Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/421

Rh used, no movement made beyond what was necessary to gain the occupancy of its undefended property. It is certainly well understood that peace and not war would contribute to the interests and gratify the desire of the State. Its military measures, such as the organizing and drilling of troops, the repairing and construction of its harbor defenses and the manufacture of munitions, indicated apprehensions that the war begun by the events of the Fort Moultrie affair might be continued, but they were the ordinary and reasonable measures adopted by every nation for defensive purposes; and in addition its agreement faithfully observed, to make no attack on Fort Sumter on account of promises made to evacuate the premises, as well as its permission, continued into April, 1861, for Maj. Anderson to purchase fresh provisions in the markets of Charleston, point out a peaceable disposition which cannot be misunderstood.

After the Confederate States assumed control of the harbor defenses of Charleston, General Beauregard was assigned March 1st, 1861, to command of the troops, and all questions were now properly transferred from the State of South Carolina so that they should lie between the Federal and Confederate Governments, but the peace status remained unchanged by any act of the latter nation. The opinion extensively prevailed that Major Anderson s command would be withdrawn. Mr. Forsyth telegraphed March 14th to Governor Pickens, &quot; I confidentially believe Sumter will be evacuated and think a government messenger left here yesterday with orders to that effect for Anderson. On the same day Captain Foster, U. S. Engineer, who was in charge of the works at Fort Sumter, writes to the chief engineer of the U. S. army at Washington, &quot; The new~s received here yesterday by telegraph to the effect that orders were issued to evacuate this fort seems to have caused an almost entire cessation of work on the (Confederate) batteries around us.&quot; On March 12th, President Lincoln addressed to