So much for these objections to what the President of the United States has done. But the closing argument, after all, and that upon which the gentleman places most stress is, that an effort was made at the last session of Congress to give to the President this very power, and that the Congress of the United States refused to pass that bill.
That is true; and why? Because the vacant seats around us were then filled by traitors, many of whom are now in arms against the Republic.
Senator Lane of Indiana, July 16, 1861, page 143
[nc] This appears to refute any claim that Lincoln had to act without approval of Congress while it was out of session. Obviously, it was made by a Lincoln supporter. If the previous Congress refused to pass such an act "because the vacant seats around us were then filled by traitors," it is interesting to note that this Congress, absent all those alleged traitors, also refused to pass such an act.
March 28, 1861 the Senate adjourned.
Lincoln did not fail to obtain Congressional approval to act as he did because Congress was not in session. Being unable to obtain Congressional approval for what he wanted to do, Lincoln waited until Congress adjourned and then he acted.
April 1, 1861 by General Scott
April 2, 1861 approved by Abraham Lincoln
To: Brevet Colonel Harvey Brown, U.S. Army
You have been designated to take command of an expedition to reinforce and hold Fort Pickens in the harbor of Pensacola. You will proceed to New York where steam transportation for four companies will be engaged; -- and putting on board such supplies as you can ship without delay proceed at once to your destination. The object and destination of this expedition will be communicated to no one to whom it is not already known. Signed: Winfield Scott
Signed approved: Abraham Lincoln
April 4, 1861
To: Lieut. Col. H.L. Scott, Aide de Camp
This will be handed to you by Captain G.V. Fox, an ex-officer of the Navy. He is charged by authority here, with the command of an expedition (under cover of certain ships of war) whose object is, to reinforce Fort Sumter.
To embark with Captain Fox, you will cause a detachment of recruits, say about 200, to be immediately organized at fort Columbus, with competent number of officers, arms, ammunition, and subsistence, with other necessaries needed for the augmented garrison at Fort Sumter.
Signed: Winfield Scott
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ On July 4, 1861, Lincoln gave a report to Congress.
"An order was at once directed to be sent for the landing of the troops from the Steamship Brooklyn, into Fort Pickens. this order could not go by land, but must take the longer, and slower route by sea."
This was a lie. Special messenger Lieut. J.L. Worden, U.S.N. went by rail, via Richmond, Augusta, and Atlanta, to Pensacola.
"To now reinforce Fort Pickens, before a crisis would be reached at Fort Sumter was impossible -- rendered so by the near exhaustion of provisions in the latter-named fort."
This was a lie. The troops were landed at Pickens before any shots at Sumter. This is proved by the official ship's log of the USS Supply. It is further proved by the statement of Captain Vodges that he had reinforced Pickens before the action at Sumter.
"As had been intended, in this contingency, it was also resolved to notify the Governor of South Carolina, that he might expect an attempt would be made to provision the fort; and that, if the attempt should not be resisted, there would be no effort to throw in men, arms, or ammunition, without further notice..."
Lincoln lied. He had already issued multiple written orders to reinforce both Forts Sumter and Pickens.
"Then, and thereby, the assailants of the government, began the conflict of arms, without a gun in sight, or in expectancy, to return their fire..."
Lincoln lied. He had ordered troops to reinforce Pickens and Sumter.
Remember Lieut. J.L. Worden, the messenger? A funny thing happened on the way to Pensacola.
[G] "This order was sent by a special messenger, Lieut, J. L. Worden, U. S. N. Worden went by rail, via Richmond, Augusta, Atlanta (Georgia); when near Atlanta he became alarmed from some cause, and he opened the dispatches, committed them to memory; then 'destroyed them'; (the act of a spy.) He arrived at Pensacola at 'midnight, April 10th.'
"On the 11th of April Worden saw General Bragg, and assured General Bragg that he 'only had a verbal message of a pacific nature for Captain Adams.'"
"The Lieutenant was allowed to go out to Captain Adams, under this 'pacific' assurance, and the existing 'armistice.'
"'Rough weather' prevented Worden from reaching Captain Adams on the 11th. (it also prevented open war on April 11th, 1861, by delaying Worden.)
"On April 12th Worden delivered, 'verbally, from memory,' the order to reinforce Fort Pickens.
"Worden returned to Pensacola about 5:30 P. M., April 12th. He avoided seeing General Bragg and boarded a train for Montgomery, en route back to Washington.
[J] "Worden's actions aroused suspicion, and he was followed and arrested next morning at Montgomery. By some means he escaped a spy's fate and was held 'as a prisoner of war.'
"About a year later Worden commanded the iron clad 'Monitor' in her fight with the C. S. S. Virginia (Merrimac.)
[K] "To avoid a spy's fate Worden made a 'statement.' April 16th, 1861 to L. P. Walker, Confederate States Secretary of War.
[H] "On April 14th General Bragg reported his experience with Worden.
[G] "It was not until four years later, September, 1865, (when the war was over, and the spy safe) that Worden reported these facts to the U. S. Navy Department. This report proves his 'statement' to Secretary Walker to have been a tissue of lies.
[L] "Captain Adams reported having landed Vogdes, and reinforced Fort Pickens, on April 12th; but, the fact is, that Vogdes, impatient of delay, actually landed a part of his armed forced and reinforced Fort Pickens after '9 P. M.' on the night of April 11th, 1861.' Here is my authority:
[M] "April 11th at 9 P. M. the Brooklyn got under way and stood in toward the harbor; and during the night landed troops and marines on board, to reinforce Fort Pickens.'
"That is from the official 'Log' of a U.S. Ship of War, as reported to, and filed in, the U. S. Navy Department. It confirms Vogdes' statement at Fort Adams.
The Truth of the War Conspiracy of 1861, by H.W. Johnstone, 1921, 12-14
Citations by Johnstone:
[G] (April 7-14, 1861), Records Rebellion, Ser I, Vol 4, 111. Worden's report (1865) Spy.
[H] (April 13-14, 1861), Records Rebellion, Ser I, Vol 4, 135-6, Bragg as to Worden
[J] (April 16, 1861), Records Rebellion, Ser I, Vol 4, 118. Worden prisoner of war.
[K] (April 16, 1861), Records Rebellion, Ser I, Vol 4, 136-7. Worden to Secretary Walker, Statement.
[L] (April 12, 1861), Records Rebellion, Ser I, Vol 4, 115. Adams reports landing Vogdes.
[M] (April 11, 1861), Records Rebellion, Ser I, Vol 4, 210. Log of U. S. S. Supply, April 11th.
"Twenty years later, at Fort Adams, R.I., I met General Vogdes, who remember the incident and discussed it. In his remarks he stated that he had reinforced Fort Pickens before Fort Sumter and was attacked; but, that his act was overshadowed by the clamor and furore about Fort Sumter."
H.W. Johnstone, page 3.