The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-11-10


WelEfoundad apprehensions were, however, en-
tertained at the time Of her departure that the
tnforcenents. with the vessels of war a: no Rrea
distance from Fort Pickens, could no: arrive In
time to defend 1t against tho impending attack
In this stNe o! suspense, and whilst Lieutenant
sie'nmar was tn extreme peril, Senators Siidell
Hunter, and Bigier received teisgrapiic dispatch
from Senator Mallory Of Florida, dated at Persa
cola. On the ssth January, with ths Urgent request
that they SHOULD lay II before the President Thi,
dispatch expressed An earnest ds.ire to maintain
the peace s4 we'll AZ this most positive assurance
that no att would be mad" on Fort Pickens II
the preseneVkssu sh mid bs preserved.
This proposal wsa carefully considered both with
view to the safety OF the fort AMI TO the uuhspp
effect which actual collision either nj that or any
other point might produce tho Psscs Convention
then sbout to assemble at Washington. The rosul,
was that Joint dispatch wan carefully prepared
by the Secretaries of WaT Gud Navy, acoapto@ tsla
proposal, with important modiacs'ons which pas
trSnsniittsd by telegraph the .9h Of Jsuua-Y tc
Lieut. slcmna ar and to the nssai commanders n.al
the station l. is 800 long for trans ,ripticr; snE
hcs It to sag, /. wss Carefully guard; d At eva y
point for the security OF the iort and Ia free com,
muuicston with Washington
The remit was highly fortunate. The Brooklyn
had long passage. Although ahe left Fortress
Monroe the 24sh Of January she did not arrive
ct ponsac,is until the 5th OF February. IN thu
meantime Fcrt Pickeas, with Lientsnaut S,ernmes
twEsss conduct deserves high commendstion) ) aud
his brave littis band placed BY vrtus of this
srrsGge1 1lsnt, T.. perfect sasurity uni an adequate
force bad arrived 10 jetsnd it sssinst shy stack.
ihs fort 10 stAi l. our possession. Vel might
General Scott have expressed hs sstisfaet:on With
this arrangement. The 9onerS, Was correct Ia the
suppoSion that this arrangement was to expire on
Tho termination Of she Peace Convention.
Y. Bas VIZ now como TO an important psri0t,
when d.ts3 will he essentially necesssry to iissn-
tangie the statement Of Gen. Scott. This South
Carolina Commissioners were appointed on the
3.d, ard sErived ia Washington on the 9Th Decem-
Der. Tbs day after their arrival i. was aEnounced
that Major Anderson he'd removed from Fort
Moultris to Fort Susete. This render rcd them
furious On the same dsy they addressed An angry
letter to the Preaident demanding the surrender OF
Fort Sumter. he President anSw sred this lstter
on she Goth December by r peremptocy refusal
This brought forth 6 reply from the Commission
ers on the I'd January, 1851, Of such au insulting
character that the PRECEDENT instantly returned II
to them with the following endo, sem.rt: This
paper. jlst presented - the President is sf such
character that he declines to reoeivs it, From
thai time forward all friendly political and ps--
sonsl intercourse finally ceased between ths r-vo
lutionsTy Senators and the Fresiien:, And hs was
severely attacked by them In tbs Hena.e, and es-
pecisily by Mr.. jefferson Davis. 1ndsed, thsir il.
tercourse bad previously been Of the coolest chs,
acter, ever since the Presidents sntisecession
message at ths commencement OF the ses-ioa of
Congress-
Under these charged clrcums ances, Gen Scott
by note, on Sunday, 3oil. December addressed the
following inq1iry to tae President
will the President permit Gen Scott, without
reference TO the Tsr Department and otherwise
as sscretly ss possble, to send $50 recruits from
New York harbor 10 reinforce Fort Sumter, toKe.
tnes with some extra muskets or rifles ammunition
and subsistence! IL is hoped thSt a slcop-of-wsr
And cister may be ordered for the sae,s purpose
to m5Tro|.'"
The General seems not to hsve than hnoxn that
Er Floyd wss ont OF oiice.
Never did q request meet 9 more prompt coplpIi
ance. 1t was received on Sunday evening Decen
ber 50th on Mo1dsy morning gave instruction.
TO The War ana Navy u partrnects and on Mon.
day evening Gen. Scott came to congratulate ms
that the Sec earles had issred tts necessary or.
ders to the army and navy officers, an that tn
were II his possession The Brooklyn with troops
military s,orss and provisions to sail forthwith
from Fortress Monroe TO Fort Sumter. an, there
fore utterly at Q lees 10 imagine why the Gsneral
In his statsnsnt, should have asserted that the
Soaih Carolina coiam.ssioDars had already bsen
many days in Washington, and no movement o. de-
fence Con tie Pat OF the United States) WAS per
United fhsse commissioners arrived in WASHING
ton CT ths 9th ot December Gen Scotts rsques.
wa5 made to tho President on the 30th. 1t wsx
compiled with on 3ist, Snd single day Is al that
represents the many days Of the General
Agal, Uan. Scott asE3rte II tho face of these
faci9 that the President refused to allow any at
tsnpt TO be maGs to reinforce Fort sumter be
csuse he w&s holding negotiation1 With the South
Carolina Commissioners. And still again. that 'af-
terwL.ds Secretary uol. and myself sndsav0red, In
van. to obtain aAip-of wsI for the purpose, and
were finally CT. ,sd 20 EMPLOY the passenger
steamer Star OF tue West" VIII 1t be believed
that the subgtiu.ion Of the Star Of the We g. for
the powerful steamer Brooklyn, OF which he now
complains, - by tLe advice of Ger Sect Hin.
seif7 cave neVoz hoard this .o;tsee: Until read
the statement.
81 the IntsTvtaVv a,iea6y referred 70 between The
Gsaer.l Gnd iIy5sif, On the evening Of Monday tbe
3l.t of Dscs snbor suggested bun tAat stb II gh
had not received The South Carolina Commission.
ers in thsir oicia. capacity, but merely private
gentlemen, yet II might bs eon1i!ered al improper
t1c st,aE
Eori Sumter until had received an gnswsc from
them 10 my letter Of tie pf e4d12 day; that the
delay could not eonstnae more tAsA forty els shs
hours Es promptly nclrrzd il this suggestion
e. ge1,amznly sad proper, AID tie crdera were
net traDsrlitei to the Broohlyn that uv5oing --
fsy enticT aiCus c0rrect, for the morning
Of the ri Of ,Ian1sry, l Received :k9lr .osoient
npie, sJIi sat il bark 10 them Ii jas lnaaG-ine
hoIeyGg, the General had become convinced. ~
the representation os genty man whom t,rbeEr
- name, that tie batter plan, al the Secretaries #
War s3d ihs Navy infsr.res me, 70 secure Fscrscy
ana success ard reah Tie 'OCt pPouia ba to scYd q
fAEs side rgiecl fJcrestie steamer from .1ev5 York
with ih- rsiufoTo2Tn ':1s Accordingly the "9tac of
tha FTest selee;ed tor III, du:y Ths %absi-
tutio, Of this mercantile steacaer foF te Dr0oklva a.
which woIfd have b2 able 10 defeu,i herself liz
cess of attack, was reigetsn y ytsidsd by n4s to
tbs high military !asga.sny Of Gan. S5ott.
ihs ailalse Of E;fosr.usaa ragu red bi les susae
of Ike Aut lie SLsr oi sha y sst left sw Yora
for Charleston OF: he evening Of the Sth Of JGn'y
On ths very Gay how or-r u len this ilfet tsi sic am
er iait Se1 YORK., telegram was cispltchel ay
General Scott TO CooSIsl Goo5t t. eouDterInand us,
departure; but il did not reach i:s destination an-i
If, o. she hsd gore 20 sea. The re2acn fol this
ooantsrmeud shall be stated IN tha Language Gee
retary Z ol to Is focni il letter addressed by
him to NJ. Iudmpgou the saae Ss;rstSTy Of the in
terror Oh the sth of xarch 1851, ami putshe,; in
ths I.aiisg a! fnsetiisSsc3". Mr, Holt sLys:
"Ghs eoantermand spoken Of (by kr Thompgon)
wss not cordially sanctioned by the President
than It wa. by Gsnerai Scott snd myself; no be-
cause Of any dissent from the order the part OF
the President. but because OF letter received hat
day from Msj Anderson, stating, il effect, tha. se
regarded himself secu!e in his position; aad re
more from intelligence which lao on Saturday
evening, 18th January, 1867 j reached the Depart
uent tia. G heavy battery had beso erected among
the sand hills at the entrance to Charleston harbor
which would probably destroy any unarmsd vessel
(and such was the Star Of the West which might
attempt to make its way to Fort Sum.sr. This in
portant information ssii.fed the Government tbs,
there wss present necessity for sending reia
forcements and that when sent they should CO. not
in a weasel Of commerce, but Of war. Hence tho
countermEnd was dispatched by telegraph to New
York; bat the vesss lad sailed shors time before
i. reached the officer (col. ScotD to whom it was
addressed"
A statement of these facts, established by dates,
proves conclusiyely that the President was not
only willing but anxious In the briefest period to
reinforce Fort Sumter.
On the sth Of Jsnusry, the cay before the de-
parturs Of the Star Of the West from New York,
az Gen. Scott In his statement admits, succor wss
sent to Fort Taylor, Key West, and to Fort Jetfer
son. Tortugas Island, which reached these points
In time for their security. he nevertheless specu
lates on the consequen n which might have fol-
lowed had the reinforcemenis not reached their
destination In due tAle, and even expresses the
traordinsry opinion that, with the posssssi IN Of
these forts, ''the rebels Nigh: have purchased an
early recognition"
shall next advert to the statsme mt that the OK.
psdition under Captain Ward, "of three or four