New-York daily tribune., 1862-11-13
mrrn,vnww Gp r.HRUT.-GEN. SCOTT
no orx.pEEssDENT BUCHANAN.

summsry Of my then recent connection Win ou'
principal Southern forts, which, en- sofry 10 re'
ceive has given ofeuse to the ex-Presioen'' i"A'
result purely incidental, did not enter INTO I'd! pO
pose in drawing up the paper; but on reneeuon'
Fuppose that. under the circumstances, onepse "ss
unavoidable. i
Let il be remembered that the new Precedent bad
4. rieh, 20 demand of me-the immediate commander
Of the army-how it had happened that the incipent
Relels had been allowed TO seize several Of those
forts and from the bad condition OF others were
likely to gain possession of them also. Primarily
The blame rested exclusively OH me. Hence, 20 vin-
dica,e riy sworn allegiance to the Union and pro-
fessoual conduct the report was submitted TO Pres'
iaent Lincoln at an early day n his adninis'raionl,
and recently to the world.
To that ,hort paper ex-Presidcnt Buchanan pub
hshes reply of double the length, in TIE iafeI|'-
y,.cer Of the let instant. Ny rejoinder, from
peceesitv If not taste will be Short for hold the
pen IN rheumatic hand and am without aid-de-
camp OF amauue nsis, and without aprnted document
and my own official papers.
Unable. in NV present condition, TO make
analyse of the eXPfesi1ents long reply l avail
myself of q substitute furnished by an accidental
vsitor, who has kindly marked the few points which
he thiRks may require soms slight nouce a. my
hands.
J. To account for not having garrisoned sufficient
ly the Southern forts named against anticipated
treason and rebellion, according TO my many recon-
mendations beginning Oct. -, 1861, repeated tne
next day, and again more earnestly, Dec is. 10, -,
and 80, the ex-Presdent says: There were no
available troops within reach
Now although It Is true that with or without the
ex-Preridents appreciation, the Secretary OF hI
had nearly denuded our whole eastern seabosId OF
troops i'll order TO augment our forces in Texas and
Utah, nevertheless pointed ont. az several OF the
shove dates the 600 recruits about when we had
In the harbor Of New-York and at Carlisle Barracks,
Pennsyganis, nearly all organized into Temporary
eompanes aud tOleraby drilled and disciplined
qute equal 10 the purpose III quesuon-besce tne
five companies of regulars near at hand making
about 1900 men,.
These dispossble troops would have given lsayl
two hundred men to the twin forts Jackson and 81.
Philip, below New Orleans; al equal number TO
Fort Morgan, below Mobile; lie enforcement Of one
hundred to Fort PicEens, Pensacola larbor, and
garrison of the Ike number 10 the twin fOIt, Nc
Rea: garrisou Of one hundred men TO Fort Jefier-
son Tortugas Island and the 10 sort Pulaski,
below savannah, which, like Forts jackson, 81.
Philip, Morgan and McRea, had not al the tue a
todier-lesving about two hundred mel Tor the twin
forte, Moul,re and sumter Charleston mar boz, where
there were two weak companies, making isss than
ninety men Fortress Mo1roe had already eGrrl-
son OF eight companies, one or two ot which
might, IN the earlier period Of danger, have been
spared ill volunteers could have been obtained lot
withstanding printed handbills were every where
posted in Eastern Virginia by eccentric character,
inviting recruits 10 take tia, most important III.
Now, have nowhere said that either OF those
forts even with the reinforcement indicated, would
have bad garrison. Certainly not. Ny prop
osOn was 10 put each in a condition, as express
sad 20 guard against surprise or coup de man iGn
of-hanG attack one without full pTepsrstion).
That these movements Of small detacbments might
easily have been made in November and December,
1867, and some Of them as late as the following
month cannot be doubted. But the ex-President
81 plxAA AXgTsl Ice for fno forfs
lie fOrgets what The gallant Anderson did, with a
handful Of men, ia Fort Sumter, and leaves out Of
the account what he might have done with Ike
bandfal III Fort MOutrie, without further aug
mentstion Of men to divide be~gesn the garrisons.
Twin forts on the opposite sttS 81 channel, not
ouly give oross fire OH the he(X If an stack but
the strength of each is ntose sfn doubled by the
fankng ire Of the other. TIE same remarks apply
20 the gallant Lient. Slemmer with his handful Of
brave men, IN Fort Pickens. With what contempt
might lie not have looked upon Chase or Bragg, in
froat Of him, with varying masses of from 1000 to
6,COJ men, If FOu Pckeus and its twin fort, Mckes
had had between them only 200 men
have thus shown that small garnsons would 81
first have suhced for the other twins, Forts jackson
s1d st. Philip, also. My object 10 save to the
Union, BY any means at hand, all thOse works, until
Congress could have time TO organize call for vol
nnteers-a call which the President for such pur
pose, might doubt have made without any spe-
eial legislation with the full appreciation Of every
loyal man in the Union.
having his neglect Of the oris attributed" Dc he
says, without the least cause, TO the influence Of
Gov. Floyd" and, he Gdds, "all NY Cabinet must
bear witness that was the President myself re-
spOnsible for ali the acts of the Administration.
Now, Notwithstanding this broad assumption Of
responsibility, should 10 sOrry to believe that Mr..
buchanan specially consented 10 the removal by
Secrelary Floyd Of 900 extra muskets and rifles
with all their implements and Ammunition from
Northern repositories TO Southern arsenals 70 that
on The breaking out Of the maturing rebe lion tlev
might be found without cost, except 20 the United
States, IL the most convenient positions for disti5u-
tiOn among the insurgents SO, too, OF the 10 or
l40 pieces Of heavy artillery, which the same Sece-
tary ordered from Pittsburgh to Ship Island in Lake
Borgne and Galveston, Texas Tor forts not yet
erected Accidentally learning, early in March,
that, under tins posthumous order the shipment Of
these guns had commenced, communicated tue lgct
10 Secretary Holt (actipg for Secretary Cameron
just in time 10 defeat tie robbery
But on this point we may hearex- Secretary FLOYD
hinssE. 40 Richmond he expressly claimed tie |
honor Of defeating all my plans and solicitations
respecting the fors, and received his Ieward-i, 4
being there universally admitted that but for that
victory over me there could have been no Rebellion
3. Mr.. Buchanan complains that published, with I
out permission, January lS 1861, my views, ad- |
dressed TO him and the Secretary OF War, October
y and 30, 1860. But that act was caused, as | ex- /
planned TO him al the tGe by the misre resentatiOns
OF the views In one Of the earlier speeches OF the
came ex-Secretary after his return TO Virginia.
a. One OF my statements complaining Of tce Joint
couDtermand, sent through the Secre aries of War
aud Navy to prevent the landing al Fort Plckens
ci Capt. Vogdes's company uless the fort ShOuid
Dt attacked IL cited by the ExPresident to prove q
nng nLir want Of memory" On my part; and a note
from Secretary Holt is add1ced to show that had
entirely approved Of the Joint count .rm and the Cav
tJan. ~ thsi II was prepared Few persons are ~
nlIle baoie 70 maze misslstement by acCidep, as
M hon ana 10 oae more incapable Of making one
by Designs yet 1 have not the slightest Recollection
OF any interview " it'll him on this gubect