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to Buchan

an, Curtis,

"Life of Buchan

an," Vol.

Black, "Essays and Speeches,"

p. 19.

January 2. The allegation is, however, distinctly CHAP. VII. denied by both the President and his colleagues. Thompson Suspected and shunned, he was kept in ignorance of the expedition, and continued to assure the Charleston conspirators of the absence of danger II, p. 402. almost until its actual arrival. The day before that event he first learned, to his extreme mortification, that the reënforcements were at sea. He lost no time in sending a warning dispatch. As illustrating the uncertainty of this class of news, it is interesting to note that his first telegram was actually withheld and suppressed by the department messenger to whom it was intrusted. A second one was more successful, and about 5 o'clock on the evening of the 8th gave the Charleston authorities reliable information of the expedition, if, indeed, any doubt remained in their minds pp. 20, 21. on that point.

At half-past one o'clock on the morning of January 9, 1861, the Star of the West reached the vicinity of Charleston bar. The harbor lights being out, and the buoy removed, the captain deemed it unsafe to attempt an entrance. It was near daylight before he could ascertain his exact position, and make out the light on Fort Sumter. But by this time the presence of the vessel was discovered by the rebel guard-boat stationed at the bar, which rapidly steamed away towards the city, burning rockets and blue-lights to signal to the rebel batteries and forts the arrival of the expected expedition.

With the American ensign hoisted, and the troops all sent below, leaving only the crew of the vessel on deck, the Star of the West, as rapidly as she

Ibid.,

Capt. Mc

Gowan, Report, Jan. 12, 1861. Moore,

"Rebellion

Record,"

uments,

p. 21.

Pickens to
Schnierle,

Dec 31,1860.
Carolina

"South

House Journal,"

1861, p. 175.

CHAP. VII. could, followed the retreating guard-boat up the channel. The course was directly towards Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie being about the same distance off and somewhat to the right. Morris Island, Vol. I., Doc- however, lay comparatively near and parallel to the channel, to the left of the ship's course. Near the northern end of this island, the officers discovered a red palmetto flag which marked the site of a battery of two 24-pound guns (though it could not be seen from the ship), the erection of which was begun nine days previously. When the vessel was within five-eighths of a mile of this flag, and keeping as near it as the channel permitted, in order to avoid the fire from Fort Moultrie, the officers were unpleasantly notified of the existence of the masked battery by a shot across the bows of the steamer. The captain, according to orders, thereupon displayed from the fore a large army garrison flag which it was hoped Anderson would recognize as a signal of succor, and that he would promptly bring his own guns into service to protect the approaching ship. The speed of the ship was increased to its full extent, while the battery continued its fire as rapidly as possible, the gunners gradually obtaining the range of the vessel.

Notwithstanding the fire the steamer stood onward, and though the machinery and rudder narrowly escaped several balls, and a ricochet shot struck in the fore-chains, she had passed the battery without substantial injury when a new danger presented itself. The channel now obliged her to proceed for some distance in a direct line towards Moultrie before she could bear away for Sumter. In addition to this, two steamers were

McGowan,
Report,

Moore,

Record."

seen to start towards her from near Fort Moul- CHAP. VII. trie, one of them towing what was supposed to be the lately surrendered armed revenue cutter William Aiken. This new risk of attack, coupled with the fact that the guns of Sumter gave them no voice of welcome or assistance, shook the courage of the captain of the vessel and the lieutenant commanding the troops, and decided them to abandon their attempt.

It seems to be conceded upon the judgment of competent military authority that this decision was a grave error, and that the remaining chances were as favorable as those under which many a dubious military enterprise has won success. A trifle more of daring might have insured preeminent historic fame to Captain McGowan and Lieutenant Woods; but under a higher guidance than individual or even national wisdom, the Star of the West turned upon her course, and once more repassing the Morris Island battery in safety, grated her retreating keel over Charleston bar with the falling tides on that memorable morning of January 9, 1861.

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Jan. 12, 1861. "Rebellion Vol. I., Docp. 21. Also Woods, Report, Jan. 13, 1861.

uments,

Lieutenant

w. Vol.

I., p. 10. Gen. Scott,

raphy." Vol. II.,

p. 621.

CHAP. VIII.

New York

"Tribune,"

Jan. 7, 1861.

THE

CHAPTER VIII

ANDERSON'S TRUCE

HE general public had no means of knowing anything about the fitting out and sailing of the Star of the West until Monday morning, thirty-six hours after her departure. The first announcement of the fact was in the shipping news of the "Sunday Herald," in small type at the bottom of the column: "Cleared-steamship Star of the West, McGowan, Havana and New Orleans." The "Tribune" of Monday morning gave the current reports: "This steamer cleared on Saturday for Havana and New Orleans. Rumors were rife that she was to convey troops to Charleston, but the story was ridiculed at the office of the owners, and they requested its contradiction. Several belonging to the vessel said that she was going to Charleston, and would take on troops in the stream during the night. The freight taken was nearly all pork, beef, and pilot bread." Between the publication of this news in New York on Monday morning and the actual arrival of the ship in Charleston harbor at daylight on Wednesday, there was not sufficient time for the mails to carry the newspapers to the garrison in Sumter. Something of a panic had

New York

Post," Jan.

5 and 7, 1861.

prevailed, however, in Charleston, for several days CHAP. VIII. previous, growing out of the commissioners' warning of the 28th that troops were on the way-some- "Evening times it was said in the Harriet Lane, sometimes in the Brooklyn; and doubtless these rumors found their way to Sumter, and had put the garrison and officers on the qui vive. But of the intended or actual sailing of the Star of the West, neither Anderson nor his subordinates had any notice or suspicion beyond the general hope and possibility that relief might be attempted by the Government.1

"Forts

Sumter and

Moultrie,"

p. 86.

The meagerness of the garrison compelled the Doubleday, few officers to remain on watch throughout the whole of each alternate night, and at about daylight on the 9th Captain Doubleday had his flagging energies aroused by discovering from the parapet that a large steamer was actually entering the harbor. He watched her with increasing interest as she steamed up the channel, and when at length the rebel battery opened its fire upon her, all doubt vanished that this must be an expedition of relief. Anderson being still in bed, Doubleday hurried down to his room to impart the stirring news. Quickly taking the commandant's orders, he ran out, called the drummers, had the long roll beaten, and in a few minutes both men and officers were stationed at the guns. Some forty of these pp. 102, 103. were by this time mounted,-"twenty-nine on the

1 Doubleday's statement in to Marshall O. Roberts, was to "Forts Sumter and Moultrie," be sent to us, under command of p. 101, must be an error of memory. He says: "We had seen a statement in a Northern paper that a steamer named the Star of the West, which belonged

Captain John McGowan, with a
reënforcement of several hun-
dred men and supplies of food
and ammunition; but we could
not credit the rumor."

Ibid.,

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