The National tribune., 1907-01-31

act of your executive authority. Be
the issue what it may, of this we are
assured, that if Fort Moultrie has been
recorded in history as a memorial of
Carolina gallantry, Fort Sumter will
live upon the succeeding page as an
imperishable testimony of Carolina
faith.
by your course you have probably
rendered civil war inevitable. Be il
so. If you choose to force this issue
upon us. the State of South Carolina
will accept it, and relying upon Him
who is the God of Justice as well as
the God of Hosts, will endeavor to per-
form the great duty which lies before
her, hopefully. bravely and thoroIy."
buchanan had indorsed upon this
This paper is of such character that
the President could not receive it."
Gen. Scott's Loyalty.
In this crisis Gen. Scotts loyalty rang
out with no uncertain sound. What
ever may have been his views at one
time as to the future disintegration OF
the country, the moment there was ac-
tual talk of force against the countrys
Flag the soldier-spirit famed up in him
and he displayed all the ardor and
courage of Lundy's Lane and Chrys-
ler's Field. He never ceased to urge
upon the Government to take proper
measures to hold fits fortiffcations and
protect its property, and Secretary
F'loyd'S disdain of his communications
to this effect did not deter him from
doing what he considered his duty 10
his country. He strongly approved of
Maj. Anderson's movement to Fort
Sumter, and the day that he heard of
it wrote to the Secretary of War urging
that the former be not ordered back to
Fort Moultrie and that 15n recruits be
instantly sent to him from Governors
Island as reinforcements, with ample
supplies of ammunition and subsistence,
which latter should include fresh veg
etableS, as potatoes, onions and tur-
nips. Scott also urged that one Or
two armed vessels be sent to support
the fort. He renewed his recommended
ton respecting Forts Jackson, St. Phil
| ip, Morgan, Pulaski. Pickens, McRae.
Jefferson and Taylor. He was particu-
| larly anxious about these last two,
which involved the control of the water
way of the Gulf of Mexico. There was
only a skeleton company at Key West
for the defense of Fort Taylor, and
| mot soldier in Fort jefferson to re-
sist even a handful of fiIibusters or 4
| row-boat of pirates" On Dec. 90
| Scott wrote directly to the President
| asking him to send. without reference
to the War Department and as secretly
as possible, $50 recruits from New York
harbor to Fort Sumter with supplies Of
ammunition and subsistence stores and
slOop of war. The General informed
the President that tho he was Ill, he
was at any instant at the Presidents
service; all that he wanted was hint
from the President to do that thing
and it would be done. He got the de-
| sired permission and at once sent Or
ders to Col. Dimick at Fort Monroe To
inor at 1..-
200 men, on board the sloop of war
Brooklyn, with stores for 80 days, to
manage everything as secretly and
| confidentially as possible, and to look
| to the matter personally, as he, Scott,
would hold him responsible for it. He
ordered Col. Lorenzo Thomas, the AS
sistant Adjutant-General, to Inform
Maj. Anderson that his conduct meets
| with the emphatic appreciation of the
highest in authority"
In Fort Sumter.
Anderson's first thot in taking pos
session of Fort Sumter was to make it
| secure against an attack. 1t was reas-
| enable to suppose that the people in
| Charleston had already learned of the
| transfer of the garrison, and there
would be plenty of time before morn
ing for them to organize an assailing
party. which could, in the then condi-
| ton Of the fort, simply overwhelm the
| little band of soldiers inside its walls.
There was large stone wharf on the
side of the fort facing Charleston, and
all around the fort ran a wide ledge OF
granite fiag-stones which would afford
a fOothold for assailants. The many
embrasures We're nearly all open, MAX
ing so many entrances. A great many
! of the workingmen were disloyal, and
some of them had gone off to Charles
ton, undoubtedly carrying the fullest in
| formation as to the forts condition. The
first work. therefore, of the soldiers
was to barricade as many of the en-
brasures as possible, and take such
other means of defense as would rem
| der their small number of the best uso
/ in defending SO great a work. There
were not nearly enough men. all told.
TO properly defend any one of the five
sides, especially that side facing the
city.
| Charleston Learns the News.
| The obtrusive liyeliness of the re-
veille by the fife and drum corps, which
foated out on the crisp morning air,