, 1862-04-23
THE FIRST DAYS OF THE
REBELLION.
The Surrender and Abandonment
of Federal Property.
Report Of the Investigating
Committee.

~ HAe11NGloSt Ap1ll 10.
The select Committee Of the Senate,
through Mr. Hale, Of New Hampshire made
their report to-day, under the resolution adopt
cd in July last, instTucting them to inquire
into the circumstances attending the surrender
Of the Navy Yard at Pensacola, the destruc-
tion Of the property Of the United States at
Norfolk NaVy Yard and the Ar1nory at Har-
by tte Federal forces; and, also. whether there
was any default On the part Of our officers.
The Committee relate at length the facts as
to the amount Of property at the Norfolk
Yard, which was valued at 50, f6o,o 900. The
vessels were worth nearly two millions, and
there were in the yard at least two thousand
heavy guns, Of which three hundred were Of
the Dablgren pattern. The Administration Of
President Buchanan must have been perfectly
cogniz;u,t Of the series Of events that distinct
II forcshadoTed the civil war about to be en.
1cted. Therefore the Committee regard it is
the gravest character, that it WAS party to
that fatal policy Of temporizat1on aud neSo-
tiatjOn with an armed and causeless rebellion
against the 1ightful authority OF the 1uws, and
condemn the ecrupulous tenderness toTards
Ecdiion agencies which seems to have actua.
ted the Government at the tine. 4 want Of
yiyof and decision in the discharge Of its du-
tics On the part of the new AdnAnisteat!n may
be regarded as strange, if not as tAilure to
appreciate The actual conai5lou Of the country.
at least until the 10th Of April, orthirty seven
days afier the expiration OF the previous Ad-
miDis1ration.
The Committee can find eXtenuation for this
only in that insane deIuEion which seemed to
have occupied the public mind, that the por
tcntoIs clouds that had blacktnrd TIC lcar-
CTS for months were charged with no real dan
yer, and were to be dissipated by continu-
alton Of & forbearancc which had been contln-
ucd so long that it had ceased to be q virtue,
and had become the most di6gtacctul Weak
ness and pus:llanimity.
Capt. McCaulcy Was induced to believe that
The peace and security Of the lard depended
uron preserving the existing State Of things,
and upon doiug nothing further to excite tile
already nladdened public feeling, and WAS will
ing to see the Government lie still and be
bound Land and foot till it should be com
pletcy III the power Of the insurgents. In
the threats and lnenaces OF the mob, eXasp pe-
rated By the representation of tllc ease By the
traitotous officers who surrendered the coul~
mnn1, and a..ainst whom he WAS warned, but
without avail, ttt Committee have the key to
his dcporab!e conc1usiou; and the TACT that
neither he nor Capt. Pau1ding and Capt. Pen
dergrast now remember or acknowledge the
operation Of such influences upon their con-
duct, goes far to sho + the iuconsidetatc haste.
il not tiuaidily aud want OF nerve, under which
they ucted-
The Committee cannot understand why
Capt. Paulding, the srecEl and confidential
agent Of tie Department, should have felt at
| liurrty to leave, within few hours after his
t arrival, this Yard and the property connected
! lerewith, with the defence Of which hc was
| entrusted, without first having determined, il
| consultation With Captains McCanlcy aud
Pcndersrast, upon some definite course to be
lursucd in the event Of imuincnt danger to,
| or an attack upon the Yard.
The Cuulmit;ec caulc to The following con-
| clusors:
| Frs. The Administration Of Buchanan were
~
| ;pd employing every possible mans t. prosec!
aud dcitnd this Yard after indications Of DANCE,
| lad manifested the1us s'lyes.
| Secp3td. Ii. Administration OF Mr. Lincoln
| tl..Io1 be held bia1ielesa for suffering thirty
scSer days 10 elapse after be can't into power be
[ itrc n,aking movement for the delc2cs OF 1hs
| 1n'1
| Tint. Captain McCau1ey was highly cerausa
bic for neA lectlus TO eend the MeIrlmac f1om tht
| ships und preparing TO abandon the Yard befor'
:; 'dny a'tack Wus made seriously thrraten':u
When he should have teftnded1t and the pEoi'e1t,
| entrEsted TO him-rtptlliug force by force, is h,
Wa iusituceed 10 do If the occasion presented ii
self
Feu1ta Captain .paulding vas censurab1e 10
Captain repdc1erast while he WAS at the Yard O.
Tie nh Of april. in regard to the course to be pa'
eued in the event Of an attack npon the Iard an
also for Immediately upon his arrival at the Satt
on the so.h, ordering the property to be burne
and the Yard abandoned before taking the prppe
means to sati=fy himself that any necessity 1c
| euch measures existed
FyM. Capt. Pendergrast. in command Of th
Cumberland, the flagship Of the home Squadron
! made no suggestions to the measures proper I
| be adopted, and eeems to have taken no pArt i
| the transaction, excepting 10 move his ship as
. | wae directed.
The Committee say they can sugges
: | no remedy for the errors which, they thinf
/ have been proved IN this. case. 30 far as th
officers Of the Nary are concerned, it belong
. to the Executive Department of the GoTeri
!, | n,ent to determine what course shall be pu
sued. The estimation formed by that Depar
e 1neDt Of the conduct Of Captains McCaule,
/ Pau1ding and Pendergrast, has been nanifests
By leaving the frst-naued without active dut
, and assigning to the others the commands
TWO Of the most important Navy Yards =
+ have left, namely, the Yard at Brooklyn,
T., and the Philadelphia Yard.
!. In concluding what they hare thought
their duty to say on this subject, the Commi
h tee would simply remark, that the lesso,
afforded by the surrender Of the Norfolk MAJ
h | Yard viii not be wholly without their vaI1
h pusillanimity in the defence Of our rights m
y he as seriously injurious as the open assault
Of our enemies.
g. In renarkIng upon the subject Of the HI
per's Ferry Armory, 1.-THE Committee see
IS cause for censurc in the conduct OF Capta
N Roger Jones. To the neglect Of the Govel
IS meut TO take any measures to strengthen
le decnd that establishment during the win1
1e | preceding its abandonment, the same gene
te remarks are applicable as those made ID ref
il ence TO the Norfolk Navy Yard
N The Committee making this report YRS co
posed Of Senators Hale Of New Hampshi
~ johnson Of Tonneseee, and Grimes OF Iowa