Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-10-24
Republican State Ticket,
Election, rrssday, Norsmbey 4h.



his conduct in the early stages of the rebel
lion, and indicating himself from unworthy
imputations. 1t is valuable as furnishing Gu
mulative historical evidence of the encourage
ment which the secession movement received
during the closing six months of Buchanan's
administration, both through the guilty weak
ness of the president, and the strong and I'M
disguised treason Of his cabinet. The facts of
this statement we give as briefly as possible,
and for the most part in the Generals own
words:
October 80, 1861 emphatically called the
attention OF the president to the necessity of
strong garrisons in all the forts below the
principal commercial cities of the southern
states, including by name, the forts in Pensa-
cola harbor. October 81, L suggested to the
secretary Of war that a circular should be sent
at once to such OF those forts as had garrisons
to be on the alert against surprises and sud-
den assaults. After long confinement to my
bed In New York, | came to this city (Wash-
ington) December 18th. Next day person.
ally urged upon the secretary of war the same
views, VIZ strong garrisons in the southern
sorts-those of Charleston and Pensacola har-
bors, at once; those on Mobile bay and the
Mississippi, below New Orleans, next &c. &C.
again pointed out the organized companies
and the recruits at the principal depots availa-
bic for the purpose. The secretary did not
concur in any of my views when | begged of
him to procdre for me an early interview with
the president, that l might make one effort
more to save the forts and the union. The
secretary accompanied me to the president
December 10Th, when the same subjects were
fully discussed. In reply to my arguments
for reinforcing Fort Moultrie, and sending a
garrison to Fort Sumter, the president said
''The time has not arrived for doing go; that he
should wait the action of the convention of South
Carolina, in the expectation that commission
would he appointed and sent TO negotiate with him
ana congress respecting the secession OF the state
and the property OF the United States held within
its limits and that congress should decide against
the secession. then he would send a reinforcement
and telegraph the commanding officer Nlsior An
dersonl of Fort Moultrie to hold the forts MoUltre
and SUMTER against attack
The secretary ofwarproposed sending three
hundred men from fortress Monroe to Charles
ton harbor to which Gen. Scott objected, and
urged that they should be taken from New
York. The same day Gen. S. wrote to the
president the circumstances under which Gen
jackson sent reintOrcements to these forts in
1888, to prevent their seizure by the nulfers
and to enforce the revenue laws. Dec 2Sth,
when Major Anderson had transferred his lit
tie force from Moultrie to Sumter, and South
Carolina had demanded that they should be
sent back, Gen. S. wrote this note -
Lieut., General Scott (who has had bad
night, and can scarcely hold up his head this
morning. begs to express the hope to the Sec
rotary Of war-l. That orders may not be
given for the evacuation of fort Sumter. =
That one hundred and fifty recruits may in
stantly be sent from Governors Island to re-
lntorce that garrison, with ample supplies of
ammunition and subsistence, including fresh
vegetables, 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 opportunity to express the
hope that the recommendations heretofore
made by HIM to the secretary Of war, respect
ing forts jackson, ST. Philip, Morgan, and
Pulaski, and particularly IN respect to forts
Plckens and McRae, and the Pensacola navy
yard, In connection with the last two named
works, may be reconsidered by the secretary
Lieut.. Gen. 5. will further ask the attention
of the secretary to forts jefferson and TAYLOR,
which are wholly acknowledging of far great
or value even to the most distant points the
Atlantic coast and the people on the upper
waters Of the Missouri. Mississippi and Ohio
rivers, than to the state of Florida There is
only feeble company at Key West for the
defence Of fort Taylor, and not a soldier in
fort Jefferson to resist a handful of flibusters
or row boat OF pirates; and the gulf, soon
after the beginning Of secession or revolution
airy troubles in the adjacent states, will swarm
with such nuisances"
Two days later he addressed the president
again in the most urgent manner:
Lieut. Gen. Scott begs the president of
the United States to pardon the irreguarity
OF this communication. Ii is Sunday, the
weather is bad and Gen. S. is not well enough
10 90 to church. But matters of the highest
national importance seem to forbid moments
delay, and, if misled by zeal, he hopes for the
presidents forgiveness. Will the president
permit Gen. s., without reference to the war
department, and otherwise as secretly as pos
sDle, to send two hundred and fifty recruits
from New York harbor to reinforce fort Sump-
ter, together with some extra muskets and ri
hes, ammunition and subsistence? 1t is hop
ed that sloop-ot-war and cutter may be ord
cred Tor the same purpose as early as to-mor-
row, Gen. S. will wait upon the president at
any moment he may be called for
These appeals were vain The traitor
commissioners were in Washington, and had
the ear of the president. While they were
foohng him with pretended negotiations the
REBELS had taken and strengthened fort Moul-
'iN' 'iio ii''A nullt powerful lanu ana water
batteries, rendering access to fort Sumter diff
fcult if not inpractcable. 1t was not till
the Sd of January that Gen. S. received tn,
permission solicited Oct. 3lst, to admonisl
commanders of the few southern forts witt
garrisons to be on the alert against surprise
and sudden assaults. major Anderson wa
not among the admonished, being straitly be
leaguered.)
The closing portion Of this statement re
lates to Gen. Scots efforts to secure the re
enforcement of the Notifications in Pensacola
harbor, in which he had to encounter the op
position Of both the president and the secreta
ry Of the navy (Toucey) till it was almost to,
late for reintorcements to be of any servic,
whatever. The letter written by Gen. Scot
10 Mr. Seward subsequent to the above state
ment, and surreptitiously procured by JOIN
Van Buren, and read at a late meeting in New
York, contained the following -
To meet the extraordinary exigencies of tn
times, it seems to me that | am guilty of NJ
arrogance in limiting the presidents field q
selection TO one Of the four plans Of procedur
subioined:
/. Throw of the old and assume n nev
l,. ITs.s.,