The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-20
SECRET HISTORY Of FORT SUMTER
froa Mr Special Correspondent, efAe Nto Fork Times
STEAMSHIP SARAGossA, Sunday, Aug. 4, 1867.

|
AS wo smiled out Of tho harbor Of Charleston
last evening, tho setting sun lii up with glow ant
| glory the slapolesH mass thnt srGs Fort Sumter-
tho most wondorful spot on tho continent. stood
long OH tho deck Of the steamer, surveying will
tho oye and the glass this historic pile. Il awokt
| tic last time loUkel upon it, wllcn on the fth o
| april, 1863, was in tho Ironsides with Dupont
while he and ltogers, and Drayton ttho brave
sailor souls since Sone to tho Shades, and Ammcn
and Rhind,. md tho rost, went into the mouth OF
hell with the iron fleet, and spent their fury or
Sumter, and retired discomttod. It raiscd oure,
thoughts, too.thoughts Of the ti1no when, or
that other April morning, six years agono, crowds
OF fair wonon gathered on tho battery yondor te
applaud with passionate learts tho assault OF tor
Thousand on tho little starving garrison. Finally,
i swept tho memory down through the evonts ol
TINT marvellous four years. siege, unparalleled in
military annals; aud not till tho historic mound
had fadcd 70 nero speck OH tho horizon did re-
tiro from tho taflrail, neditating many things.
During my sojonrn III South Carolina, certain
persons , Of consideration in the State knowing
history Of tho war; and that designed olller Ia
bors OF a larger scope, wero good enough to place
TO tho Initial movements Of Tic war in south Caro-.
| linn; tho secret history OF tho transactions res-
| pecting Fort Sumter; tho negotiations thercanent
tion. ,and;,touclng q, iator pcriod-tho, whole
record ef the Confederate defence against the sc-
| cessiyc attaeks made upon the fort. Those docu-
ments aro Of the highest Importance, bringing to
| light, in some casos, things hitherto hid from,
knowledge, and in othors supplying interesting
connecting links batwoen thingg known, but false
for publication in any ethes than historical form
but have thought TO occupy my mind during the
pasuasc to Now York in throwing into form q few
of ils points brought 10 light by this new mass OF
documentary oyidcnco.
The Convention Of South CAROLINA passed. the
ordinance OF secession on tho goth of December.
vva hy I'm
Qua to that oront, looking 10 the possession by
thom OF Tho forts in Charleston harbor. It Was not
OF OTIS secession 9 10 wit on the ssd Of 1sceHbor that
cd Of hIeasfy. i: ": BarnweIi, !. II; Adams and
nS hd L. Ss to Ssesp lie n States to Sa
ccrning tho relations between tho two p4rfos."
But there, is chapter Of socret history earlier
ZION passed. tho ordinance Of secession, and while
it Was yet celebrating, to wit, on tho 18th Of De-
sembeT Gay. J: y EiekSns, ho that was 'born
s e SsSo sT Ts1% % spRsani sPRsSa1
Fois FRsfAsaa s"%si II sSsS$ e S$sf
not "answer for tho cons. sesenfssp This 81 letter a
OF 30 much historical Importance tuat Hn9n Srso
1t textual insertion hero:
g ''' CoLuarnIA, December II, 1860.
tStrictly Coniidcutal.l
o''t MY DEnh SIN WITH sincere desire to pro-
address You directly aud truthfullyon points OF
deep and immediate interest.
,, l Gm automatically informed that tho forts in
Charleston harbor are now being thoroughly pre-
pured to turn, with effect, their guns Upon the
i mteror and the city,. Jurisdiction was codod by
defence from foreign invasion. and not with any
Wow that they Bhond DO turned upon tho State
In an ordinary case of mob rebellion, perhaps it
brcuk.. But when tho people Of ii the estate State, ' in
sovereign convention assembled determine TO re-
sumo thor original Powors Of separate and inda-
limit IL.
ed, and 1t ia no longer act of rebellion. I
therefore most respectfully urge TINT all work on
the forts 10 put stop to for tho prosout and that
The regular Convention OF OF 't the people OF tho
state OF South Carolina, legally and properly
called under our Constitution, is now in session,
tous questions, and tho oxcitemont of tho great
masses OF tho people is great under sensa Of
deep wrongs, and profound necessity Of doing
something to preserve the peace and safety Of tho
State.
70 spare the ei1son of blood. which no human
power may bo nSle to prevent earnestly beg your
your attention to. 1t ia not improbable that rin-
der orders nom tho Commandant, OF perhaps from
the Commander-in-ChIef of the Army, the altera-
ton and defcnccs OF thosq posts arc progressing
without tho knowledge OF yourself or Tho Secreta-
Tho Arsenal in the city of. Charleston, with tho
public arms, ! am informed, was turned over, very
properly, to tho kcoping and defence OF a State
torcG at the urgent request of the Governor of
L v,
from sincere devotion to tho public peace re-
quest TINT you would allow me to send small
force not exceeding twenty-five men and all officer,
to tako possession Of Fort Sumter immediately,
in order to give feeling of safety to tho commu.
nifty. Thore arc no United States troops in that
fort whateycr Or perhaps only four or five at pros
ont, besides sonle additional workInen or laborors
lately employed to put tho guns III order. II Fort
Sumter could be given to mo as Governor, under a
permission similar to TINT by which tho Governor
was permitted to keep the Arsenal, with tho United
States arms, in the city Of Charleston then think
tho public mind would be quieted, under feolingi
OF safety; and as tho Convention is now in full
perfect propriety. need not go into particulars,
for urgent reasons will force themselves readily
upon your consideration.
IL something OF tho kind bo not dono, I cannot
answer for the consequences.
send this By private and confidential gentle
man. who is authorized to confer with Mr.. Tres
cott fully and to receive through him any answer
you may think proper to givo to this. ;.
Most respectfully. yours truly,
TO the President of tho United siates.
There arc several things that dosorto TO be
noted in regard to this letter. The .tprivate and
Washington, was o certain D. H. Hamilton, who
signs himself "Ainjor First Regiment South Caro-.
lima Volunteers" The Mr.. Trescott with whom hd
Assistant Secretary Of State Of tho United States
South Carolinian and Sccessionist. tTho patriot
Cass having the 18th December eivon up in dis
gust thc pprlloiio oI tne 6tatB Dephrtment, tho
secrotaIry was now Jerry Black.) From lotter
now before me, from Major Hamilton to. Governor
Pickols it appears thhtthe messagc-bearer 'pro-
ceeded 10 Washington with tho utmost hsstss"
that ho arrived there tho Goth December; that he
sought and procured private intorviow with Pres-
asns sS%s tnt R W. T.
cnce, md that to Major Hamilton's request that nm
answer was desired at the earliest momont
possible, Buchanan replied that nm answer
would be returned on tho following day.
tho 2fHt. LII tho meantime, however,. Mr. Tres
colt became alarmed at the contents OF the letter
and after consulting with General Donham and
graphed Gov: Pickens for authority to Withdraw
tho letter. This Was Immediately given, and on
tho morning Of tho 21st Mr. Trescott receiY edttho
missiye bGok from Mfr. Buchanan. Tho motive
for this action on tho part OF Mr.. Trescott md
Gems. BonlIam and Mcqueen would be loft in OBJ
security werc it not for lettor OF tho former to
Gov. Pckcns. explaining fully tho reisons that
'.'Yashington,. Dec. 81, lets at tho aamo time o
stream flight iuto tho reoeasess OF Buchanan's
mind. II is too long for insertion born; but may
cpitomize It, 'H
1t tells doy. Picsons TINT Tho with hirawal OF tho
letter WA "most Oppprtune."
ThntPfesidont buchanan had removed Colonel
Gardiner, ttho predecessor Of Major Andrsron),
ammunition from tho arsonai OF ChnreBton,"
That Buchanan had refused to send reinforce
mcpto to tho garrison ttcre. That ho had sac
cepted tho resignation OF the oldest, most omi-
nent, snd lghost member OF his Cabinet, (Gen.
Cass). rathcf than consent 10 sond additional
forco.s
That tho writer fclt assured that rat that mo-
mont, Buchanan conld not bavc como to the extent
Enrt Sumfer I md that ~ fnrcnd tn anavor fha