Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-11-20


The same remarks apply to the gallant Lieut..
Slemmer, with his handful of brave men,
in Fort Pickens. With what contempt
might he not have looked upon Chase OF
Bragg, in front of him, with varying masses
OF FROM 2, 900 to 6,00D men, if Fort Pickens
and its twin fort, McRea, had had between
them only 200 men!
have thus shown that small garrisons
would at first have sufficcd for the other
twins, Forts Jackson and St. Philip, also.
NY object was to save to the Union, by any
means at hand. all those works, until Con.
gress could have time to organize call for
voluntcers-a call which the President. for
such purpose might no doubt have ma lie.
without any special legislation, with the
full appreciation Of every loyal man in Il q
Union
.. The ex President almost loses his
amiability in having his neglect of the for 8
attributed" as he says, "without the
least cause. to the influence of Gov. Floyd" I"
and, he adds, "all my Cabinet must bear
me witness that was the President myself,
responsible for all the acts OF the Admin
istrati,n
Now Notwithstanding this broad assump.
ton Of responsibility, should be sorry tc
believe that MIR. Buchanan specially con.
scnted to the removal by Secretary Fioyl
Of 1000 extra muskets and rides, with
all their implements aud ammunition. from
Northern repositories to Southern arsenals.
20 that on the breaking out of the maturing
rebellion they might be found without cost
except to the United States, in the mos
convenient positions for distribution among
hefnsurgents. So too, of the I29 or l4(
pieces of heavy artillery, which the sam,
Secretary ordered from Pittsburgh to Shin
Island, IN Lake Borgne, and Galveston
Texas, for forts not yet erected Acciden
tally learning, early in March, that, unde,
this posthumous order, the shipment of thes,
guns had commenced, communicated tn,
iactito SECRETARY Holt (acting for Secretar,
Cameron just in time to defeat the rob
berry.
But on this point we may hear ex-Secre
tary Floyd himself At Richmond he ex
pressly claimed the honor of defeating a
my plans and solicitations respecting th
forts, and received his reward-it bein,
there universally admitted that but for tha
victory over me there could have been NJ
Rebellion!
3. Mr. Buchanan complains tbat pub
! lshed, without permission, January IL
1860 my views, addressed to him and tb
5 'cretary of War, October 26 and 30 1850
| But that act was caused, as / explained I
him at the time, by the misrepresentation
OF the views in one of the earlier speeches q
the same ex Secretary after his return {
| Virginia.
| t. One ofmy statements complaining o
the joint countermand, sent through tn,
Secretaries of War and Navy, to prevent tn
landing at Fort Pickens of Can't Vogdes'
company, unless the fort shoud be attacked
is cited by the Ex President to prove
singular want of memory" on nv part
and note from Secretary Holt is adduca
to show that had entirely approved of tn
JOINT counte'mnnd the day (Jan. 29) tina
1t was prepared. Few persons are as ittl
liable to make a misstatement by acciden
as Mr.. Holt, and no one more incapable O
making one by design; yet have not tn
slightest recollection of any interview wit
him on this subject.
do remember, however, that Mr.. Holt
on some matter of business, approached IN,
beadsde abOnt that time, when wa
suffering greatly from an excess of pain
| MIR. Buchanan. MIR. Holt, and myself wer
all flandsmen, and could know but little q
the impossibility of landing troops on a
open sea beach, with high wind and surf
Mr.. Toucey, Secretary cf the Navy, witt
officers about him of intelligence and nauti
cal experience, ought to have said plump
that if Vogdes was not to land except in IL
case of attack upon Fort Pickeus, he NIGH
as well have remained at Fortress Monroe
as the prohibition placed the fort, so far n
he was concerned, at the mercy or (as tn
event showed) on the want of entcrprs
on the part Of the Rebel commander "a
| Pensacola. r.
Possibly there arc other parts of tn
reply which Il superficial reader may thin
required comment or elucidation; and
indeed, here is another marked for me b
my kind visitor; ....
5. The ex President has brought togethe
a labyrinth of dates, respecting the arrivu
and departure of Rebel commissioners
armistic,s, &c., with which, as had n
Official connection, l may have made a
unimportant mistake or two; but, as | hav,
not by me the means Of recovering the Gle,
to those wiudings, SHALL not attempt t
10 low him.
WINFIELD SCorr
| Ne,D York Eth 4pe,,us HoteI Nn, = ,e.