fort Moultrie, S. C, December 22, 1860.
(Received A. G. O.,
December 26.)
Col. S. Cooper,
Adjutant-General:
Colonel:
Captain Foster is apprehensive that the remarks in my letter of the 20th
instant may be considered as reflecting upon him, and I told him that I would
cheerfully state distinctly that I do not intend to pass any criticism upon his
proceedings.
I stated in my last letter fully all the reasons I intended
to give against commencing the second caponiere. The Captain has put a very
large force of masons on it, and they are running up the walls very rapidly. He
says, as he has all the material on hand, the men, having just completed the
first one, will be enabled to construct the second caponiere as soon as they
could finish any temporary work in its stead. He says that he will have the ‘work
defensible in five more working days, and have it finished in nine more working
days.’ God knows whether the South Carolinians will defer their attempt to take
this work so long as that. I must confess that I think where an officer is
placed in as delicate a position as the one I occupy, that he should have the
entire control over all persons connected in any way with the work intrusted to
him. Responsibility and power to control ought to go together.
I have heard from several sources that last night and the
night before a steamer was stationed between this island and Fort Sumter. That
the authorities of South Carolina are determined to prevent, if possible, any
troops from being placed in that fort, and that they will seize upon that most
important work as soon as they think there is reasonable ground for a doubt
whether it will be turned over to the State, I do not doubt. I think that I
could, however, were I to receive instructions so to do, throw my garrison into
that work, but I should have to sacrifice the greater part of my stores, as it
is now too late to attempt their removal. Once in that work with my garrison I
could keep the entrance of their harbor open until they construct works outside
of me, which might, I presume, prevent vessels from coming into the outer
harbor.
We have used nearly all the empty barrels which Captain
Foster had wisely saved, for embrasures, traverses, &c., and Captain Foster
is now making use of our gun pent-houses for the same purpose, filling them
with sand.
No one can tell what will be done. They may defer action
until their Commissioners return from Washington; or, if apprised by the nature
of the debates in Congress that their demands will not probably be acceded to,
they may act without waiting for them.
I do not think that we can rely upon any assurances, and
wish to God I only had men enough here to man fully my guns. Our men are
perfectly conscious of the dangerous position they are placed in, but are in as
fine spirits as if they were certain of victory.
I am, Colonel, very
respectfully, your obedient servant,
robert Anderson,
Major First
Artillery, Commanding.
P. S. — I have just heard that several of the men at work in
Fort Sumter wear the blue cockade. If they are bold enough to do that the
sooner that force is disbanded the better. The public property would be safer
there under Lieutenant Snyder and a few men than it now is.
R. A.
SOURCE: Samuel Wylie Crawford, The Genesis of the
Civil War: The Story of Sumter, 1860-1861, p. 93-4
No comments:
Post a Comment