Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-10-24
Qeneral sootl,s vindIeatIon.


The letter Of General Scott to Secretary
Seward having been made public by John
Van Buren, another paper by the same au-
thor has been published by authority, in
the National Intelligeneer. This consists
Of memoranda respecting the occupation
and reinforcement Of the Southern forts
during the latter part of Buchanan's Ad-
ministratiOn. By this memoranda, it ap-
pears that on the S0th Of October, 1860,
General Scott called the attention Of the
President to the necessity of strongly gar
risoning the forts of the Southern coast,
iReluding those at Charleston and Pensa-
cola. On the next day he urged the send
ing Of circular to each of those forts, eau
toniHg them to be on the alert against all
surprises or sudden assaults. On the 18th
Of December, (having in the meantime been
confined to his bed, General Scott urged
upon the Secretary of War Floyd the
same views. The Secretary did not con-
cur in them, and the General begged an
opportunity to present them to the Presi-
dent in person. This interview was had
December 18th, at which Buchanan said
the time had not yet come for garrisoning
those forts; that he should wait the action
Of the Convention Of South Carolina, in the
a-raetatio- .l..s n,,-.-.,issi..-, -vn.,ld he
appointed to wait upon him to arrange
terms Of secession; that the question Of Sc
osssion would be submitted to Congress,
and if that body decided against secession,
then he would reinforce the forts. Gener-
al Scott urged that it would then be too
late but 10 action was taken. On the
18th of December, after Major Anderson
had removed his garrison from Fort MOul-
trie to Fort Sumter, General Scott again
urged the sending of reinfOrcements TO
him, together with several vessel loads of
provisions, &C., and also of strengthening
the other coast forts. On the 30th, having
failed to obtain consent Of the Secretary of
War to his plans, he asked Of the Presi-
dent permission to send secretly 250 re-
eruits from New York to Fort Sumter.
But the President had bound himself by a
sort of truce or armistice with certain
principal seceders in South Carolina, Flor
ida, Louisiana, SC, and this truce lasted
to the end of that Administration" 1t
was not until the Sd Of January that the
permission which had been solicited 0ctO-
Der s1st, 10 notify the commanders of the
Southern forts to be on their guard against
surprises, was granted. Finally, the
slOOp-Of-war Brooklyn left the Chesapeake
On the 22d of January with a single COM
pany Of 80 men for the reinforcement of
Fort Pickens, but was instructed not to land
che men unless that fort should be attacked.
In all these hesitations and instructions
the sympathy of the President with the re-
bellion is evident. Under these instruc-
tons, the Brooklyn was compelled most Of
the tine to be so far off the fort Ito avoid
danger in rough weather) that rebel
force might have attacked and taken the
fort before her men could be landed. 1t
was only after President LincOln's inau-
Ruration that the order was at length sent
tAL---L Issl.5 60 si4e DfOoAIy4 a " i1---'i i1Sf
men at the fort and hold it at all hazards
In this whole history, the treaehery Of
Buchanan stands out in glaring relief, and
confirms all that has been charged upon
him.