Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-10-28

the want OF suitable war vessels. another commits
sioner from South Carolina arrived, causing fur
ther delay. When this had passed away, Secre-
taries Hot and T0ucey, Captain Ward, of the
navy, aud myself, with the knowledge of the
President (Buchanan), settled upon the employ
ment, under the Captain (who was eager for the
expedition,) of three or four small steamers be-
long ng to the Coast Survey. Al that time,
(late in January,) have but little doubt Captain
Ward would have reached Fort Sumpter, with
all his vessels. But he was kept back by some
thing like truce sr armistice, made here, EN-
braong Charleston aud Pensacola harbOrs,
agreed upon between the late President and GER
tain principal Seceuera uf South Carolina, Flori
da. louisiana &c., and this truce lasted to the
end of that Administration
That plan and ali others, without squadron
of war ships and considerable army-compe-
tent to take and hold the many formidable tat
teries below Fort Sumpter, and before the ex-
hauston of its MISUNDERSTANDING heen pro-
nounOed from the change of circumstances i'm
practicable, by Major Anderson, Captain Foster,
(Chief Engineer aud all the other officers of the
tort, as well as by Drigadier General Totten,
Chief Of the Corps of Engineers; and concur.
ing in that opinion, did not hesitate to advise
March 12th) that Major Aderson be instructed
10 evacua,e the fort, so long gaanty held by
him and his companions, Immediately on pro.
curing suitable transportation to take them to
New York. Ills relative weakness had steadily
increased in the last eighteen days.
1t was not till January 80 (wheu the first COM
missioners from South Carolina Withdrew that
the permission | had solicited October 3lst, was
obtained 10 admunish commanders OF tho few
Southern forts with garrisons TO be on the alert
against surprise and sudden assaults. (MAjor
Anderson was not among the aemOnsheJ, being
nh eady sIraitly beleaguered
JANUARY 3d.-To Lieut. Semmer, command
ing in Pensacola Harbor:
"The uera-in. Chief directs that you take
measures TO do the utmost in your power to pre- =
vent the seizure of either Of the forts in Pensn
cola harbor, by surprise or assault, consulting
first with the commander of the navy ward who
will probably have received instructions 10 CO..
operate with you" This order was sigued by
Aide de. Camp Lay)
1t was just before the surrender of the Pensa.
cola navy yard (January l2l that Lieutenant
Semmer, calling upon Commodore Armstrong.
obtained the aid of some thirty common seanlen
or abOrers, but no marines which, added to his
forty SIX soldiers, made up his numbers to seventy
six men. with whom this mertorious officer has
since held Fort Pckens and performed, working
night and day, an immense amount Of labor, in
mouu'ing guns, keeping up strong guard, etc =,
etc
Early in January renewed, as has been seen,
my solicitations to be allowed to reinforce Fort
Pickens, but good deal of time was lost ia va :
citations. First, the President "ihought that if
no movement is made by the Uuitcd States, Fort
McRae will probably not be occupied nor Fort
Plckens attacked. In case of movements by the
United States, which will doubtless be made
known by the wires, there will be corresponding
local movements, and the attempt to reinforce
will be useless i" (Qnetaiioa from note mate
6H a'd de- Camp Lay, about JdnUarV II, Of The
FfeSidentS reply 10 d msssdge from mel Next
II was doubted whether it would be safe to send
reiniUreements in an unarmed steamer, and the
want, as usual Of II suitable naval yessel-the
Brooklyn being long held in reserve at Norfolk
for some purpose unknown to me. Finally, after
had kepta body OF three hundred recruits in
New York harbor ready for some time-and they
would have been sufficient to fenforce teinpor.ri.
ly Fort Pickeus and occupy Fort AleRae also
the President, about January Is, permitted that
the sloup-of-war Brooklyn should take single
company ninety men, from Fort Monroe, Hamp-
ton Roads, aud reinforce Lieutenant Slcmmer,
ia Fort Pickens, but without surplus man for
the neghboring fort AlcRae
The Brooklyn, with Capt Vogdes' company
Alone left the Chesapeake for Fort Pickens about
january I'D, aud, on the 29th, President Bu-
chanan, having entered into quasi armstce
with certain leading Seceders NJ Pensacola aud
elsewhere caused Secretaries Holt and lOucey
"a
the war vessels oil Pensacola and Lieut. Stem
mer, commanding Fort Pckens, to commit no
act of hostility, and not to land Captain Nugdes'
company unless that fort should be attacked
That Joint note | never snw until March , ith
but supposed the armistce was consequent upou
the meeting OF the Peace Convention at Washing
ton, and was understood to terminate with it,
Hearing, however, of tue most active prepafa-
tons for hostilities on the part of the Seceders
als N..sa .
anu aTming Fort McRae--that had not n gun
mounted when it was seized-durng the Peace
Convention and since brought the subject to
the notice of the new Administration when this
note, dated March 18th, to Captain Vogdee, was
agreed upon, viz: "At the fret favorable mo-
hent you Will land with your company, reinforce
Fort Pickens mud holl the same lin further
orders" The order, in duplicate, left New
ofk by two naval vessels about the middle of
March MS the mail md wires could not be trusted,
and detached officers could not he substituted,
for two had already heen arrested and paroleI
by the authorities of Pensacola dispatches taken
from one Of them, and third, to escape like
treatment, forced to turn back when near that
city That those authorities have not ceased to
make war upon the United States since the can
ture by them of the navy yard, January l2tl.
Respectfully submitted,
WINFIELD SCOTT.
hEAEQuARTERS OF THE ARMY,
WASHINGTON, March 80, 1861.
SO The plan invented by Gen. Scott to stnn
Secession was like all campaigns devised by him.
very able in its details and nearly certain of
general success. The southern States are full Of
arsenals mud forts, commanding their rivers and
strategic points. General Scott desired to trims
fer tue army of the United States to these forts
as speedily and ms quietly as possible The
Southern States could not cut off communication
between the Government aud the furtresses with.
out II Or at fleet, which they cannot build for
years, or take them by land without one hun
dred thousand men, many hundred million, Of
dollars, several campaigns, and many "a bloody
siege. Had Scott been able to have got these
forts in the condition he desired them to be, the
Southern Confederacy would not now exisi"-
f~f y Tie eatogy pronounced on Secretary Fioyd, |
(pho dgjsdttd SCOTS pians) by The Richmond liz.
dminrr, on Floyd's reception al that city.
s&f 1t was not til. .Jauuary that, by the aid of