Yeah, yeah, anything that shows the South committed malfeasants just has to be faked and a grand conspiracy. The link in post #442 is clear, but you just continue to live in your fantasy world.
[#3Fan] Yeah, yeah, anything that shows the South committed malfeasants just has to be faked and a grand conspiracy. The link in post #442 is clear, but you just continue to live in your fantasy world.
The link in #442 is clear. In your fantasy world it goes to a fantasy captain who wrote fantasies. So where is your Captain? If it was not Cap'n Crunch, was it Captain Ron, captain of the Albondigo?
I know Mr. Fox had the favor of one general, but that was his brother-in-law, the Postmaster General.
The Galaxy, vol. 10, issue 5 (November 1870), Former Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, "Facts in relation ot the Expedition ordered by the Administration of President Lincoln for the relief of the Garrison in Fort Sumter."
General Scott said, "there was not in his entire command a sufficient military force to relieve Major Anderson, nor could one be collected and organized within the time limited to accomplish that object." [616]
In reading a carefully prepared statement by direction of General Scott, General Totten "stated the impracticability of relieving the garrison should the insurgents resist by force, and that ultimately Sumter must inevitably fall." [617]
"Mr. Seward from the commencement doubted not only the practicability of reinforcing Sumter, but the expediency of any attempt to provision the garrison, therein differing from every one of his colleagues, though in perfect accord with General Scott." [617]
"Mr. Blair, on the other hand, who was scarcely less familiar with the whole subject than Mr. Seward, was emphatic and decisive from first to last in his opinion that Sumter should be reinforced at any cost or any sacrifice." [617]
"The members of the Cabinet, with the exception of Messrs. Seward and Blair, coincided in the views of the President, and like him were embarrassed by the question presented. They were united in the opinion that the Federal authority must be asserted and maintained, but under the circumstances deprecated hasty coercive measures, and, unless it became absolutely necessary, were unwilling in view of the military counsels to resort to force to provision the fort." [618]
[nc - Of course, Mr. Lincoln had the perfect man to lead the mission, Mr. G.V. Fox.]
[nc - I am happy to record that Mr. Blair was emphatic and decisive in support of his brother in law, Mr. G.V. Fox.]
"General Scott, who had favored Mr. Fox's proposition in February, declared it was now an impossibility; but Mr. Fox was unwilling to relinquish it without first visiting Sumter. To this the President assented, and he left Washington for charleston on the 19th of March. In an interview which he had with Major Anderson within the fort, that officer declared it was impossible for the navy to obtain ingress to him, and that relief could be furnished by no other means than by landing an effective army on Morris Island. His views coincided in all respects with those of General Scott, and confirmed the positions of Mr. Seward. But Mr. Fox dissented and achered to his plan, which was in accordance with the policy of Mr. Blair." [618]
"The supplies in the fort were getting low when Mr. Lamon, the former business partner of the President, who had been sent as a special and trusty messenger to Major Anderson, after the visit and report of Mr. Fox, returned on the 28th of March and stated it would be impossible to reinforce the garrison, and that the provisions on hand would be exhausted by the 15th of April, but a little over two weeks from that date. On receiving this information from Lamon, the President declared he would send supplies to the garrison, and if the secessionists forcibly resiisted, on them would be the responsibility of initiating hostilities." [619]
Mr. Fox wrote:
I maintained the proposition and suggested that it was a naval plan and should be decided by naval officers. The President asked me if there was any naval officer of high authority in Washington who would sustain me, and if so to bring him to the White House. I knew that Commodore Stringham was at that time filling the position of detailing officer in the Navy Department and I took him to the President, where in the presence of Lieutenant-General Scott he not only confirmed my views, but said that he had that morning held a conversation with Commodore Stewart, who declared that Fort Sumter could easily be reenforced and provisioned with boats at night.
Now there is a cozy system. The President does not consult the Secretary of the Navy or any senior naval staff. Mr. Fox just happens to know a Commodore Stringham in naval detailing.
SECWAR Cameron wrote: "[Fox's] proposal has, in a measure, been approved by Commodore Stringham; but he does not suppose, or propose, or profess to believe that provisions for more than one or two months could be furnished at a time.
Mr. Fox also admitted, "I suggested to the Secretary of the Navy to place Commodore Stringham in command of the naval force, but upon consulting with that distinguished officer he considered it to be too late to be successful, and likely to ruin the reputation of the officer who undertook it then."
It is reported that, "At the start of the Civil War Stringham began feuding with the assistant secretary of the Navy, Gustavus Fox."
On the 23d of September, 1861, at his own request, Commodore Stringham was relieved from his command.
Perhaps you remember the Lincoln order to SECNAV Welles to replace Stringham as naval detailer with Captain Barron who turned out to be a Confederate naval officer.
http://www.uttyl.edu/vbetts/little_rock_daily_state_journal.htm
[LITTLE ROCK] DAILY STATE JOURNAL, November 7, 1861, p. 2, c. 2
Mrs. Commodore Stringham who has been busily engaged in conveying information to the Confederates, is in the hands of the Federal officers at Louisville, Ky.
Captain Rowan on the Pawnee reported: "Captain Fox left this ship intending to make the attempt to land the provisions early the next morning; made all preparations to protect him. The next morning he grounded on Rattlesnake Shoal, which delayed the expedition till the following night."
The abstract log of the Pawnee indicates Mr. Fox's naval misadventures continued: "At 7:30 p. m. came in collision with the Baltic, crushing the gig and doing other damage. The Baltic's stern was also considerably damaged."
But all was not lost. Mr. Fox did not have to abandon ship. Mr. Fox contacted a Mr. Aspinwall and "This gentleman applied to Mr. John Jacob Astor, jr., who very generously gave him a check for $3,000. With this he procured the tug Yankee and persuaded Commodore Breese, commandant of the New York navy yard, to arm and fit her out; and having received from that officer an appointment as acting lieutenant in the Navy, I left on the 26th for Hampton Roads, where I reported to Commodore Pendergrast, of the Cumberland."
And so, having first grounded the Baltic and then having been rendered in need of tug service by a collision with the Pawnee, Mr. Fox obtained an appointment as acting lieutenant in the Navy and got his ass towed the hell out of there.
Now, there is your acting lieutenant after the battle of Fort Sumter was over. Where is your captain?
Mr. Fox became a midshipman in January 1838. He graduated Annapolis in 1841. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1852. After 18 years, he resigned from the Navy in 1856 as a lieutenant. However, he married the sister of Montgomery Blair. In 1861 he went from Acting Lieutenant Fox, to Chief Clerk to SECNAV Welles, to the August 1, 1861 created position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy.