Has Fort Sumter been Reinforced?

From The Missouri Democrat, Tuesday, February 5, 1861.

Has Fort Sumter been Reinforced?

The telegraphic item in this morning’s paper, in reference to the secret reinforcement of Fort Sumter, has doubtless struck many of our readers as a very improbable piece of news.  A little reflection, however, assisted by the following collation of facts from the Cincinnati Commercial, will impart a very truthful coloring to the important telegram:

THE REINFORFCEMENT OF MAJOR ANDERSON.—A fortnight since we expressed apprehensions of an act of treachery on the part of the administration—an act of treachery and ingratitude to South Carolina and the newspapers—in reinforcing Major Anderson without informing Gov. Pickens, or the Washington writers of the telegraphic correspondence of enterprising journals.  We expect the act has been accomplished.  And if it is, we think it must be conceded that the Star of the West affair has been avenged.  We yesterday expressed the opinion that Major Anderson had been reinforced.  Let us put together a few circumstances indicating the probabilities:

1. Major Anderson has sent two of his Lieutenants to Washington, and there was thus an opportunity for the establishment of a perfect understanding between the war department and Fort Sumter.

2. It was given out that Major Anderson did not want any reinforcements, and that no further effort would be made to reinforce him, all of which was good evidence that he did want reinforcements, and that they would be sent him. The Administration could afford to withstand the indignation of the newspapers, and to thank them for covering its real proceedings, by raising a popular clamor against it for not appearing to do the very thing it was doing.

3. Mr. Buchanan has declined to pledge himself to the preservation of the status quo, though urged to do so by the new South Carolina Commissioner Hayne.

4. The steamship Brooklyn sailed from Norfolk with two artillery companies on board with sealed orders. Even the officers were therefore in ignorance of their duty until after putting to sea, and thus no opportunity was afforded any traitor on board to communicate the programme to South Carolina.

5. The report by the South Carolina guard boats of the appearance of a war steamer off the harbor “laying low.” The ship was a mystery to the Charlestonians.

6. The guard boats the South Carolinians were merely stationed to look out for the approach of ships, and to warn the batteries on Morris and Sullivan’s islands of their approach; and the fact of the sinking of five schooners in the main ship channel, and that the only practicable channel was within pistol shot of Fort Moultrie, had thrown the Carolinians off their guard. The idea of boats stealing in from the ocean with reinforcements, never entered their heads.

7. The fact that boats with muffled oars have been seen and fired upon by the Carolinian sentinels. The Carolinians, with a ship in their mind all the time, thought that the business of the boat might be to surprise the batteries and spike the guns, so that a vessel could run by without receiving the Carolinian salute.

8. The fact that the conqueror of Mexico has not been accustomed, in his military career, to be balked in so small a matter as reinforcing a fort, when the means of doing it were in his power.

9. The practicability of reinforcing Fort Sumter in the manner suggested. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights of last week were exceedingly dark and rainy in Charleston.  The Charleston papers and letters all speak of those nights as desperately disagreeable, cold, dark and rainy.  The sympathies of the people were deeply moved in consideration of the condition of the soldiers in the State, on sentry duty, hugging their cold muskets, and pacing the drerry [sic] sandhills of Morris island, in the fog and rain.  In the night and the storm, the Brooklyn could have approached within two hours’ pull of Fort Sumter, and sent one or both her artillery companies, and as many marines as she could spare, to the gallant Major.  The boats could have accomplished the trip between midnight and daylight, and the ship might have stood out to sea until return of night, when, encouraged by the success of the first experiment, she might have returned and dispatched her boats loaded with provisions, powder and tobacco, or any other articles the Major might need.  In three nights, while the Carolinian guard boats were looking for ships to enter, and gaping at the mysterious steamer hovering in the distance, and the sentries were hugging their cold muskets, shivering in the rain, and peering into the fog at mysterious boats with muffled oars, the Major may have been made decidedly comfortable.  The boats could make the trip from a steamer off the bar to the Fort, without approaching within three quarters of a mile of the Carolinian sentries.

10. The rumor that the Brooklyn was bound for Pensacola, served to direct attention from Charleston.  That it did draw the Carolinians away from the consideration of their own affairs, is seen in the fact that at the very time the Brooklyn was off Charleston, they were tendering reinforcements to the State troops at Pensacola.

11. Since the mysterious steamer appeared at Charleston, coming up like a phantom in the night, and disappearing in the morning ghost-like, she had about time to run around to Pensacola, when we hear of her arrival there; and it is evident, from the length of time since she left Norfolk, that she was detained en route. The obvious truth is, that on those nights, which were like that immortal one when Tam O’Shanter braved the storm, she had business—“private business”—with Major Anderson at Fort Sumter, and the channel to Charleston harbor being a very bad one, and having peculiar obstacles to present to a heavy war steamer, she remained outside and sent in her boats.

12. In the meantime, Gen. Scott, with his big, leonine face, and Secretary Holt, with his eagle profile, and the President, with his wise squint and mysterious twist of the neck, have read the paragraphs in the Charleston papers about the diabolical steamer hovering in the black midnight on the verge of the horizon, and the boats, with muffled oars, pulling up to Fort Sumter, with a sense of enjoyment that they should no longer keep to themselves.

13. In short, we will bet South Carolina a hat that she choked herself, in sinking those five schooners for nothing, and that if she attacks Fort Sumter she will hear from her in a style for which she is not prepared.