Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-16
HOW THE STEAMER BROOKLYN WAS SAVED

PLOTS AND COUNTER PLOTs-A CIPHER TELE
GRAM-INTERESTING CHAPTER IN THE EARLY
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION.
On the 31st Of December, 1860, Lieut.. Genera
Scott addressed an order from the headquarters
of the army, in this city, to the commanding
officer at Fortress Monroe to prepare and put
on board the sloop-of-war Brooklyn, as soon as
the latter can receive them, four companies.
making at least two hundred men, destined to
reinforce Fort SUMTER Some further instruc-
tons as to details were given, and the order
closes with the following in the way of post
script:
manage everything as secretly and conf
dentially as possible. Look to this" rebellion
Records vol. !, p. 1871
How secret and confidential the matter was
kept may be inferred from the fact that on
the same day teiegraphic dispatch
was sent from the United States cap
itOl, signed by two Senators and three
Representatives advising certain prominent Sc
cessiOnists in Norfolk to seize the steamer
Brooklyn as she lay at the wharf, as Virginia's
share of the navy of the United States.
AS Virginia had not at the time seeded from
the Union, the object Of this seizure was doubt
less to prevent the Brooklyn from being used as
proposed by Gen. Scott. and at the same time
secure means of repelling any attempt to rein
force Sumter by any other U. S. vessel. The
acquisition Of so formidable craft as the Brook
Ign at that time, with nearly every vessel of our
navy in distant foreign waters would have been
a great gain to the embroy confederacy and a
serious loss to the government
The same want of confidence and secrecy.
w Ward hny
ever, extended to the telegraph Office when
the force was about one-third Union and two
thirds secesh-and nearly all strongly partisan
The knowledge that this dispatch had been sent
to Norfolk reached one Of the Union employees
who, early next morning, called upon Secretary
Toucey,- of the Navy department, and informed
him OF its nature, and, so strong was the dis
trust of the loyalty of the members of Mr..
Buchanan's administration at that time, wit
ness was taken to prove the warning should it
be UNDECIDED and the steamer allowed to be cap
tured. Secretary Toucey, however. promptly
communicated in cipher with Commodore Nc
Cauley, and the associated press dispatches of
the next day announced that ''the steamer
Brooklyn, In the storm last night dragged her
anchor and fioated out into the middle of the
stream" She did not return to her wharf, but a
udy OT TWO ldtcT was OFucfeu l1IO hampton
Roads. She did not convey the recruits, how
ever, probably because the secret had leaked out,
and another effort was made to send reinforce
ments secretly from New York by the Star of the
West, which was frustrated the news of her mis-
sion having reached Charleston almost before
she was out of sight of Sandy Hook The
Brooklyn was ordered to support the move
ment, and in the event of failure to convoy the
relief ship to Fortress Monroe, but did not sail
In time, and the Star Of the West returned from
her unsuccessful mission to New York. A
little later the Brooklyn participated in
the expedition for the reinforcement
Of Fort Pickens, which, after some
delays from political correspondence was sue
cessful.
It is a little singular that the telegram OF
Secretary TOucey to Commodore McCauley can
not be found In the records Of the Navy depart
ment. 1t is possible that the secretary wrote
the dispatch at his residence, it being holiday,
(New Years but as the official cipher was used.
it is probable that he purposely withheld the
communication from the files to prevent a
knowledge of his action reaching some of his
colleagues in Mr.. Buchanan's cabinet Aside
from the positive recollection of the writer OF
this article, the fact Of the telegram having been
sent Is shown by a telegram from Commodore
McCauley that message was received and un-
derstOod, and the vouchers of the department
for that month show the payment Of $3.50 as
tele0raphic tolls on such message.