of Georgia, which is to meet on the 16th instant, has decided on the policy which Georgia will adopt in this emergency, you are ordered to take possession of Fort Pulaski, as by public order herewith, and to hold it against all persons; to be abandoned only by orders from me, or under compulsion by an overpowering hostile force. Immediately upon occupying the fort you will take measures to put it in a thorough state of defense as far as its means and ours will permit, and for this purpose you will advise with Captain Claghorn, of the Chatham Artillery, who has been charged with all matters relating to ordnance and ordnance stores and their supply. You will further arrange with Captain Claghorn a series of day and night signals for communicating at all times with the city of Savannah for the purpose of calling for re-enforcements or other necessary purposes. And you will arrange with Mr. John Cunningham, military purveyor, for the employment of a steam-boat or steam-boats, or other means of transportation by land or water, that may be necessary for other supplies (except for ordnance, for which you will call upon Captain Claghorn) that may be required. Relying upon your energy, patriotism, and sound discretion, I commit this important trust to you until it may become necessary to call out a larger force, and higher command. JOSEPH E. BROWN, Governor. Colonel Lawton immediately called out the troops and made preparation for the occupancy of the fort. Early the next morning, 3d of January, he occupied it. After I had issued the order on the 2d of January, I sent the following messages by telegraph to the Governors of Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana, to wit: Governor MOORE, Montgomery, Ala.: JANUARY 2, 1861. In view of the threatening aspect of our Federal relations, and the coercive policy understood to be adopted by the Government, I have ordered Georgia troops to occupy Fort Pulaski, at the mouth of the river, till our convention assembles. Hope you will co-operate and occupy the forts in Alabama. Answer. JOSEPH E. BROWN. JANUARY 2, 1861. In view of the threatening aspect of our Federal relations, and the coercive policy understood to be adopted by the Government, I have ordered Georgia troops to occupy Fort Pulaski, at the mouth of the river, till our convention assembles. Hope your convention will co-operate and occupy forts in Florida immediately, and that you will secede at once. Governor Moore, New Orleans: JOSEPH E. BROWN. SAVANNAH, January 2, 1861. In view of the threatening aspect of our Federal relations and the coercive policy understood to be adopted by the Government, I have ordered Georgia troops to occupy Fort Pulaski, at the mouth of Savannah River, till our convention assembles, to prevent occupation by Federal troops. Hope you will co-operate and occupy the forts in your State immediately. I send like request to the Governors of Florida and Alabama. (Operator will forward if the Governor is not in New Orleans.) JOSEPH E. BROWN. Governor PETTUS, Jackson, Miss. : SAVANNAH, January 4, 1861. It being understood that the coercive policy is adopted by the Federal Government, I, as a precautionary measure, have occupied with troops the fort at the mouth of Savannah River till our convention meets and decides the question. Have asked Governors of Alabama and Florida to do the same in their States. They reply they will. Have asked same of Governor of Louisiana. Cannot hear from him. If you know where he is will you send him substance of this dispatch? What say you to the movement? JOSEPH E. BROWN. The Florida convention was in session on the next day, when I received from Governor Perry, of Florida, a dispatch stating that he would take the forts in that State as soon as he could organize the necessary force. Governor Moore, of Alabama, also responded that he would co-operate immediately. Within a week after this time I heard that Governor Moore had occupied Fort Morgan, near Mobile, and that Governor Perry had occupied Fort Clinch and taken possession of the Chattahoochee Arsenal. He did not, however, occupy Forts Pickens, Taylor, or Jefferson. My telegram to Governor Moore, of Louisiana, was sent to New Orleans, and I got no response. I waited a day or two and sent another dispatch for Governor Moore to Governor Pettus, of Mississippi, with request that he forward it to him, as I did not know at what point to direct to him. Governor Pettus replied, approving my course, and promised to send the dispatch to Governor Moore. But few days passed after this before I heard of the seizure of the forts in Louisiana. After I returned from Savannah to Milledgeville, I sent a dispatch to Governor Ellis, of North Carolina, requesting him to seize the forts in that State. He replied, giving reasons why he could not then do so. After the State convention met at Milledgeville, a resolution was introduced by Mr. Toombs, and passed unanimously, approving my course in the seizure of the fort. I have thought it my duty, to myself and others, to put this statement in some permanent form for preservation. I have therefore ordered it to be placed upon the Executive Minutes upon a blank left for it under date of 2d January, 1861. [1.] JOSEPH E. BROWN. CHARLESTON, S. C., January 2, 1860 [1861]. His Excellency Governor PICKENS: SIR: I have the honor to state that in obedience to your order dated 1st instant I immediately reported to Colonel Pettigrew at Castle Pinckney, who, having explained his plan of defense against such attacks as he considered the most probable and imminent, directed me to examine the work and suggest plans with a view to its defense. The work is so far distant from Fort Sumter that it perhaps would not sustain very great damage from its guns until after a long cannonade; and against Fort Sumter, as also against the guns of ships of war (an enemy being in possession of the other posts in the harbor), very little, if anything, can be done to protect it. The chief apprehension of the commanding officer is, I think justly, from an attack by assault and escalade by troops from Fort Sumter, when fully manned, or from other positions within the harbor or in the neighborhood in the occupation of an enemy. A marsh lies to the north and a shoal to the east of the fort, both of which can be traversed by an assaulting party, and with a view to this, bastioned stockades had many years ago been erected for the protection of the work upon those quarters. The chief expense will be in repairing and extending those stockades, which are now much dilapidated; also in giving as much as possible some flank-fire to the castle, of which it is entirely deficient; also in protecting the gateway by a stockade lunette. propose to build a wooden fraize around the parapet to check an escalade, and do sundry other items of work which will be needed. Chiefly in consequence of the castle being destitute of flank-fire, it is exceedingly weak, and in consequence of its proximity to the city and central I position in the harbor, requires great attention in taking advantage of all circumstances to strengthen it. The contingencies in performing this work are so great that it is difficult to make an accurate estimate, and I would consider it unsafe to name a less amount than from $3,000 to $4,000. I propose to do that work which is most needed first, and continue to strengthen the castle afterward as time and circumstances will permit. Colonel Pettigrew has requested me to say that he wishes to have 1,000 sand-bags and 1,000 hand-grenades. I have, sir, the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, EDW. B. WHITE. [Indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS, January 3, 1860 [1861]. Colonel Hatch, quartermaster-general, is ordered to give the within letter from Colonel White, engineer of Castle Pinckney, his immediate attention; and to carry out Colonel White's plan he is authorized to draw for any amount not to exceed, for the present, $2,000, and Colonel White will give a regular report of his plan as soon as he can do so conveniently, but no expenditure is to be made except with a view to present necessity and the present emergency. [1.] F. W. PICKENS. General C. J. MCRAE, Mobile, Ala.: WASHINGTON, January 3, 1861. Mission of South Carolina commissioners ended by President returning their last communication. No message from President yet. McIntyre, of Pennsylvania, nominated by President for collector at Charleston. No action on it by Senate. No other change in status to-day. President vibrating on sending troops to Charleston and other Southern forts. Douglas made a great speech to-day. Denies right of secession, but opposes coercion. J. J. MCRAE. [1.] JOHN BOSTON, Esq., PULASKI HOUSE, January 3, 1861. Collector of the Port of Savannah : SIR: The revenue-cutter J. C. Dobbin, which was seized by some unauthorized person or persons unknown to me, has, under the order given by me to Colonel Lawton, now in command of Fort Pulaski, to protect Government property against injury, been recaptured, and is now aground near Fort Pulaski. You will please send a revenue boat and take her into custody to-night, and I will have her hauled off to-morrow morning and delivered to you at such place as you may designate. I much regret the lawless seizure of the vessel, and beg leave to assure you that I shall from time to time give such orders as will protect the custom-house and other property belonging to the Federal Government till the action of this State is determined by the convention of her people. [1.] Very respectfully, &c., JOSEPH E. BROWN. CUSTOM-HOUSE, COLLECTOR'S OFFICE, &c., His Excellency Governor JoSEPH E. BROWN, Pulaski House: SIR: Capt. John Screven has this moment handed me your note of this date in relation to the recapture of the revenue cutter J. C. Dobbin, in reply to which I beg, in the name of the Federal Government, to thank you, and further to state that I received a letter from the Hon. Philip F. Thomas, Secretary of the Treasury, some fifteen days ago, requesting me to direct the captain of said cutter to sail for Baltimore as soon as convenient, and on his arrival to report the same to him (the Secretary of the Treasury) in writing, and await his orders, and that, in obedience to said instructions, the cutter was ordered on Saturday last prepared for sea, but was detained by unfavorable winds until last night, when she was taken possession of by parties unknown to me. Under these circumstances, I must ask the favor of you to direct those in charge to allow her to proceed to sea, in compliance with instructions from this office. [1.] I have the honor to remain, your obedient servant, JOHN BOSTON, Collector. PULASKI HOUSE, January 3, 1861. JOHN BOSTON, Collector, &c.: SIR: Your note in reply to my communication of this evening is received, and I have ordered the delivery of the J. C. Dobbin to her captain with permission to proceed to sea, as you have requested. The order issued last night from the War Office for sending additional troops to Charleston. The troops are now on their way. Yours, very truly, L. T. WIGFALL. The above we have just received, and deem it proper to transmit it. [1.] R. W. BARNWELL. JOHN A. ELMORE, or CHARLESTON, S. C., January 9, 1861. PRESIDENT OF THE CONVENTION: Anderson writes to the Governor he will fire into all ships. Governor replies and justifies what we did. Now Anderson replies, his mind is changed, and refers the question to Washington. WM. E. MARTIN. [WASHINGTON, D. C.,] January 10, 1861. WILLIAM HENRY TRESCOT, Charleston, S. C.: Received; noted. Conferred with friends, and communicated to President. He looks anxiously for Lieutenant Talbot. Will write. JEFF'N DAVIS. [1.] EXECUTIVE OFFICE, STATE DEPARTMENT, Lieut. Col. L. M. HATCH: You will proceed to take such steps as in your judgment are practicable to light up the harbor of Charleston so as to expose to view the various approaches to Fort Sumter from the sea. Let your lights be so disposed as to expose to view as little as possible our own works and preparations for defense in and about the harbor. Use strict economy in your expenditures for this purpose, and report the cost per night which may be incurred. [1.] F. W. PICKENS. WASHINGTON, D. C., January 11, 1861. W. HENRY TRESCOT, Charleston, S. C.: Reliably informed that Brooklyn was sent to secure return of Star of the West, not to enter Charleston Harbor. [1.] JEFFERSON DAVIS. Col. L. M. HATCH: FORT MORRIS, January 11, 1861—7 p. m. DEAR SIR: From all appearances at sea, to as late an hour as we could discover anything, a large steamer with two chimney stacks and a large supply of boats was seen going across, as it were (toward the north), the several channels of our harbor. My impression is, from observation made and reported to me by our lookouts, that she is prepared to re-enforce Fort Sumter from off the bar by means of small boats, and it may be at an early hour of this night. Can you not take the responsibility of putting at once the steamer General Clinch under way, plying the waters with a view to run down the boats. To go to the city to get the order from headquarters will cause too much delay and give ample time for the troops to get into Fort Sumter. If you will do so, I will order the German Rifles on board as an armed force to meet the enemy. I deem the operations of this night such as to settle the question of re-enforcing (certainly from the vessel now outside, should she be a man-of-war with troops) the garrison of Fort Sumter. These facts you can communicate to His Excellency on your arrival in the city, should you not take the step I propose. [1.] Respectfully, JOHN L. BRANCH, Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Fort Morris. |