THE IMPENDING WAR: The Steamship Baltic Sent to Provision Fort Sumpter; IMPORTANT FROM CHARLESTON: GREAT PREPARATIONS FOR AN ATTACK (4/10/1861)

New York Times archives – Times Machine ^ | 4/10/1861

[Homer_J_Simpson]

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, April 9.

I have information to-night, entirely satisfying me that the steamer Baltic has gone to Fort Sumpter, where she will land supplies in small boats.

You are already aware that she is laden with a large quantity of stores, and is supplied with numerous launches, yawls, &c. The soldiers on board are designed to repel attacking parties coming from the rebel forts; for which purpose the Baltic is supplied with boat-howitzers. A number of naval officers have recently expressed their entire confidence in this method of reinforcing and supplying Fort Sumpter.

Mr. R.S. CHEW, a Consular Clerk of the State Department, has gone to Charleston, to notify the authorities of the purpose of the Government to send in these supplies. It is understood that the Government only proposes to send in provisions; but if the landing of these is resisted, the men who fight their way through, and reach the fort, will remain there.

We may therefore expect exciting news from Charleston, accordingly, within thirty-six hours, if the telegraph is allowed to operate from southward.

A dispatch was received here this morning from Charleston, stating that Lieut. TALBOT would not be allowed to return to Fort Sumpter with the President's communications, as the orders are understood to be unfavorable to the interests of the Confederacy. It is probable, however, that Gov. PICKENS will not permit such a gross violalation even of warlike courtesy.

Lieut. A.S. BALDWIN is ordered to leave Philadelphia to-morrow, via steamer Water Witch, for Pensacola, to take command of the steamer Wyandotte, vice BERRYMAN, deceased. The impression prevails here among military men, that the steamer Atlantic, with DUNCAN'S battery and other troops, have gone to Pensacola to support the movement for the reinforcement of Fort Pickens.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3949157/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Impending War: The Steamship Baltic Sent to Provision Fort Sumpter – 2-3
The Pennsylvania Legislature – 3
Important from Charleston: Great Preparations for an Attack – 3
The Latest Dispatches – 3
Important from Montgomery – 3
The Warlike News South – 3-4
Military and Naval Affairs – 4
Important from Virginia: Progress of Events-Sentiment of the People-Prospects of Secession – 4-5
Editorial: The Prospect at Pensacola – 5-6
Editorial: Position of Virginia – 6
Captain Mercer – 6
Editorial: The South and its Foreign Relations – 6-7
Lack of Food in Mississippi – 7
A Small Price for a Small State – 7
Later from the Pacific: Arrival of the Overland Express – 7

[sauropod]

Thanks as always for posting.

[SkyDancer]

So much for the Northern invasion myth.

[KC_Lion]

It's accelerating.

If only there was a way to stop it.

[KC Burke]

David Detzer has a great series of books about this period. They start with his book “Allegiance: Fort Sumter, Charleston, and the Beginning of the Civil War.”

They follow ups with Dissonance: The Turbulent Days Between Fort Sumter and Bull Run and Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861.

I have read the first and have the others on my bucket list. I recommend Allegiance completely.

[DiogenesLamp]

Carrying troops and munitions along with five or so actual warships. The ships had orders to use the force at their disposal if the Confederates resisted them.

This was a deliberate provocation and it was seen as an attack by the confederates. The shelling of fort Sumter began an hour after the Harriet Lane was spotted in the channel.

[DiogenesLamp]

So much for the Northern invasion myth.

I assure you the North did in fact invade. It is no myth.

[M Kehoe]

The beginning of the carnage and destruction draws nigh.

5.56mm

[BroJoeK]

DiogenesLamp: "The shelling of fort Sumter began an hour after the Harriet Lane was spotted in the channel."

As per usual, our FRiend DiogenesLamp is disoriented & confused.
In fact:

1. April 8 -- after notification from Pres. Lincoln, Jefferson Davis orders Fort Sumter be "reduced" if not surrendered.

2. April 9 -- Confederate cabinet endorsed Davis' order to "reduce" Fort Sumter, only opposed by Secretary of State Toombs' accurate prediction:
   "...will lose us every friend at the North.
   You will only strike a hornet's nest. ...
   Legions now quiet will swarm out and sting us to death.
   It is unnecessary.
   It puts us in the wrong.
   It is fatal."

3. April 11 -- during the day Confederate emissaries again demanded Fort Sumter's immediate surrender, but Maj. Anderson again asked for a delay.

4. April 11 -- around sunset the small Union revenue cutter Harriet Lane arrived, outside Charleston harbor.

5. April 12 -- around 1:00 AM, Confederates again demanded Maj. Anderson's immediate surrender.
   Anderson again asked for a delay.

6. April 12 -- around 3:00 AM the civilian passenger ship Baltic, commanded by Capt. Fox, arrived, outside Charleston Harbor.

7. April 12 -- 4:30 AM, before dawn, Confederates opened fire on Fort Sumter.

8. April 12 -- 6:00 AM a major Union sloop of war, USS Pawnee arrived 10 miles outside Charleston Harbor.

So Jefferson Davis' order to "reduce" Fort Sumter had nothing to do with the number of, or arrivals of, the alleged Union "war fleet".

USRC Harriet Lane, arrived at sunset April 11:

Unarmed civilian passenger ship SS Baltic, Capt Fox commanding, arrived around 3:00 AM April 12:

Major Union warship USS Pawnee with 10 large guns arrived 10 miles off shore at 6:00 AM April 12:

[BroJoeK]

"Important from Virginia: Progress of Events-Sentiment of the People-Prospects of Secession – 4-5"

"INDEPENDENCE OF WESTERN VIRGINIA DECLARED!"

It was here announced at the Virginia secession convention that if Virginia declared secession from the Union, then western Virginia was seceded from Virginia.

Virginians were warned in advance.
They immediately sent Confederate troops under illustrious commanders like RE Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson to invade & suppress Union West Virginia militarily.
They failed.

[SkyDancer]

As to a reply from when the South attacked Sumter not only once but twice.

[DiogenesLamp]

The only "invasion" involving fort Sumter was when Anderson seized it in the middle of the night after spiking and burning the cannons in Fort Moultrie.

The first invasion was when the Union army invaded Virginia and fought at the first battle of Bull run. Again, it was the Union army invading the Southern states, not the other way around.

[DiogenesLamp]

Armed with several hundred riflemen and artillerymen as well as munitions fuses etc.

Troop carrier with weapons and munitions.

[rockrr]

Personally, I wouldn’t bother with him. Something about ‘rasslin with pigs...

[SkyDancer]

Yep. Been in quite a few, um, discussions re: The War of Secession.

[BroJoeK]

Diogeneslamp: "The only "invasion" involving fort Sumter was when Anderson seized it in the middle of the night after spiking and burning the cannons in Fort Moultrie."

As authorized, Union Maj. Anderson simply moved his troops from one Union fort to another -- nothing "invasion" about it.

Diogeneslamp: "The first invasion was when the Union army invaded Virginia and fought at the first battle of Bull run.
Again, it was the Union army invading the Southern states, not the other way around."

That's Rubbish!

1. The first invasions were many Confederate seizures of major Union properties -- forts, ships, arsenals, mints, etc.

2. The first battle was the Confederate assault on Union Fort Sumter, forcing its surrender.

3. After Fort Sumter there were nine battles with over 1,000 total casualties before Bull Run/Manassas.

4. Of those nine other pre-Bull Run battles, five were Confederate invasions of the Union, producing about 700 Confederate casualties.
   Four others in Virginia produced about 100 Confederate casualties.

5. In all of 1861 there were 35 named battles, 25 of them Confederate invasions of the Union producing about 1,000 more Confederate casualties than the 10 battles fought in Confederate states.
   1861 was a war of Confederate aggressions against the United States.

Diogeneslamp on the SS Baltic at Charleston Harbor: "Armed with several hundred riflemen and artillerymen as well as munitions fuses etc.
Troop carrier with weapons and munitions."

But of no threat whatsoever to the thousands of Confederate artillerymen surrounding & doing battle on Fort Sumter to force its surrender.