The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-06-08

Floyd had long interview with Buell.,
and went over the ground very thor
oughly with him, explaining his views
in detail, so that there might be no mis-
understanding in a matter fraught with
SO much Importance to the nation.
Buell. proceeded to Fort Moultrie, and
after communicating the verbal instruc-
tions to Anderson, suggested that he
ought to have some written evidence of
them, and then, without awaiting a re-
ply, drew up the following document:
secretary Of war that collision of the troops
with the people Of this state shall be avoided,
and of his studied determination to pursue q
course with reference to the military force and
forts in this harbor which shall guard against
such collision. He has therefore carefully alb
stained from increasing the force at this point,
or taking any measures which might add to
represent excited state of the public mind,
or which would throw any doubt on the conf
dence he feels that South Carolina will not at
tempt by violence to obtain possession Of the
public works or interfere with their occu-
pancy. But as the counsel and acts of rash
and impulsive persons may possibly disappoint
these expectations of the government, he
deems it proper that you should be prepared
with instructions to meet SO unhappy a con-
tingency. He has therefore directed me, YER
bally, to give you such instructions.
You are carefully to avoid every act which
would needlessly tend to provoke aggression,
and for that reason you are not, without evil
dent and imminent necessity, to take up any
position which could be construed into the as.
sumption Of hostile attitude. But you are tc
hold possession of the forts in this harbor, and
if attacked to defend yourself to the last ex-
tremity. The smallness of your force will not
permit you perhaps to occupy more than one
of the three forts, but an attack on or an at
tempt to take possession of any one of them
will be regarded as an act of hostility, and you
may then put your command into either of
them which you may deem most proper to in
crease its power of resistance. You are also
authorized to take similar steps whenever you
have tangible evidence Of design to proceed
to hostile act D. G. BUELL.,
Assistant Adjutant General.
Fort Moultrie, s. c., Dec. II, 1860.
This is an exact copy of the original
instructions now on file in the war de.
partment. The secretary of war ap-
pended the following:
This is in conformity to my instructions to
Major Buell.. JOHN B. FLOYD,
Secretary of War.
Major Buell. returned to Washington,
arriving there on the 18th Of December.
One week afterward South Carolina Sc
coded, and six days after that Major
Anderson spiked the cannon, burned the
gun carriages, cut down the flagstaff,
abandoned Fort Moultrie and trans
ferred his forces to Sumter. The press
instantly declared that Major Anderson
had acted without orders. Mr.. Buch-
anan called upon God to witness that it
was not only without but against his
orders and against his policy. Secre-
tary Floyd also said that Anderson had
acted without orders. The cabinet was
called together Immediately. AS the
members assembled Major Buell. was
sent for, and he came at once to the
White House.
AS the members proceeded to the
room the criticisms upon Anderson's
movements were severe and general.
All seemed to think that he had acted
without orders. Secretary Floyd was
loudly condemnatory of Anderson's &C
ton. The existence of the order OF
Dec. II, transmitted to Major Anderson
by Major Buell., seemed to be ignored or
forgotten, when the attention of the
cabinet was called to them by Judge
Black. The order was at once produced
from the war department. The paper
itself contained the Endorsement of the
secretary Of wax. who had probably