Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-11-13
Ex"PresIdenL Buchanan,s RepIv TO
General Scott.

| y
General Scott.
[0oncuded.1
] " Bat we now come OF an important period
"nen dates Will be essentially Necessary to dis
entangle the statement of General Scott, The
Soutn C9roftna Commi sioners were appointed
on the 23t, and arrived in WashIuR Rton on the
9th December. The day after their arrival 4
was announced that M6ior Anderson had re.
moved from Fort Moulirie 10 Fort Sumter
This rendered them furious. On the same day
they addressed an angry letter TO the Pfesiden,
demanding the surrender OF Fort Sumter. The
President answered this letter on tho 30.h De.
cemoer by peremptory refusal. This brough,
lorth reply from the Commissioners on the 81
January, 1901, of euch sn insulting char.
acteF that the President instantly returned
IL 20 them With the following Endorsement:
"IhB paper just presented to the President,
is of such character that be declines to re
| ceive it," From that time forward all friendly.
political, and personal Intercourse ceased be.
tween the revolutionary Senators and the Pres.
ident, and he was severely attacked by them
10 the Senate, and especially by Mr.. Jefferson
Davis. Indeed, their intercourse had previous
y been OF the c0ldest character ever since the
President's anti Secession message at the COM
nencement of the session Of Congress.
Under these changed circumstances, General
Scott, by note oD Sunday, the 30th December,
addressed the following inquiry to the Presi.
dent:
Will the President permit General Scott, without
reference TO the War Department. and otherwise as 90.
crety as possible to send two hundred and tv recrnit,
from New York harbor to reinforce Fort
with some extra musketB or rifles ammunition and aub.
sisence! III hoped that sloopof and cutter may
Dc ordered FOR the same purpose "to.morrow.''
The General seems not to have then known
that Mr.. Floyd was out of office.
Never did request meet a more promp,
compliance 1t was received on Sunday even.
inE' december 3Ush On Monday morning
gave instructions to the War and Navy Depart
ment5, and on Monday evening General Scott
came TO congratulate me that the Secretaries
had Issued the necessary orders to the army and
navy officers; and that they we're in his posses
sion. The Brooklyn, with troops, military
stores, and provisions, was to sail forthwith
tom Fortress Monroe for Fort Sumter. l am,
therefore, utterly at loss to imagine why the
General, In his statement, should have asserted
that "the South Carolina Commissioners had
already been many days in Washington and no
movement OF defense (on the part of the Unit
ed Statee) was permitted These Commission
eEs arrived In Washington on the 9th Decem.
ber; Gen. Scot:'s request was made 10 the
President on the Both IL was complied with
on the 3lst, and single day is ell that repre-
sents the "many days" Of the General.
Again, General Scott asserts, in the face of
these facts, that the President refused 10 allow
any attempt to be made-to reinforce For,
Sumter because no was holding negotiations
with the South Carolina Commissioners. And
still again, that "sfteraard Secretary Holt
and myself endeayored, in vain, to obtain o
ehip-ot-Wa for the purpose, and we're finally
i In MI q o.
of Vest" Will it be believed that the substi.
tuition Of the "Stsr OF West' for the powerful
war steamer Brooklyn, of which he nov COM
plains, was by the advice of General Scott him.
self2 have never heard this doubted until I
road the statement.
At the interview already referred to between
the General and myself, on the evening of Mon
day, the 3lst OF December, / suggested to him
that, although | had not received the South
Carolina Commissioners in their official capsc.
ity, but merely as private gentlemen, yet 1t
| might be considered an improper act to send
the Brooklyn with relnforoemeuts to Fort Sum-
ter until had received an answer from them
to my letter of the preceding day; that the de.
lay could not continue more than forty -eght
hours. He promptly concurred in this sugges.
tion as gcntlemanly and proper, and the orders
we're not transmitted to the Brooklyn on that
evening. My anticipations we're correct, for on
the morning of the Cd of January | received
their inaolent note, and sent II back to them
In the meantime, however, the General had
become convinced, by the representations of
gentleman whom l forbesr 10 name, that the
better plan, as the Secretaries of War and the
Navy informed me, to secure secrecy and sue
GEES, and reach the fort, would be to send fast
side wheel mercantile steamer from New York
with the reinforcements. Accordingly the
Star of the West" was selected for this duty.
The substitution Of this mercantile steamer for
she Brooklyn, which would have been able to
defend herself in case Of attack, was reluctant
ly yielded ny me to the high military judgment
Of General Scott.
The change OF programme required briet
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, a
telegram was dispatched by Gen. Scott to
countermand her departure; bu: 1t did not
reach Its destination until after sho had gone
to sea. The reason for this countermapd shall
be stated in the language of Secretary Holt, ia
be found In letter addressed by him TO Mr.
Thompson, the late Secretary of the Interior
on the 9th March, 1861, and published In the
National Inteli9sRceT. MIR. Holt says:
| The countermsnd spoken of (by Mr.. Thompson) wa
not more cordially sanctioned the President than wa
by General Scott apd myse not because cf any issen
from the order the part Of the President but because
Of letter received that day from Major Anderson stat
ing In effect that he regarded himself In his po
sidon and yet mure, from Intelligence which late OF
saturday evening 18th January 1851 reached the Depart
ment that heavy battery had been erected among th
sand hills, at the entrance Of the Charleston bsbor
which would probably destroy any unarmed vessel Zane
such the Star of the WesD which might attempt t.
make Its way to Fort Sumter. This important nforma
on satisfied the Government that there was presen
necessity forsending and that when sent
they should go, not in vessel Of commerce. but Of war
Hence tn counermand was dispatched by telegraph Il
New York. but the vessel had sailed short time befor
treached the officer Co. scot to whom II address
I ed.
A statement of these facts, established BY
dates, proves oonclusively that the President
was not only willing but anxious in the briefes
period to reinforce Fort Sumter.
On the 4.h Of January, the day before tht
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 Fort Jefferson, Tortugss Island, which
reached these poinst In time for their security
He nevertheless speculates on the consequences
which might have followed had the reinforce
ments not reached their. destination In cue time
aud even expresses the extraordinary opinion
that, with the possession Of these foFts,l lsstht
rebels might have purchased an early recogni
ton" -r. -
shall next advert to the statement that th,
expedition under Captain Ward "of three O
four small steamers belonging to the Coas
Survey, was kept back by something like
truce or armistice made herel, embracing