The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-11-18
SCOTT VERSUS BUCHANAN.
Rej0inder Of Lieutenant Gen. Scott
to EX-President Buchanan.

I regret to find myself in controver-
sy with the venerable ex-President Buch-
anan.
Recently, (Oct. 21) you published my
official report to President Lincoln, da-
ted March 80, 1861, giving a summary
of my then recent connection with our
principal Southern forts, which am sor-
ry to perceive, has given offense to the
ex-President That result, purely incl
dental, did not enter into my purpose in
drawing up the paper; but, on reflection,
suppose that, under the circumstances,
offense was unavoidable.
Let it be remembered that the new
President had right to demand of me
the immediate commander OF the army
how it had happened that the incipient
rebels had been allowed to seize several
of these forts, and from the bad condi-
ton of others were likely to gain posses
sion Of them. Primarily the blame rest
ed exclusively on me. Hence, to vindi-
cate my sworn allegiance to the Union
and professional conduct, the report was
submitted to President Lincoln at an
early day lin his administrator and re-
Gently to the world.
To that short paper ex-President
Buchanan publishes a report of double
the length in the Intelligencer of the lst
inst. My rejoinder, from necessity, if
not taste, will be short, for hold the pen
in rheumatic hand, and am without
aid-de-camp or amanuensis, and with
out printed document and my own Off
cial papers.
Unable, in my present condition, to
make an analysis of the ex-President S
reply, avail myself of substitute furn-
ished by an accidental visitor, who has
kindly marked the few points which he
thinks may require some slight notice at
my hands.
l. To account for not having garrison
ed sufficiently the Southern forts named
against anticipated treason and rebel
lion, according to my many irecommen-
dations, beginning October 90, 1860, re-
peated the next day, and again more
earnestly December Is, Is, % and 30,
the ex-President says: "There were no
available troops within reach"
Now, although it is true that with or
without the ex-President's appreciation,
! the Secretary of War had nearly denuded
our whole Eastern seaboard of troops IL
order to augment our forces in Texas
and Utah | nevertheless pointed out
at several of the above dates, the six
hundred recruits (about) which we had
in the harbor of New York and at Car
Isle Barracks, Pennsylvania, nearly al
organized into temporary companies,
and tolerably drilled and disciplined
quite equal to the purpose in question
besides the five companies of regulars
near at hand, making about one thou
sand men. These disposable troops
would have given (say) two hundred mer
to the twin Forts jackson and St Philip
below New Orleans; an equal number tC
Fort Morgan, below Mobile; re-enforce
ment of one hundred men to Fort Pick
ems, Pensacola harbor and a garrison o
the like number to the twin Fort Nc
Rae; garrison of one hundred men tt
Fort jefferson, Tortugas Island, and th'
same to Fort Pulaski, below Savannah
which, like Forts Jackson, ST Philip
Morgan and McRae, had not at the tim
soldier-leaving about two hundret
men for the twin forts, Moultrie AM
Sumter, Charleston harbor, where ther
were two weak companies, making les
| than ninety men. Fortress Monroe ha'
already garrison of some eight compa
nies, one or two of which might, il
! the earlier period of danger, hav,
; been spared till volunteers could hav'
been obtained, Notwithstanding printe
| handbills were everywhere posted i
. Eastern Virginia by an eccentric char
! acter inviting recruits to take that mos
! important work.
Now, have nowhere said that eithe
of those forts, even with the re-enforct
6 ment indicated, would have had wa
garrison. Certainly not. My propos
ton was to put each in a condition, an
l expressly said, TO guard against SUI
prise, or coup de main Ian oh-hand a
) tack, one without full preparatory
That these movements of small de
tacbments might easily have been mad
# in November and December, 1860, an
some of them as late as the followin
month, cannot be doubted. But the e.
| President sneers at my weak device
, for saving the forts. He forgets whs
the gallant Anderson did with a handft
d of men in Fort Sumter, and leaves OF
of the account what he might have don
with like handful in Fort Moultrie
even without further augmentation {
men to divide between the garrison
j. Twin forts, on the opposite sides of
channel, not only give cross fire on th
n head of an attack, but the strength {
d each is more than doubled by the flanl
Il ing fire of the other. The same remark
: apply to the gallant Lieutenant Slen
Il mer, with his handful of brave men i
/ Fort Pickens. With what conteml
/ might he not have looked upon Chase
Bragg, in front of him, with varyin
masses of from two thousand to six thol
e sand men, if Fort Pickens and its twi
n Fort McRae had had between them onl
n two hundred men.
o have thus shown that small garrison
d would at first have suficed for the othe
!, twins, Forts Jackson and St Phillip ais,
e Ny object was to save to the Union,
o any means at hand, all these works, IN
r til Congress could have time to authoriz
d call for volunteers-a call which th
s President, for such purposes, might n
hova o1a1n ruifhout ouu