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Re: 150 Years Ago Today....new source

["Winfield Scott to John B. Floyd, Friday, December 28, 1860 (Forts in the South)

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Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. Transcribed and Annotated by the Lincoln Studies Center, Knox College. Galesburg, Illinois.
Winfield Scott to John B. Floyd, Friday, December 28, 1860 (Forts in the South)
From Winfield Scott to John B. Floyd, December 28, 1860

Copy)

Lieut. Genl. Scott (who has had a bad night and can scarcely hold up his head this morning) begs to express the hopes to the Secretary of War -- 1. That orders may not be given for the evacuation of Fort Sumter; 2. That 150 recruits may instantly be sent from Governor's Island to re-inforce that Garrison with ample supplies of ammunition & subsistence, including fresh vegetables, as potatoes, onions, turnips, & 3. That one or two armed vessels be sent to support the said Fort

Lieut. Genl. S. avails himself of this opportunity also to express the hope that the recommendations heretofore made by him, to the Secretary of War, respecting Forts Jackson, St. Philipe, Morgan & Pulaski, & particularly in respect to Forts Pickens & McRee & the Pensacola Navy yard in connection with the last two named works -- may be re-considered by the secretary.

Lieut General S. will further ask the attention of the secretary to Forts Jefferson (on the Tortugas) & Taylor (on Key West.) which are wholly national -- being of far greater value even to the most distant points of the Atlantic coast & the people on the upper waters of the Missouri, Mississippi & Ohio rivers, than to the state of Florida. There is only a feeble company at Key West (Ft. Taylor) for the defence of Fort Taylor, and not a soldier in Fort Jefferson to resist a handful of fillibusters, or a row-boat of Pirates, and the gulf soon after the beginning of secession or revolutionary troubles in the adjacent states, will swarm with such nuisances.

Respectfully submitted to the Secretary of War.

Head Qrs. of the Army

Washington Dec. 28. 1860

Winfield Scott

X I am again (Jan. 4) urging, backed by Secretary Holt,1 that a sloop of war, lying near Norfolk, Va., be sent at once to protect those forts, but there is danger that secessionists will anticipate the arrival of the sloop of war. If not too late, I shall send a company (permission this day obtained) to Fort Jefferson (Tortugas) from Boston.

W. S.

Jan. 2.

[Note 1 ID: Joseph Holt, who had been Postmaster General in the Buchanan cabinet since 1859, replaced John Floyd as Secretary of War in January 1861. Holt won widespread praise throughout the North for his firmness in attempting to deal with secession. After Lincoln assumed the presidency, Holt became very active in a campaign to prevent his native state of Kentucky from seceding. Lincoln was impressed with Holt's activities on behalf of the Union and appointed him to investigate military contracts. In 1862, Lincoln appointed Holt Judge Advocate General of the Army. In this capacity Holt investigated the alleged existence of secret organizations in the North that were devoted to the Confederacy. Holt also served as a prosecutor in the trial of the Lincoln assassins and was convinced the assassination was part of a Confederate conspiracy.]

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These newspaper reports are in September but is seems those in 'power' knew something big was coming down the pike. The advice to supply and shore up the forts was there by December, just not in public. If indeed there were a 'closed circle' of people involved in setting the war machine moving, they were really good at it. The wording in Scott's letter looks as if he was advising two ships to stay at Sumter and he pretty much figured out they couldn't hide them. A whole lot of movers and shakers were busy and were able to stay out of the public eye.

But, by this time in December, the Charleston Arsenal had been turned over to the South Carolina Militia and most of the other arsenals in the Confederate States. Hmmmm????????????

Pam

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150 Years Ago Today....new source
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Re: To Purge This Land With Blood, by Stephen B. O
Re: To Purge This Land With Blood, by Stephen B. O
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Re: 150 Years Ago Today....new source