The National tribune., 1907-02-28


Guaranteed under Food ard Drugs Act.
June 80. 1906 No. 3eA.
an invading foe. 1t IL equally clear
from repeated Investigations and trials
that the range Of her guns is too lin
tied to reach the city of Charleston. il
that were desirable.
Z NO practical benefit will result tn
the country or Government by accept
ing the proposal alluded to. and / am,
therefore. of the opinion that the cause
of humanity and the highest obliga
ton to the public interest would be
best promoted by adopting the coun-
sells of those brave and experience
men whose suggestions 1 have laid be-
fore YOU"
The Second Cabinet Council.
Mr.. Seward was probably the strong
est influence in the Cabinet against
sending aid to Mai Anderson. He WIS
persuaded that there was no sincerity
in the secession storm, that 1t was
merely bluff to get better terms for the
South, and that if no substantial aggra
walton were given that the excitement
would subside from lack of something
to feed upon. If the Administration
should pursue a pacific. conciliatory
course, the Southern people could not
but see the groundlessness of their
fears, and subside into passivity. He
apparently won Gen. Scott over to his
way of thinking, hence the suggestion
Of Scott that 1t would be the wiser
course to quietly withdraw Anderson
from his untenable position.
President Lincoln had at first de-
ferred to Stewards wider knowledge.
but as events crowded upon him he
I...A n Il lr.r ~
thinking for himself. When Seward
and Scott went to the length of advis-
ing the evacuation Of Fort Pickens IS
well as Sumter. Lincoln took firm
ground The Irritating news that tlia
commander of the feet in Pensacola
Bay had refused to allow the reinforce-
ment of Fort Pickens. because of Buch-
anan's January truce. had strong in
huence in hardening Lincoln's mind.
On March 20 President Lincoln he'd
his second Cabinet council, in which
the Seward policy distinctly lost ground.
and four out of the seven members in
the Cabinet voted for an attempt to re-
| lieve Maj. Anderson. At the close OF
| the meeting the President ordered Capt.
| Fox to proceed with the greatest secre-
| cy to carry out the plan which he had
some time before laid before the Cab
met Three ships of war, a transport.
! three swift steam tugs, supply Of open
| boats, provisions for six months, and
! eco soldiers We're to start from New
York under sealed orders for all the
ships to rendezvous before Charleston
| harbor at daylight April II. AT the
same time the President sent pre-emp-
| tory orders to the commander in Pen
sacoIa Bay to assist In every way IN
| the defense of Fort Pickens. He ais.
gave an order for preparing similar
| expedition for the reinforcement OF
| Fort Pickens.
| Gen. Benuregnrd in Command.
Mai. P. G. r. Beauregard. Louisi
ana creole, who had graduated from
West Point with honOrs and received
an appointment in the Engineer Corps,
was an officer of whom the Southern
ers expected as much as the people III
the North did from Capt. Geo. B. Nc
| CleIlan. Both were thoro soldiers.
| highly educated in their profession, and
gave promise of the most brilliant use
| fulness in their military careers Mai
Beauregard had promptly resigned
when his State seeded, and received
| commission as Brigadier-Generali in the
Provisional Army, C. S. A. He was sent
to command the troops beleaguering
| Fort Sumter. 1t was anticipated tina:
South Carolina would feel some resent
ment at the appointment of Louisl-
anian in chief command, and he wa.
| therefore instructed to begin at once
the organization of regular Confederate
troops He assumed command March
6, and announced as his Adjutant. Capt
D. r. Jones. late of the United States
| Army, and Capt Stephen D. Lee. also
lately of the same Army, as his Quar-
termaster. His orders were dated:
HEADQUARTERS Army of the Confedc:-
ate States of America"
| Beauregard went actively to work
bringing the volunteers gathered in the
camps into military organization and
discipline, and perfecting the batteries
on Sullivan, Morris and James Islands
with the view of reducing Fort Sumter
and effectu6lly preventing any relief
At that time, including the guns OF
Fort Moultrie, the Confederates had A
guns mounted on Sullivan's Island. On
Morris Island and the Stevens Floating
Battery they had IL guns, including one
fine Blakely rifle which had recently
i arrived from England. In the four bat
teries on Jamess Island they had IL
guns, Including four 10-inch mortars.
A Matter of Military Punctilio.
| A quite interesting exhibition of mill.
tary punctilio, carried to its last ex-
trsme, Is given in the following cores
pondence which past between Beaure.
8aTO anu NdJ. Auoei5oh Will iei"lioi
4 to the evacuation of the fort. Gen
Beauregard opened the correspondence
as follows:
/ charleston, S. c., March 26. 1861.
Maj. Robert Anderson, u. S. Army
Commanding at Fort Sumter, Char.
lesion Harbor, S. c.
my Dear Major: Having been in
, formed that Mr.. Lamon, the authorized
agent of the President of the United
; States, advised Gov. Pickens. after hi:
interview with you at Fort Sumter. tha
: yourself and command would be trans
ferred to another post in a few days
and understanding that you are unde'
the impression I intended under al
circumstances to require OF You for.
NAL surrender or capitulation, I haste:
to disabuse you. and to inform yor
{ that our countries not being at war
and wishing as far as lies in my power
to avoid the latter calamity. no sucf
condition will be exacted of you, un
, less brot about as the natural result o.
hostilities.
| whenever you will be prepared t,
leave the fort, If you will inform Gov
} Pickens or myself of your intention.
!, relative thereto, we will be happy t,
see that you are provided with proper
means of transportation out Of thi!
| harbor for yourself and command. in.
Guiding baggage, private and company
property. All that VIII be required o
5 you on account of the public rurnor,
|, that have reached us will be your wor.
of honor as On officer and gentleman