"The garrison at Fort Moultrie consisted of 2 companies that had been reduced to 65 men, who with the band
raised the number of the post to 73. Fort Moultrie had no strength; it was merely a sea battery."
"The Secretary of War would not let us have a man in the way of reinforcement, the plea being that reinforcements
would irritate the people."
"It became evident, as I told Anderson, that we could not defend the fort, because houses around us on Sullivan's Island
looked down into Moultrie, and be occupied by our enemies. At last it was rumored that two thousand rifleman had been
detailed to shoot us down from the tops of those houses. I proposed to anticipate the enemy and burn the dwellings, but
Anderson would not take so decided a step at a time when the North did not believe there was going to be war. It was plain
that the only thing to be done was to slip over the water to Fort Sumter, but Anderson said he had been assigned to Fort
Moultrie and stay there."
As to being only a mere Major, Anderson was a West Point Graduate of the class of 1825, now with some 35 years of service.
A highly experienced, skilled and respected senior officer.
A further good read on Anderson's actions will be found in David Detzer's "Allegiance, Fort Sumter, Charleston, and the
Beginning of the Civil War." He notes that on Anderson's appointment, General Scott had advised him to transfer his
troops to Fort Sumter if he received no reinforcements.
George Martin