The National tribune., 1907-02-28

soon under moro favorable circum-
stances. / remain. dear Major,
Yours. very truly,
&c. T. Beauregard."
To which Maj. Anderson promptly
responded:
Fort Sumter. s. c.. March 26. 1861.
Gen. G. T. Besuresard, Charleston, 8.
MY Dear General: have the honor
to acknowledge the receipt OF your let
ter of this date. and hasten to say that
needed no denial from you of the ex-
preston attributed to you. The mo-
ment that 1 heard that you had said
that I should not leave this fort with
out surrendering. l remarked that it
was not true. and that I knew you had
Excellency, the Governor. and yourself
for the assurances you give me, but yo
must pardon me for saying that I feel
deeply hurt at the intimation in your
letter about the conditions which will
be exacted of me. and / must state most
distinctly that il I can only be permit
ted to leave on the plenge you mention.
I shall never, SO help me God. leave
this fort alive.
your words express and in that case
cordially uniting with you in the wish
that We may have the pleasure of meet
ing under more favorable circumstan-
ces, I remain. dear General,
Yours truly.
"Robert Anderson,
Major, U. s. Army, Commanding"
Gen. Beauregard dispatched at once
another letter:
Charleston, S. c., March 2S. 1861.
Maj Robert Anderson, U. s. Army,
Commanding at Fort Sumter, Char
lesion Harbor, g. c.
my Dear Major: / have to acknowl-
edge your letter of this date. and has
ten TO disabuse you as to any intention
on my part of wounding, in any manner
whatsoever, the feelings of SO gallant
an officer by anything / may have writ
ten in my letter of this morning
only alluded to the pledge referred TO
by you on account of the high source
from which the rumors spoken of ap-
peared to come. and which, in the eyes
of many officers of high standing. might
be considered a sufficient reason for ex-
ccuting orders which otherwise they
would not approve of; but 1 regret now
having referred 10 the subject. 1 re,
main, dear Major.
Yours. very truly.
&c. T. Beauregard."
To which Maj. Anderson sent this re-
ply:
Fort Sumter. sc, March 27, 1861.
Gen. G. I. Beauregard, Charleston, :
"My Dear General: l hasten, in re-
ply to your kind and satisfactory note
of yesterday afternoon, just received, 4
express my qualification at its tenor.
only regret that rumors from an!
source made you. for one moment, have
the slightest doubt as to the straign
path of honor and duty in which
trust, by the blessing Of God, ever rC
be found. [ am, dear General,
"Yours sincerely,
Robert Anderson,
major U. S. Army. Commanding"
AS the war progressed, opposing com.
| manders did not write SO volumino ou5lJ
and freely to one another, nor had they
so much to say about honor and Chris
tianity. They were letting other thing:
speak for them.
Batteries Ready to Open.
Beauregard labored to such purpose
that April l he telegraphed to Mont
gomery: Battery ready to open Wed
nesday or Thursday. What instruc
| structions?" Up to this time the Con
| federate Government believed that th
| fort was going to be evacuated. ant
that there would be no necessity TO
any overt act of war. Justice Camp
bell, lately of the u S. Supreme Court
who had been acting as the Confederat.
Commissioner to the United States, ha:
| interpreted Secretary Stewards optimis
| tic utterances by his own hopes, and as
sured Mr.. Davis that there was M
| doubt about the evacuation of the fort
| The Confederates became SO confiden
of this that there sprang up striking
differences of opinion between Gov
Pickens Secretary of War Walker ans
| Gen. Beauregard as to the exact con
ditions upon which Anderson should bt
allowed to leave the fort. Maj. Ander
son himself believed that he was to re
ceive an order to withdraw. and wa
greatly surprised on April I to receiy'
| the following letter from the Secretar,
of War:
"War Department,
| Washington, d. c., April 4, 1851.
Maj. Robert Anderson, U. S. Army.
"Sir: Your letter of the 1st instan
occasions some anxiety to the Presi
dent.
ION the information of Capt. Fox h,
had supposed that you could hold on
till the 18th instant without any grea
1
| expedition to relieve you before tha
period.
Hoping still that you will be abb
/ to sustain yourself till the 18th or 12ti
instant, the expedition will go forward
and, finding your flag flying. will at
tempt to provision you, and, in case tn
| effort is resisted will endeavor also I,
reinforce you.
| You will therefore hold out, if pos
sible, till the arrival of the expedition
TT is not, however. the intention o
| the President to subject your commant
to any danger or hardship beyond tina
what, in your Judgment, would be Us
ual in military life;- and he has entir
confidence that you will act as become
patriot and soldier, under all circum
| stances.
whenever, If at all, In your judg
ment to save yourself and command,
capitulation become a necessity, yo
are authorized to make it.
Respectfully.
| 'Simon Cameron,
| Secretary of War"
Notice to the Confeierntes.
] On the evening of April a messen
ger from Washington arrived at Char
lesion, and reported to Gov. Pickens
| Gen. Reauregard was called in, and tn
messenger read an official cOmmunica