The New York herald., 1862-11-02

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" General soOsls sgIsmsnt alleges that "!ss ssoos
sale for 5ors pkts.s about january q and q sSs
rmss,os wsih certain leading ssSpds,s a. sassoos aud
bewhess caused SeEetares Holt and e,y q INSTRUCT
oins lc.e.hs eSmmsnds s"r o. .he ys.s % Pen.
somnis no act Of hostility, <dd NOD % npd Captain
yesds., company unless for, should % st..c.sd
never saw, but snpr 30 the arr,scc was Consequent
upon the meeting he Peace Convention u Washington
and was dnaers' - 70 ,srnissse with n."
the part or General Scott. II scarcely credible that
ths very ont note presented ia such odous coore was
sSs%a sSs, Senss S sss TT on % the day was
not ventasc 20 make ths assertion II did net possoss
Canelhe evidence 10 prove It, On that day Secretary
extract"l have the satisfaction Of saying that ON sub
mug the paper 70 General Scott he expressed himself
sated with II, saying that there could be no objection
20 the arrangement in military point Of other
wsee.n This requires no comment. inst tAc General
had every reason TO be Satisfied with tho arrangement
will appear from the following statement
revslvtionary outbreak had occurred Florida the
troops oshe United States hid been expeed from Psnsa
mer Of rhs artillery with his brave itt command had
been forced take refuge in Fort Pckens where he
N oaIsSr eSc 70 q
lar Secretary Holt did not receive nfor-
nation Of these events until several days after their 90
and then through ctter addressed 70 third
He instantly informed the President Of the act
and reinforcements provisions and military stores were
despatched by the Brooklyn to Fort Pckens without
moments unnecessary delay She let Fortress Monroe
the oath Of January.
Well founded apprehensions however, entertained
at the time OF her departure that renforcemens with
the vessels owar az great distance from Fort Pickens
could not arrive in time to defend it against the impending
attack In this state Of suspense and whilst Lieutenant
Slemmer in extreme peril, Senators Sden Hunter
and Bgor received teegraphc despatch from Senator
Mallory, OF Florida dated at Pensacola, the 2Sth Of
January, with the urgent request that they should lay il
before the President This despatch earnest
desire TO maintain the peace well as the most positive
that attack would be made Fort Pckens
if the present status should be preserved
This proposal carefully considered, both with
view to the safety OF the fort and to the unhappy effect
which actual collision either at that or other point
might produce the Peace Convention then about to as
semble at Washington The result that joint des
patel carefully prepared by the Secretaries of War
and Navy accepting the proposal, with important mod-
of TO lieutenant Slemmer and TO The naval com
mapders the station. II s too long for transcript
ton Suffice it to say was carefully guarded at every
point for the security Of the fort and its free communica
ton with Washington.
The result was highly fortunate. The Brooklyn had
long passage Although she left Fortress Monroe the
oath January she did not arrive at Pensacola until the
9th February. N the meantime Fort Pickens, with
mendation and his brave little band were placed by
virtue OF this arrangement in perfect security until
adequate force had arrived to defend against any at
tack. The fort is still in possession. Well might
General Scott have expressed his satisfaction with this
arrangement The General in the suppositon
that this arrangement expire the termination Of
the Peace Convention
y. But we now come to an mportan. period when
Of Oe ns
Commissioners were appointed on the 22d and
arrived in Washington on the 27th December,
that Major Anderson had removed from Fort
Mourie to Fort Sumter This rendered them furious On
the day they addressed angry letter 10 the Pres
dent demanding the surrender Of Fort Sumter The Pre-
sdent answered this letter on the 3oth December bya
Commissioners on the I'd Of January 1851 OF such an in
sutng character that the President instantly returned
to them with the folwng endorsement:-"This paper
just presented TO the President is Of such a charac.
ter that he declines TO receive it, From that time for
ward all friendly political and personal intercourse finally
ceased between the revolutionary Senators and the Pres
dent and he severely attacked BY them in the Sc
nate, and especially by Mr. Jefferson Davis Indeed their
had viousy been of ccdeet character
ever since the Presidents antsecesson message at the
commencement Of the session OF Congress-.
Under these changed circumstances Gen. Scott by note
Sunday the 3h Of December addressed the following
inquiry TO the President
Will the President permit General Scott without reference
be 10 send ~o hundred and Sfty recruits from Se Ys
habor TO reinforce Fort Sumter together with
that oopof and cutter may be ordered for the same
The General seems net TO have then known that Mr..
Floyd was out Of Office.
Never did request meet more prompt compliance
II was received Sunday evening, December 30. On
Monday morning gave psrnctons TO the War and Navy
Departments and Monday evening General Scott
to congratulate that the Secretaries had issued the
cessary orders TO the army and navy officers and that
they were in bis possession The Brooklyn with troops
military stores and provisions, wac 10 sail forthwith from
Fortress Monroe for Fort sumter am therefore utterly
at loss TO imagine why the General in his statement
should have asserted that the South Carolina Commits
sisners had already been many days Washington and
movement of defence (on the part of the United
States) permitted These Commissioners arrived in
washingt on the 9th December; General scotts re-
quest made 10 the President the 30th. II was
complied with on the 3lst, and single DAY is all that
rep. "scnis the ''many days. of the General.
III General Scott asserts in the face OF these facts
that sbe President refused TO allow any attempt TO Ne
madeo reinforce Fort Sumtsr-becauee be was holding
still again that afterwards Secretary Holt and myself
endeavored in vain. 10 obtain shipofwar for the pur
pose, and were finally obliged TO employ the passenger
steamer star OF the West Will be believed that the
substitution Of the Star Of the West for the powerful war
steamer Brooklyn, Of which he now complains was by
this doubted until read the statement.
AZ the interview already referred TO between the Gene
s ana myse On %: evening Of Monday the slst Of De-
ccived the South Carolina in their Official
capacity, but merely as private gentlemen yet might be
considered improper act to send the Brooklyn with
Inducements 10 Fort Sumter until had received
from them TO letter the preceding day that
the delay could not continue more than forty eight
hours. He promptly In this suggestion as gen
usmany and proper and the orders were not transmitted
the Rr9"kyn c ,s On ns, evening MY snscpaons were
their insoent note, and sent it back TO them. In the
meantime, however the General had become convinced
by the representations Of gentleman whom fcrbear to
name that the better plan the Secretaries Of War aud
the Navy TO secure secrecy and
reach the fort would be 20 send fast sdewhec mer.
camille steamer from New York with the reinforcement
Accordingly the star OF the West selected for this
duty. The substitution OF this mercantile steamer for
the Brooklyn, which would have been able to defend
herself in case OF attack, wac reluctantly yielded by me
to the high military Judgment Of General Scott.
The change Of programme required brief space OF
time but the Star Of the West New York for Charles.
ton on the evening Of the 5h Of January On tie very
day however, when this Inflated steamer left New YORK;
telegram was deapatcbed by General Scott to Colonel
Scott 10 countermand her departure but did not reach
its destination until after che had gone The reason
for this coermand shall be stated iu the language Of
Secretary Holt, to be found in letter addressed by him
70 Mr. Thompson the late Secretary OF the Interior on
the 9th March 1891 and published In the National Ye
genosr. Mr.. Holt says
The counermand spoken OF (by Mr. Thompsonl was not
cordially sanctioned by the President than il was by
General Scott SELF dissent from
the order the part III. President but because
ycd that day from Ma Anderson stating r effect
that he regarded himself In his position vel
more from intelligence which late Saturday evening (bh
oi January, ls6 reached the department. bat
tery had been erected among the sand hills at the
Charleston arour which wond probably destroy any un.
armed vessel and such the Star Of the West which
ingn, stnp ~ make its way TO Fort Sumter This i'm.