The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1862-12-13
Major Anderson for this very purpose.

same day, presenting to me General Jackl
sons conduct in 1888, during the period of
notification, as an example, requires no
special notice. Even if the cases were no.
entirely different, had previously determin
ed upon a policy Of my own, rs will appear
from my annual message. This WAS, at
every hazard to collect the customs at Char
lesion, and outside of the port, If need he, in
vessel of war. Mr.. Cocock, the existing
Collector, rs had anticipated, resigned his
Office about the end of December, and i'm.
mediately thereafter, nominated to the
Senate as his successor a suitable person,
prepared at any personal risk to do his duty.
Tha, body, however, throughout its entire
session, declined to act on this nomination.
Thus, without a Collector, it was rendered
impossible to collect the revenue.
FORT PIcKENs.
w. Gen. Scott's statement alleges that
1.-THE Brooklyn, with Capt. Vodge's company
alone, left the Chesapeake for Fort Pickens
about January 9Gd. and on the goth, Presi
dent Buchanan, having entered into quasi
armistice with certain leading seceders at
Pensacola and elsewhere, caused Secretaries
Holt and Toucey to instruct 10 a joint note
:he commander of the war vessels off Pen.
sacola, and Lieut.. Slemmer, commanding
Fort Pckens, to commit no act of hostility,
and not to Ian Capt. Vodge's company
unless the fort should be attacked" He
afterwards states, with brackets, "thst joint
note never saw, but suppose the ar'n'stice
WAS consequent upon the meeting of the
Peace Convention at Washington, and was
| undorstnO3 To terminata with II y
These statements betray a singular want
of memory on the part OF Gen. Scott. 1t is
scarcely credible that this very Joint note,
presented in such odions coors was sub.
mitted to Gen. Scott on the dav it was pre-
pared, (29th January,) and met his entire
appreciation. would not venture to make
this assertion if did not possess conc usive
evidence to prove it, On that day Secretary
Holt addressed me note, from which the
following is an extract: II have the salts
faction OF saying that Oh submitting the
paper to Gen. Scott he expressed himself
satisfied with it, saying there could be no
objection to the arrangement in military
point of view or otherwise" 1t requires no
comment. That the General had every rea.
son to be satisfied with the arrangement will
appear from the following statement:
A revolutionary outbreak had occurred In
Florida; t 9 troops of the United States
had been expelled from Pensacola and the
adjacent navy yard; and Lieut.. Semmer of
the artillery, with his brave little command
had b.en forced to take refuge in Fort
Pickens. where he was in imminent danger
every momeutof being captured by vastly
superior force. Owing to the interruption
of regular communications, Secretary Holt
did not receive information of these events
until several days after theirr occurrence, and
then through a letter addressed to a third
person. He instantly informed the Presi
dent of the fast. and reinforcements, provis.
ions and military stores were despatched By
the Brooklyn to Fort Pickens without
moments unnecessary delay. She left For
,ress Monroe on the oath of January.
Welhfounded apprehensions were, how.
ever, entertained a. the time of her depar
ture that the reinforcements, with the vessels
OF war at no great distance from Fort Pick
ems, could not arrive in time to defend it
against the impending attack. In this State
of suspense, and while Lieut.. SIeInmer was in
extreme peril, Senators SIidell, Hunter and
Bigler received telegraphic despatch from
Senator Mallory of Florida, dated at Pensa
cola on the 28th of January, with the urgent
President. This despatch expressed an earn,
est desire to maintain the peace, as well as
the most positive assurance that no attack
would be made on Fort Pickens if the pres.
ent status should be preserved.
This proposal was carefully considered,
both with view to the safety of the Fort
and to the unhappy effect which an actual
collision either at that or any other point
might produce on the Peace Convention then
about to assemble at Washington. The rel
suit was that a joint despatch was carefully
prepared by the Secretaries Of War and Ma
w accepting the proposal, with important
notifications, which was transmitted by tel
egraph on the Goth January to Lieut.. Slem'
lner and the naval commanders near the sta.
ton. 1t is too long for transcription; suffice
it to say it was carefully guar ed at every
point for the security of the Fort and its free
communication with Washington.
The result was highly fortunate. The
Brooklyn had long passage Although
she left Fortress Monroe on the Gath Janua,
ry, she did net arrive at Fo,t Pickens until
9th February. In the meantime Fort Pick |
ems, with Lieut.. Semmer (whose conduct dc
serves high commenda'on) and his brave
little band were placed, by virtue of this ar
rangement, in perfect security until an ade'
quate force hal arrived to defend it against
any attack The fort is still in our possession.
Well might General Scott have expressed
his satitfactioi wit this arrangement. The
General WAS cprrect in the supposilion that
this arrangement was to expire on the ter.
lnination Of le Peace Convention.
REINFORCEyENTS FOR MAJOR ANDERSON.
V. But we now come to an important
PERIOD when dates will be essentially neces.
sary to disentagle the statement of Gen.
Scott. The 81 th Carolina Commissioners
were appointed on the 23d, and arrived in