The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-10-29
GENERAL SCOTT 5 oP,aloMs on THE WAN.

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D~iy in the ,sst year, when civl va eeencd In.
penGinE. bnt had 90 actually broken ont. dsuaral
Scott, then at tAe bead ot the Omitted States asm5
wrets two papers tanning his views professional
and POLITICAL on IN crisis and the rights ard duisa
wtsch develved - the u. s. Cover sgnena In the
momsnioua scpIss tcrc. These two papera were
subsequently lent *, many sriends to rea1 aud one
Of thsm has rua~s Y been published without the
writer's cansu,t his Is tbs lettsr made Public by
nf. Van Barea. T ~ 'sapsrauous victorian fright.
sned as to tie truth ef this letter, has ssemsd Il:
proper to give 10 tae rabis himself the second Of
the papers referred TO- lest It also nigh. .iad Its
unau horned wa, into print He hSs. therefore
forwarded 1t to the National Iasalitssnsv. having
added 10 II a rev esPIsDatory 4" notes, which the
l.pse of tias sselae ito ,endes proper IL Il - fol
Iowa
souTnERE f,fTs a sUMaARY. xTC.
October 81, 1850 e rhat.caIiy called tho Attsn-
tion Of the prssidsn' - hs necsssty Of STRONG gar
risoas IN ali forts b. tie principal commercial
cities of the Soathsfa 6tstsH. iacuding, by name,
the fs.ts in Psnsaco q har6or. october ii. sug.
gsssed to the Secrcs s,y Of War that {. circular
should be sent at TO scch Of those forts ~ had
gsrrisons, 10 be On alert against surprises and
spa1en assaults--fS, ny viess, !" sincs prtatsd
Axssr = lonS eonnas tpt to my bed In New York,
csre - this city (Wa tngtop2 December - Next
Gsy PersoOaaiy - tS@ scc1s ssryv W ar
ern forts; those OF Chs, 'eston a3d Pensacola har
bors at once; those Eubiis bay and the Mississp
III. below New Orleans, next, &c, &c / again
poiuted out the organi4sa coDpanies and recl uits
at the principal depots available fS- the purpose
The Secretary did not concur in any os Iry views
when begged him to proSurs for re ssriy lus T.
view with the President THAI might MAKE one
{ for. more TO save the fas>s and tho Union.
nty1fyap hn
to the President, Decemben 10. " han tho same to-
pics (secessonism &c were sgain pretty iul.y dis
cusssd There being At the III nsnt (in the opinion
Of the President) no danger OF an early s=ion
bsyoEd South Carolina. the President, in reply to
Wy srsament for immediately reinforcing Fort
Morltris, aud ssnding garrison TO Fer. kum.er
sa'ai
The time has not arrived for doing 30 that lie
should wait the a,tioc Of the Con7sntion cf South
Carolina, In the expectation that eoni!GiAs ion
would be appoiated, aud sent TO negotiate with
him and Uousrees respecting the secs ssion OF the
State and the property OF the United states held
within its imtss AID that if Congress should de-
eide against the secessioH, then le would send a
reinforcement, and telegraph the commissioning OFF,
Ger {s.sjor Andeson) of Fort 1cuitrie to hold ths
forts talouitris and snsnter) ssainst a:tsek."
And the Secretary, with animation ad6ej:
"We have vessel Of war Uhe ErouEiyul agij N
readiness ct Norfolk, ard he rToId 'teu send
three Hundred ID her EUfirCSs Nc:.IOe 70
Charleston"
Te which 1 replied, drst, that 30 many could
not be withdrawn from that garrison, but could DO
takeo from Eew York. Next, that it would then
be 100 late, as the Goash Carolina Commissioners
would have the game lii their own hands, BY Hsst
Using and then cutting the wires; that Is there
rTas not soldier la Fort Sumter, any handful of
rals1 Secessi:pists mi ght feiEe and occupy 1t, &c
EeTe The remark may be permitted that II the
SscTstary's three hundred men had then, or some
time later been to Forts Moultrie aad Sumter,
bath would now have been in the possession of fhe
Unit d States, aud not battery below them could
have been erected by the Secesaionsts; Consequent
Iy, the a,cess 10 those forts from the sea would
now (tEe end Of March, be unoes:ructed and free =
The same cay, December l5 wrote the follow,
ing note:
"Lisu.enant-Gen Scott begs the President to
psrcoi him for supply Ing, il This note, what lie
omitted to say this morning at the interview with
" hioh he Nss honorcd by the President.
Long prior to the force bill March 6, 1882
prior to the issua OF his proclamation, and in pSr
prior to the passage of the ordinance of nuiliica-
ton, President Jackson undsr the sct Of March &
1897, authorizing the eEIploynien. of tie la-id and
naval FORCES, caused rsinforcements to be sent to
Fort M Tal'rie. and sioop-2i" ar. (tae NateheD
with two revenue cutters, TO be asnt b, Charleston
harbor IN order ], to prevent tia seizure of that
fort by tbs nui6efs, and, 30 enforce the execution
OF Tie revenue laws Ger. Scott himself arrived at
Charleston the day after tie passage OF the ordi-
nance Of nulliacstion, and many of the sdditiopa,
somIanies were thea en- route for tbs same des.i'
nation
President jackson Familiarity said at tho tine
that by the a3semblaEe of those forces for lawful
purposes hs wAa not making war upon 3,utk Caro-
na; but thai Ii South CaEoiina attack ed tt@m it
would be South Carolina that made war upon the
United States.
General g., vho received his first iIstf actions
(oraD from the President, Ia the temporary absence
CT Tie Secretary of War, (aen Cass,) Remembers
taoSe expressions well.
Saturday night, Dese<a5ez l3, lsGe'
DECEMBER 22-Again after Major knder on had
gaanty and wisely thrown bis handful OF men
fro1o Fort Moultrie to Fort Sunter-lsarning tEat
ON demand Of South Carolina, there was great
danger that he might be ordered by the Secretary
back to the less tensbs work, or out CT the har-
bor-I wrote this note:
lieutenant General Eeott, whs has had bad
night and can scsroely hold up his head tiis morn
Ing bess to express the hope that the Secretary of
Hert l. That orders may not be given for the
evacu alton of Fort Sumter. 2. That three hundred
and hfty men may instantly be sent from Cover
nor's Island to reinforce that gafrison with ample
supplies Of ammunition and subsistence Including
fresh vegetables and potatoes, onoiis turois; and,
& That cne or two armed vessels be ssat to sup
port tie said fort.
.IIsuteua.,t General Scots awaits himself OF thIs
opportunity also to express the hope that tie re-
CONNIE dali ious heretofore made by him to the SEQ
re:ary Of War respecting Forts Jackson, St Philip,
Morgan and Pulaski aud particularly tn resrie. 10
Forts Pckeus and NcRae and the Pensacola navy
ward In cOEneetl0Q Win the iAst Two uEIaoy WtERb,
NAV be reconJidered by the Secretary.
.Iiertenant General Scott will further asE The
attention of the Secretary to Forts Jefferson and
TAYLOR, which are wholly nationsl-tairS Of far
gre ator value sven to the more distant points of
the tlantic coast aad the people on the upper wa
ters Of the Missouri, Mississppi 2ld Ohio rivers,
than to the State of Florida. There ID only tee
BILE company ut Key West for the defence Of Fort
Taylor and not soldier In Fort Jefferson TO resist
a handful OF fibusters or a row-boat Of pirates /;
and the Gulf soon after the beginning OF secession
or revolutionary troubles in tho adjacent States,
will swarm with such nuisances
Dacsmber a0.-I addressed the President as FOL-
lows:
"Lisutsrant- GENERAL Ecott begs the President Of
the Uni,sd States to pardon the irrsgulsry of this
1t Is Sunday, the weather Is bad,
and General Scott Ii not we'll enough to 60 to
church.
"But matters of the highest national importance
seem to forbid . moments delay, and. II misled by
zeal he hopes for the President forgiveness.
''Will the President permit General Scott, with
out reference to the War Department, and other
wise a. ree.suy Is possible, to send two hundred
and Afty recruits from New York harbor to rein
force Fort Sumter, together with some extra mus
kets or r.dss, ammunition and subsistencsf
1T is hoped that q sloop ofwar and cutter may
be ordered f.r the same purpose az early a. to-
morrow.
general Scott will wait upon tho President q.
any moment he may be called ior."
The South Carolina Comrniss ioneTs had already
be en- many days in Washington, and movement
Of defence ton the Part OF the United States) was
permitted.
quoting from some OF my previous rsports'
II would have b>sn easy to reinforce this fort
down 70 abeat the 18th Of February. In this long
delay Fort Moultris had been rearmsd and greatly
etrsnsthsneA in every way by the rebels. Many
powsrfu. new land battaiss Qbesides formidable
raf,l had .esn sonstrustsd AuikS, too. have been
i nIsHGl Aha co r0N0oT