“I propose to connect a powerful Daniels battery with the magazine at Fort Sumter, by means of wires stretched across under water from Fort Sumter to Fort Moultrie, and to blow up Fort Sumter if it is taken by an armed force, and after Lieutenant Snyder and my men have time to escape from it.” [...]

CHARLESTON ARSENAL, S.C., December 18, 1860. Capt. J. G. FOSTER, U. S. Engineer Corps, Sullivan’s Island, S.C.: DEAR CAPTAIN: The shipment of the forty muskets, &c., has caused intense excitement. General Schnierle called upon me this morning, and assures me that some violent demonstration is certain unless the excitement can be allayed, and says that [...]

FORT MOULTRIE, S.C., Friday, December 14, 1860. Col. S. COOPER, Adjutant-General U. S. Army: DEAR COLONEL: I inclose herewith a slip from the Charleston Mercury of 13th instant, mentioning from Washington correspondent Major Bell’s [Buell’s] mission to this place. I told the major that it was likely they would get an inkling of it. I [...]

FORT MOULTRIE, S.C., December 11, 1860. Memorandum of verbal instructions to Major Anderson, First Artillery, commanding at Fort Moultrie, S.C. You are aware of the great anxiety of the Secretary of War that a collision of the troops with the people of this State shall be avoided, and of his studied determination to pursue a [...]

FORT MOULTRIE, S. C., December 9, 1860 (Received A. G. O., December 12.) Col. S. COOPER Adjutant-General: [SIR:] I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th instant, and to state that I have directed the A. A. Q. M. to hire men to perform police and fatigue duty at [...]

“Our time is short enough for what we have to do. Should the ordnance stores I have called for or re-enforcements not arrive, in the event of our being attacked I fear that we shall not distinguish ourselves by holding out many days.” . FORT MOULTRIE, S. C., December 6, 1860. (Received A. G. O., [...]

“The plan of the leaders in this State appears to be, from all that I can see and hear, first, to demand the forts of the General Government, after secession, and then, if refused, to take them by force of arms. A quite large party is in favor of not waiting to ask the General [...]

“Hoping that everything may go on smoothly here for some time longer at least, and assuring you that I shall do everything in my power to add to the strength of my defenses…,” . FORT MOULTRIE, S.C., December 3, 1860. Col. S. COOPER, Adjutant-General U. S. A.: COLONEL: Captains Doubleday and Seymour said to-day that [...]

“Two Charlestonians who were down here to-day remarked to me that as soon as the State seceded she would demand the surrender of the forts, and that if not given up, they would be taken.” .. FORT MOULTRIE, S.C., December 1, 1860. Col. S. COOPER, Adjutant-General U. S. A.: COLONEL: I have the honor to [...]

“I am inclined to think that if I had been here before the commencement of expenditures on this work, and supposed that this garrison would not be increased, I should have advised its withdrawal, with the exception of a small guard, and its removal to Fort Sumter, which so perfectly commands the harbor and this [...]

.FORT MOULTRIE, S.C., November 23, 1860. Col. S. COOPER, Adjutant-General, U. S. Army: COLONEL: In compliance with verbal instructions from the honorable Secretary of War, I have the honor to report that I have inspected the forts of this harbor. As Major Porter has recently made a report in relation to them, I shall confine [...]

CHARLESTON ARSENAL November 20, 1860. Col. H. K. CRAIG, Ordnance. Department: SIR: In obedience to the instructions of the War Department I came to this place and have assumed command of the arsenal. The excitement concerning this arsenal which existed here a short time since is very much allayed, and this result is in a [...]

. . SPECIAL ORDERS, No. 137. HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, New York, November 15, 1860. Major Robert Anderson, First Artillery, will forthwith proceed to Fort Moultrie, and immediately relieve Bvt. Col. John L. Gardner, lieutenant-colonel of First Artillery, in command thereof; who, on being relieved, will repair without delay to San Antonio, Texas, and report [...]

ADJUTANT-GENERAL’S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., November 12, 1860. Maj. ROBERT ANDERSON, First Artillery, Care of A. A. G., Hdqrs. Army, New York: SIR: The Secretary of War desires to see you, and directs that you proceed to this city and report to him without unnecessary delay. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. [...]

CHARLESTON ARSENAL, S.C., November 12, 1860. Col. H. K. CRAIG, Chief of Ordnance, U. S. A., Washington, D.C.: SIR: In view of the excitement now existing in this city and State, and the possibility of an insurrectionary movement on the part of the servile population, the governor has tendered, through General Schnierle, of South Carolina [...]

CHARLESTON ARSENAL, S. C., November 10, 1860. Col. H. K. CRAIG, Chief of Ordnance, U. S. A., Washington, D. C. : SIR: On the 7th instant I received an order from Colonel Gardner, commanding troops in the harbor, to issue to him all of the fixed ammunition for small-arms (percussion caps, primers, &c.) at this [...]

Fort MOULTRIE, S. C., November 5, 1860. Col. H. K. CRAIG, Chief of Ordnance, U. S. Army, Washington, D.C.: COLONEL: Your communication of 1st instant, with its inclosure, in reference to placing forty muskets in the hands of the Engineer officer in charge of Fort Sumter as a precautionary measure proper to this time of [...]

ORDNANCE OFFICE, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, November 1, 1860. Col. J. L. GARDNER, Commanding Fort Moultrie, Charleston, S.C.: SIR: I transmit herewith a copy of a letter addressed by me to the Secretary of War, which has been approved by him, and which I submit to you for your views as to the expediency or propriety [...]

ADJUTANT-GENERAL’S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., November 1, 1860. Lieut. Gen. WINFIELD SCOTT, General-in-Chief U. S. Army: GENERAL: The Secretary of War requests that you will please give the necessary orders for the company of Second Artillery now at Fort Hamilton, N. Y., to proceed to Fayetteville, N. C., and take post at the North Carolina [...]

ORDNANCE OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D. C., October 31, 1860. Hon. J. B. FLOYD, Secretary of War: SIR: There is at Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, now in course of construction, besides a part of its armament, a considerable quantity of   ammunition, &c., and it has been suggested by the Engineer officer in charge of the work [...]

WAR DEPARTMENT, October 27, 1860. Hon. ARCHIBALD MCLEAN, Mayor, Fayetteville, N.C. SIR: I have received your communication of the 25th instant at the hands of Mr. Fuller, and at once reply by saying that the guard you desire shall be furnished as soon as it can be done. There may be delay in meeting your [...]

TOWN OF FAYETTEVILLE, N. C., October 25,   1860. Hon. J. B. Floyd, Secretary of War SIR : In accordance with their wishes I indorse the request submitted to me by a number of our most respectable citizens, setting forth their reasons for asking that troops may be put in charge of the United States [...]

FAYETTEVILLE, N. C., October 23, 1860. A. MCLEAN, Esq., Mayor SIR : We, the undersigned, having appended our names to a request to you as mayor of our town, to make application to the War Department at Washington for a company of United States soldiers to act as a guard to the U. S. Arsenal [...]

NORTH CAROLINA ARSENAL, Fayetteville, October 22, 1860. ARCHIBALD MCLEAN,   Esq., Mayor of the Town of Fayetteville: SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge your communication, dated the 20th instant, accompanying a request from many citizens of the town that a company of troops might be ordered to this post to guard the public property [...]