New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-09-12
FOX on SUMTER.

We suppose the recently published statement
of Capt. Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy,
is given to the public at this time as sort OF
supplement to the speech of his friend and rela-
tive, Mr.. Montgomery Blair. The important
point in it is the defeat Of the effort in which
Capt. Fox engaged for the relief of Fort Sum-
ter. in April, 1861. His narrative shows that
after repeated attempts, he gained the consent
of the President to reinforce Sumter with provi-
sions but no troops. Fox had ascertained by
a visit to Major Anderson that the latter
could not hold out longer than the 18th April.
Returning to Washington with this report,
he obtained the sanction of President Lincoln
10 plan. the details Of which he gives at length
in this report Without going into those details,
it is sufficient to say that the success of it was
dependent on the aid expected from such naval
vessels as were available, and especially from
the Powhatan. Beside the Powhatan, Capt.
Fox had the Pocahontas and Pawnee, and the
revenue cutter Harriet Lane but the Powhatan
alone was furnished with the boats and crews
which could insure the landing Of supplies at
Sumter.
II now appears that while Capt. Fox was in
New-York arranging the details Of his expedi-
ton, an order was extracted from the
President, on the recommendation OF
Secretary Seward, detaching the Powhatan
from the Sumter expedition, without the
knowledge Of Capt. Fox, and sending her to
Fort Pickens. More accurately speaking, an
order was obtained by Secretary Seward from
the President authorizing Lieut.. Porter of the
Navy, and Capt. Meigs L. s. Engineers, " to
take any vessel whatever in commission, and
proceed Immediately to the Gulf of Mexico"
When President Lincoln signed this order, at
the instance Of Mr.. Seward, he, the President,
did not know that it was to apply to the Pow
hatan, or that it would in any way interfere
with the expedition under Capt. Fox for the
relief of Fort Sumter. Yet, under that order,
not only was the Powhatan seized, but
Capt. Fox was kept in ignorance of the
fact that she had been seized although
he remained in NewYork two days after Mr.
Seward had deprived him of the vessel which
was his main reliance in the attempt to supply
Sumter with provisions. Capt. Fox did in fact
leave the port of New-York surprising and ex-
pecting that the Powhatan had sailed for
Charleston before him, and when he arrived off
Charleston, he waited vainly for the appearance
of that vessel which he knew had left New
York two days before he himself left, but
which he did not know had sailed for
Fort Pickens instead Of Charleston. To
that circumstance that is, to the change
of the Powhatan's destination by Mr.. Seward's
orders and the intentional concealment of the
change both from tho President and from
Capt. Fox, the latter now attributes the failure
of the expedition for the relief of Fort Sumter
and the national humiliation which followed
upon the surrender of that fort to the Rebels. If
there is any controversy on the point, We pre-
sumo a statement will be furnished on the other
side; Ut it is only fair to Capt. Fox to say that
he gives such dates, evidence, and official docu-
ments as make out prima jaeie case in his
favor