THE REMOVAL TO FORT SUMTER.
Passage of the Secession Ordinance.--Governor Pickens's
Proclamation.--Judge Petigru's Visit to Fort Moultrie.--Floyd's
Treachery.--Yancey's Lectures in the North.--The Removal to Fort
Sumter.
On the 17th a bill was passed to arm the militia of North Carolina.
On the same day the Charleston Convention met, and chose General D.F.
Jamison as their president, and on the 20th of the month the secession
ordinance was duly passed, and South Carolina voted out of the Union
amidst screams of enthusiasm. Immediately afterward there was great
competition for the possession of the immortal pen with which the
instrument was signed. At the close of the war, I heard it was for sale
at a very low figure.
The new Governor, Francis W. Pickens, signed the ordinance very gladly,
and issued his proclamation on the 24th declaring South Carolina to be a
free and independent nation. He had served as a member of Congress from
1835 to 1843, and as Minister to Russia in 1858, but he was not
considered a man of decided ability. He was very impetuous in his
disposition, and, according to a statement made by him in one of his
Congressional speeches, which attracted much attention at the time, he
was "born insensible to fear."
Soon after the State seceded, that stern old patriot, Judge J.L.
Petigru, of South Carolina, came over, with one of his friends, to pay
us a final visit, to express the deep sorrow and sympathy he felt for us
in our trying position. As he knew that arrangements were being made to
drive us out, he bade us farewell with much feeling. The tears rolled
down his cheeks as he deplored the folly and the madness of the times.
He had been previously asked in the city if he did not intend to join
the secession movement. He replied, "_I should think not! South Carolina
is too small for a republic, and too large for a lunatic-asylum._" At a
later period of the war, it is said he was called upon to give up the
property of his Northern clients for confiscation, under a law which
made it treason to refuse. He positively declined to comply with the
demand, and said, with much spirit, "_Whenever the time comes for me to
choose between death and dishonor, I shall have no difficulty in saying
which of the two I shall elect._" It is much to be regretted that he did
not live to witness the final triumph of the cause which was so dear to
him.
Four of Buchanan's Cabinet--Floyd, Cobb, Toucey, and Thompson--were now
open and avowed Disunionists. On the 23d, a defalcation of eight hundred
and thirty-three thousand dollars was discovered in the Department of
the Interior, while the Secretary, Jacob Thompson, was absent from his
post, and acting as a disunion agent, to represent the State of
Mississippi. This dallying with treason in the Cabinet was one of the
most discouraging signs of the times.
A circumstance now occurred which to my mind was proof positive that
Floyd intended to betray us and the Government he represented. I have no
doubt it hastened our departure from Fort Moultrie. He directed Captain
Foster to have the guns mounted in Fort Sumter immediately. It was plain
enough, from demonstrations already made, that the moment this was done
the rebels would seize the fort, and turn its powerful armament upon us.
There was no one there to resist them. It seems to me that Floyd's
speech to the Secessionists of Richmond, made shortly after his flight
from Washington, was a pretty plain acknowledgment that he had violated
his oath of office as Secretary of War, in order that he might advance
the interests of the Confederacy. He said on that occasion, "I undertook
so to dispose of the power in my hands that when the terrific hour came,
you, and all of you, and each of you, should say, 'This man has done his
duty.'"
Anderson had been urged by several of us to remove his command to Fort
Sumter, but he had invariably replied that he was specially assigned to
Fort Moultrie, and had no right to vacate it without orders. Our
affairs, however, were becoming critical, and I thought it my duty to
speak to him again on the subject. He still apparently adhered to his
decision. Nevertheless, he had fully determined to make the change, and
was now merely awaiting a favorable opportunity. To deceive the enemy,
he still kept at work with unabated zeal on the defenses of Fort
Moultrie. This exactly suited the purposes of the rebel leaders, for
they knew we could make no effectual defense there, and our preparations
would only increase the prestige of their victory. We were not
authorized to commence hostilities by burning the adjacent houses, and
yet, if they were not leveled, clouds of riflemen could occupy them, and
prevent our men from serving the guns. Under any circumstances, it was
plain that we must soon succumb from over-exertion and loss of sleep
incident to repelling incessant attacks from a host of enemies. The fact
that through the provident care of the Secretary of War the guns of Fort
Sumter would also be turned upon us, enfilading two sides of Fort
Moultrie, and taking another side in reverse, was quite decisive as to
the impossibility of our making a lengthened defense.
Up to this time we had hoped, almost against hope, that, even if the
Government were base enough to desert us, the loyal spirit of the
patriotic North would manifest itself in our favor, inasmuch as our
little force represented the supremacy of the Constitution and the laws;
but all seemed doubt, apathy, and confusion there. Yancey was delivering
lectures in the Northern States, as a representative of the
Disunionists, not only without molestation, but with frequent and
vociferous applause from the Democratic masses, who could not be made to
believe there was any real danger.
In making his arrangements to cross over, Anderson acted with consummate
prudence and ability. He only communicated his design to the
staff-officers, whose co-operation was indispensable, and he waited
until the moment of execution before he informed the others of his
intention. No one, of course, would deliberately betray a secret of this
kind, but it sometimes happens, under such circumstances, that officers
give indications of what is about to take place by sending for their
washing, packing their trunks, and making changes in their messing
arrangements.
Without knowing positively that any movement had been projected, two
circumstances excited my suspicions. Once, while I was walking with the
major on the parapet, he turned to me abruptly, and asked me what would
be the best course to take to render the gun-carriages unserviceable. I
told him there were several methods, but my plan would be to heap
pitch-pine knots around them, and burn them up. The question was too
suggestive to escape my attention.
On the day previous to our departure, I requested him to allow me to
purchase a large quantity of wire, to make an entanglement in front of
the part of the work I was assigned to defend. He said, with a quizzical
look, "Certainly; you shall have a mile of wire, if you require it."
When I proposed to send for it immediately, he smiled, and objected in
such a peculiar way that I at once saw that he was no longer interested
in our efforts to strengthen Fort Moultrie.
As a preliminary to the proposed movement, he directed the post
quartermaster, Lieutenant Hall, to charter three schooners and some
barges, for the ostensible purpose of transporting the soldiers'
families to old Fort Johnson, on the opposite side of the harbor, where
there were some dilapidated public buildings belonging to the United
States. The danger of the approaching conflict was a good pretext for
the removal of the non-combatants. All this seemed natural enough to the
enemy, and no one offered any opposition. In reality, these vessels were
loaded with supplies for all the troops, with reference to a prolonged
residence in Fort Sumter. Hall was directed to land every thing there as
soon as a signal-gun was fired. In the mean time he sailed for Fort
Johnson, and lay off and on, waiting for the signal.
Anderson had broken up his own mess, and on the last evening of our stay
(December 26th) I left my room to ask him in to take tea with us. The
sun was just setting as I ascended the steps leading to the parapet and
approached him. He was in the midst of a group of officers, each of whom
seemed silent and distrait. As I passed our assistant-surgeon, I
remarked, "It is a fine evening, Crawford." He replied in a hesitating
and embarrassed manner, showing that his thoughts were elsewhere. I saw
plainly that something unusual had occurred. Anderson approached me as I
advanced, and said quietly, "I have determined to evacuate this post
immediately, for the purpose of occupying Fort Sumter; I can only allow
you twenty minutes to form your company and be in readiness to start." I
was surprised at this announcement, and realized the gravity of the
situation at a glance. We were watched by spies and
vigilance-committees, who would undoubtedly open fire upon us as soon as
they saw the object of the movement. I was naturally concerned, too, for
the safety of my wife, who was the only lady in the fort at that time,
and who would necessarily be exposed to considerable danger.
Fortunately, I had little or no property to lose, as, in anticipation of
a crisis, I had previously sent every thing of value to New York. Some
of the other officers did not fare so well. The doctor, not expecting so
sudden a _denouement_, had necessarily left his medical stores unpacked.
Foster, who had taken a house outside for his family, was wholly
unprepared, and lost heavily.
I made good use of the twenty minutes allowed me. I first went to the
barracks, formed my company, inspected it, and saw that each man was
properly armed and equipped. This left me ten minutes to spare. I dashed
over to my quarters; told my wife to get ready to leave immediately, and
as the fighting would probably commence in a few minutes, I advised her
to take refuge with some family outside, and get behind the sand-hills
as soon as possible, to avoid the shot. She hastily threw her
wearing-apparel into her trunks, and I called two men to put her baggage
outside the main gate. I then accompanied her there, and we took a sad
and hasty leave of each other, for neither knew when or where we would
meet again. As soon as this was accomplished, I strapped on my revolver,
tied a blanket across my shoulders, and reported to Major Anderson that
my men were in readiness to move.
In the mean time Lieutenant Jefferson C. Davis, of my company, who had
been detailed to command the rear guard, aimed the guns, which were
already loaded, to bear upon the passage to Fort Sumter, and Captain
Foster and Assistant-surgeon Crawford, with two sergeants and three
privates, remained with him, and took post at five columbiads, in
readiness to carry out Major Anderson's design, which was to sink the
guard-boats, should they attempt to fire into us or run us down while
_en route_. Certainly the major showed no lack of determination or
energy on this occasion.
If we were successful in crossing, Davis was to follow with the
remainder of the men. Foster and Mr. Moale agreed to remain behind until
morning. They also volunteered to place themselves at the guns, and
cover the retreat of the rear guard under Davis, in case an attempt was
made to intercept them.
The chaplain, the Rev. Matthias Harris, being a non-combatant, and
having his family in the village, was not notified. Neither was Surgeon
Simons, of the army, who was living in a house adjoining the fort, and
directly in line with our guns. When he saw the movement in progress, he
hastened out with his family, to shelter them behind the sand-hills as
soon as possible.
Every thing being in readiness, we passed out of the main gates, and
silently made our way for about a quarter of a mile to a spot where the
boats were hidden behind an irregular pile of rocks, which originally
formed part of the sea-wall. There was not a single human being in sight
as we marched to the rendezvous, and we had the extraordinary good luck
to be wholly unobserved. We found several boats awaiting us, under
charge of two engineer officers, Lieutenants Snyder and Meade. They and
their crews were crouched down behind the rocks, to escape observation.
In a low tone they pointed out to me the boats intended for my company,
and then pushed out rapidly to return to the fort. Noticing that one of
the guard-boats was approaching, they made a wide circuit to avoid it. I
hoped there would be time for my party to cross before the steamer could
overhaul us; but as among my men there were a number of unskillful
oarsmen, we made but slow progress, and it soon became evident that we
would be overtaken in mid-channel. It was after sunset, and the twilight
had deepened, so that there was a fair chance for us to escape. While
the steamer was yet afar off, I took off my cap, and threw open my coat
to conceal the buttons. I also made the men take off their coats, and
use them to cover up their muskets, which were lying alongside the
rowlocks. I hoped in this way that we might pass for a party of laborers
returning to the fort. The paddle-wheels stopped within about a hundred
yards of us; but, to our great relief, after a slight scrutiny, the
steamer kept on its way. In the mean time our men redoubled their
efforts, and we soon arrived at our destination. As we ascended the
steps of the wharf, crowds of workmen rushed out to meet us, most of
them wearing secession emblems. One or two Union men among them cheered
lustily, but the majority called out angrily, "What are these soldiers
doing here?" I at once formed my men, charged bayonets, drove the
tumultuous mass inside the fort, and seized the guard-room, which
commanded the main entrance. I then placed sentinels to prevent the
crowd from encroaching on us. As soon as we had disembarked, the boats
were sent back for Seymour's company. The major landed soon after in one
of the engineer boats, which had coasted along to avoid the steamer.
Seymour's men arrived in safety, followed soon after by the remaining
detachments, which had been left behind as a rear-guard. The latter,
however, ran a good deal of risk, for in the dark it passed almost under
the bow of the guard-boat _Nina_. The whole movement was successful
beyond our most sanguine expectations, and we were highly elated. The
signal-gun was fired, and Hall at once sailed over, and landed the
soldiers' families and supplies. As soon as the schooners were unloaded,
the disloyal workmen were placed on board and shipped off to the
main-land. Only a few of the best and most reliable were retained.
Upon leaving me, my wife took refuge temporarily in the residence of Dan
Sinclair, the sutler of the post, a most excellent man, and one to whom
we were indebted for many kindnesses. Finding that the people of
Moultrieville were not yet aware of the change that had taken place, and
that every thing was tranquil, she ventured back to the fort, and
finished the removal of all our effects. After this, in company with the
chaplain's family, she walked up and down the beach the greater part of
the night, looking anxiously toward Fort Sumter to see if there were any
indications of trouble or disturbance there. In the morning she took up
her residence at the chaplain's house. As for the other ladies, both
Mrs. Simons and Mrs. Foster fled to the city at the first intimation of
danger, and Mrs. Seymour was already there.