst anticipated treason and rebellion. Ac-
cordIng TO my recommendations, beginning
| October 18th, 1860; repeated the next day,
and again, more earnestly, on December 18th.
10Th, 2Sth and Both, the Ex-President says
| 'sThere were no available troops within reach.''
Now, although il is true that, with or with
out the ex-President's appreciation, theSecreta-
ry OF War had nearly denuded our whole cas-
tern seaboard of troops in order to augment
our forces in Texas and Utah, nevertheless
pointed out, at several of the above dates, the
six hundred recruits (about) which had in
the barbor of New York and at Carlisle Bar
racks, Pennsy lvaDia, nearly all organized into
TEMPORARY companies. and tolerably drilled
and diseiplned-qu equal to he purpose in
question-besides the five companies of regu-
lars near at ha2d, making about one thou
sand men, These disposable troops would
have given (say) two hundred men 10 the
twin forts Jackson and ST. Philip, below
New Orleans; an equal Number TO r ort Nor
gan, below Mobile a reinfoicement OF one
hundred men to Fort Pickens, Pensacola bar
Dor. and garrison of the like number 10 the
twin fort McRae; garrison OF one hundred
men to Fort Jefferson, Tortugas Island and the
same to Fort Pulaski. below Savannah, which.
like Forts Jackson, ST. Philip, Morgan, and
McRae, had not at the time soldier-ielying
about two hundred men Tor the twin forts,
Moltrie and Sumter, Charleston harbor, where
there were two weak companies, making less
than ninety men. Fortress Monroe had already
garrison of some eight companies, one or
two OF which might, in the earlier period Of
danger, have been spared till volunteers coBld |
have been obtained, notwithstanding printed |
handbil!s were everywhere posted in Eastern
Virginia by an eccentric character inviting |
recruits to take that most important work.
Now, | have nowhere said that either Of
those forts even with the re m iudi- |
Gated, would have a ioar garrison Certainly |
not. Ny proposition was TO put each in a
condition, as | expressly said, to guard against
surprise or coup demain, Gan of hand attack. |
one without full preparatiou.)
That these movements OF small detachmentS !
might easily have been made in November and |
December, 1860, and some Of them as late as
the following month, cannot be doubted. But |
the ex-Presideut sneers at my ssweek device, |
for saving the forts. He forgets what the |
gallant Anderson did, with handful OF men,
in Fort Sumter, and leaves out of the account |
what he might have done with like handful |
in Furt Moultrie, even without further aug
mentation of men to divide between the garri- |
sons. Twin forts, on the opposite sides of |
channel not only given cross fire On the |
head of an attack, but the strength OF each is
more than doubled by the aauking fire oil the |
other. The same remarks apply to the gallant
Lieutenant Semncr, with his handful of men,
In Fort Pickens. With what contempt might /
he not have looked upon erase or Bragg. in |
front of him. with varying masses of from two
thousand TO six Thousand men, if Fort Pickens
and its twin Fort McRae had had between
them only two hundred meni
l nave thus shown that small ga,risons
would at first have suficed for the other twins,
forts Jackson and ST. Phillip, also. My OBJ
ject was to the Union by any means at |
hand, all those works. until Congress could |
have time to authorize call for volunteers
a call which the President, for such purpose
might, doubt, have made without any spe-
cial legislation, with the full appreciation Of
every loyal man in the Union.
Second-rhe Ex-President almost loses his |
amiability in having his neglect Of the forts
attributed. as he says, s.without the least cause,
to the influence of Gov. Floyd" And he
adds. s.ail of my cabinet must bear me witness
that | was the President myself, RESPONSE
BILE for all the acts of the administration
Now, notwithstanding this broad assumption
of responsibility, l shoa Id be sorry to believe |
that Mr.. Buchanan consented to the removal
by Secretary Floyd, of lis thousand extra
muskets and rifles, with all their implements
and ammunition, fir IN their Northern reposi-
tories TO Southern arsenals So that on the
breaking out of the maturing rebellion they
might be found without COST except to the
United States, in the most convenient posi-
lions Tor distribution among the insurgents.
So also Of the one hundred and forty pieces of
artillery which the same Secretary ordered
from Pittsburgh to Ship Island, in Lake
Borgne, and Gavesi on, Texas, for forts not
yet erected. Accidentally learning, early in
March, that under this posthumous order the
shipment of these guns had commenced, |
communicated the fact to Sec'y "a olt ,actingiror
Secretary Cameron. just in time to defeat the
robb-ry But on this point we may hear ex-
Secretary Floyd himself. At Richmond. he
expressly claimed the honor OF defeating all
my plans and solici,atonsrespecting the forts,