The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-11-07

Souau SafoilnA attAckcO tnem, II would D
South Carolina that made war upon the Uni
- ted States
= Gen. Scott, who received his irst instruc
y tions (orall from the President, in the tenn
= porary absence of the Secretary of War
y Gen. Cass), remembers these expressions
we'll.
Saturday Night. Dec. Is. 1860"
:, DECEMBER sS.-Agaiu. after Major An.
: derson had gsllantly aud wisely thrown his
handful of men from Fort Moultrie into Fort
! Sumter-learning, that, on demand Of South
Carolina. there was great danger he might
: be ordered By the Secretary back to the less
tenable work, oEt Of the harbor, wrote
: this note
;. Lieut.. Gen. Scott (who has had bad
!, night, and can scarcely hold up his head
: this morning) begs to express the hope to
: the Secretary of War-1. That orders may
!, not be given for the evacuation of Fort
Sumter. 2. That one hundred and 6ftv
recruits may instantly be sent from Govern
or's Island 10 reinforce that garrison. with
ample supplies of ammunition and subss-
tence, including fresh vegetables. such as
potatoes, onions, turnips and 3, That one
or two armed vessels be sent to support the
said fort.
Lieut.. Gen. S. avais himself of this
the recommendations heretofore made by
him to the Secretary Of War respecting
Forts Jackson. ST. Philip. Morgan. and Pu-
laski. and particularly in respect to Forts
Pickens and McRae and the Pensacola Ma
wizard. in connection with the two last
named works, may be reconsidered by the
Secretary.
Lieut. Gen. s. will further ask the Al.
tention of the Secretary to Forts Jefferson
and Taylor. which are wholly nat,onaf-
being of far greater value even TO the most
distant points of the Atlantic coast and the
people on the upper waters of tho Missouri,
Mississippi, and Ohio Rivers than to the
State of Florida. There is only feeble
company at Kew West for the defence of
Fort Taylor, and not soldier in Fort JEFF.
ferson to resist a hand al of flbusters, or
row boat of pirates aud the Gulf, soon after
the beginning OF secession or revolutionary
| troubles in the adjacent States, will swarm
with such nuisances." l
DECEMBER so addressed the President
again, as follows:
Lieut. Gen. Scott begs the President Of
the United States to pardon the irregularity
of this communication. 1t is Sunday. the
weather is bad, and Gen. 8. is not we'll
enough to go to church.
80 But matters of the highest national i'm
portance seem to forbid a moments delay,
aud. if misled by zeal. ho hopes for the
Presidents forgiveness.
"Will the President permit General s.
without reference to the War Department,
and otherwise as secretly as possible, to
send two hundred and fifty recruits from
New York Harbor to reinforce Fort Sumter,
together with some extra muskets or rifles,
ammunition. and subsistence?
r.. = 4 4.
ter may be ordered for the same purpose a.
early TO morrow.
"Gen s. will wait upon the President at
any moment he may be called for
The South Carolina Commissioners had
already been many days in Washington, and
no movement of defense ION the part of the
United States was permitted.
| will here close my notice OF Fort Sum-
ter by quoting from some Of my previous
reports.
II would have been easy to reinforce this |
fort down to about the 18th Of February.
In this long delay Fort Moul,vie had been
rearmed and greatly strengthened by the
rebels. Many powerful ne y land batteries
(beside formidable raft) have been con.
structed. Huks, too. have been sunk in the
principal channel SO as to render access to
Fort Sumter from the sea impractcabe
withou; first carrying all the lower batteries
of the secessionists. The difficulty of rein
forcing has thus been increased ten or twelve
fold. First. the late President refused to
allow any attempt to be made because he
was holding negotiations with the South
Carolina Commissioners.
Afterward Secretary Holt and m yself en-.
deavored, 10 to obtain a ship Of war
for the purpose, and were finally obliged to
employ the passenger steamer g 5 ar of the /
West" That vessel. but for the hesitation
of the master, might. as is generally believ.
ed, have delivered at the tort the men and
subsistence on board. This attempt at sue +
cor failing; next, verbally. submitted to
The late Cabinet either that succor be sent
by ships of war. fighting their way by the
batteries. Increasing in strength daily. or
that Major Anderson should be left to
ameliorate his condition by the muzzle of
his guns-that is. enforcing supplies by
and by bringing to merchant
vessels. helping himself, (giving orders for
payment,) or finally, be allowed to evacuate
the tort, which, in tina. case, would be in.
svitable.
But. before any resolution was taken, the
late Secretary Of the Navy making difficult
ties about the want Of suitable war vessels, Il
another Commissioner from South Carolina
arrived. causing further delay. When this
had passed away. Secretaries Holt and
roucey. Captain Ward Of the Navy, and
the knowledge Of the Presi-
dent. (Buehanau,) settled upon the employ.
ment, under the Captain. (who WAS eager
for the expe edtiou,) Of three or four small
steamers belonging to the Coas. Survey
At that time (late in January had but
little doubt Captain Ward would have reach
ed Fort Sumter with all his vessels. But
be was kept back by something like truce
Or armistice, (made here,) embracing /.
Charleston and Pensacola harbors. agreed
,pon between the late President and certain
,eceders OF South Carolina. Florids, Louis
ana, DC. and this truce lasted to the end of
hat Administration. IL
That plan and all others, without squad q
ron OF war ships and considsrab army
competent to take and hold the many for