Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-12


wishes Of the Govern -nent, and you will
.nereiore consider Yourself detached. But
IN taxing TINS step, the Government does not
IN tne least reject upon your efficiency and
patriotismi on the contrary, have the fullest
conhdence in your ability to perform any
duty required Of you. -,
hopping soon TO be able 10 givo you q bet
ter command than the one you now enjoy,
and trusting that you will have full conf
dence in the disposition Of the Government
toward you, 1 remain, &c,
(Signed,) ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
CSpt S. MERCER, U. s. Navy.
A true copy. (Signed) M, Q. MEIGs.
Captain of Engineers and Chief Engineer of
Col Browns Expedition.
ORDER TO THE ouARrERMAsrRR IN NEW
'' YORK,
.!a. % .tv WAR DEPARTMENT, }
ADtUTANr GENERALS OFFICE,
..f. April 1, 1861.
Sin: By direction Of the War Department
you will charter such vessels as Capt. q. V.
Fox, tho bearer of this, may designate, for
such times and with such supplies as he may
indicate.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
L. THOMAS, Adjutant General.
Col d; ID. Tompk'as, Assistant Quartermas.
tor General, Kew York.
GEN scoTTTo COL. Tr-"coSFIDESrIAL." g"
IConndentiall
HEAaUARTERs OF THE Army,
WAsHINGToS, April 4, 1854. I
SIR: This letter will he handed to you by
Capt. @. V. Fox, ex-officor Of the navy, a
gentleman Of high standing as we'll as extra
ordinary nautical ability. He is charged by
high authority here with the command of an
expedition (under cover of certain ships of
war; whose object is to reinforce Fort Sum-
ter. To embark with Capt. Fox, you will
cause detachment Of recruits, say about two
hundred, to be immediately organised at
Fort Columbus, with competent number of
ofhoers, army ammunition, and subsistence
A large surplus Of the latter-indeed, as
great as the vessels will take, with other
necessaries-will be needed for the augment
cd garrison Of Fort Sumter The subsistence
ana other supplies should be assorted like
tnose which were provided by you and Capt.
ward, Of the navy, for former expedition.
Consult Capt Fox and Major Eaton on the
subject, and give oil necessary orders in my
name to fit out the expedition, except that
the hiring the vessels will be left to others
Some fuel must be shippedi oil, artillery i'm
Plements, fuses, cordage, slow match me-
chanical levers, and gins, &C., &C., should
also be put on board. Consult, also If ne
cessary, tcoufdentially,) Col Tompkins and
Major Thornton. Respectfully,
WINFIELD ScoTT.
Lieut.. Col r. L. SCoTT Abide Camp.
SECRETARY cAMEpoS's INSTRUCTIONS TO
CAPTAIN Fox
WAR DEPARTMENT,
WARRINGTON, April 8, 1861. !
SIR: 1t having been decided to succor Fort
Sumter, you have been selected for this i'm
portant duty. Accordingly, you will take
charge Of the transports in New York, hav-
ing the troops and supplies on board, to the
port OF Charleston harbor, and endeavor, in
the first instance, to deliver the subsistence.
II you are opposed in this, you are directed
to report the fact to the senior naval officer
OF the harbor, who will be instructed by the
Secretary Of the Navy to use his entire force
to open passage, when you will if possible,
effect an entrance, and place both the troops
and supplies on Fort Sumter.
am, sir, &C., &C.,
SIMON CAMERON, Secretary of War.
Capt. G. V. Fox, Washington.
SECRETARY wELLEs' INSTRUCTIONS TO CAPT.
MERCER, OF THE PowHATAN.
Capt Samuel Mere r, commanding The U. S.
Stedmer PotchutdH, Ne,o York:
SIR: The United States steamers Pow
hatan, Pocahontas, Pawnee and Harriet Lane
will compose naval force under your com
mand to be sent to the vicinity of Charles
tor, s. G., for the purpose of aidingin carry
ing out tho objects of an expedition of which
the War Department has charge.
The primary object of the expedition is to
provision Fort Sumter, for which purpose tn c
War Department will furnish the necessary
transports. Should the authorities Of Charles.
ton permit the fort to be supplied no further
particular service will be required of the
force under your command, and, after being
satisfied that supplies have been received Al
the fort, the POwhatan, Pocahontns and
Harriet Lane will return to New York, and
the Pawnee to Washington.
Should the authorities at Charleston, how
ever, refuse to permit or attempt to prevent
the vessel or vessels having supplies on boar,
from entering the harbor or from peaceabl,
proceeding to Fort Sumter, you will protec
the transports or boats of the expedition in
the object of this mission-disposing of you
force in such manner as to open the way
for their ingress, and afford, so far as practi-
cable, security to the men and boats, and
repelling, by force If necessary, all obstruc.
tions to provisioning the fort and reinforcing
it for, in case Of resistance to the peaceablG
primary object Of the expedition, a reinforce
ment Of the garrison would also be attempted
These purposes will be under the supervision
of the War Department, which has charge o
the expedition. The expedition has beel
intrusted to Capt G. V. Fox, with whom yOl
viii put yourself in communication, and co
operate with him to accomplish and carr,
into effect its object
You will leave New York with the Pow
hatan in time to be off Charleston bar, te
miles distant from and due east of the light
house, on the morning of the llth inst, ther
to await the arrival of the transport or trans
ports with troops and stores. The Pawne
and Pocahontas will be ordered to join yOl
there at the time mentioned, and also tn
Harriet Lane, which latter vessel will b
placed under the control Of this Department
for this service.
On the termination of the expedition
whether it be peaceable or otherwise, tn
several vessels under your command will re
turn to the respective ports as above directed
unless some unforeseen circumstances sha
prevent. am, &c &c,
(Signed) GIDEON WELLEs,
Secretary of the Navy.
Here follows similar orders to Commando
Gilis, of the POcahOntasi Commander Rowal
of the Pawnee and Captain Faunce, Of Il
Harriet Lane.
PRESIDENT LINCOLN TO CAPT. FOX.
r. WAsHISGToE, May l, 1861.
Capt. q. Y. For.
My DEAR SIR; sincerely regret that Il
failure of the late attempt to provision Fo
Sumter should be the source Of any ammo.
ance to you The practicability of your pla
was not, in fact, brought to test. By reasC
Of gale well known in advance to bo po
sible and not improbable, the tugs, an essel
tial part of the plan, never reached II
ground; while, by an accident, for which yO