Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/424

386 activity,&quot; and even to the 6th of April the same reports of Confederate quietness and inactivity were transmitted regularly from Fort Sumter to Washington.

But in the meantime Captain Fox had returned with whatever information he had gained by his special visit to Maj. Anderson, who had been kept in ignorance of the purposes of the administration, but was "in daily expectation since the return of Colonel Lamon to Washington, of receiving orders to vacate this post.&quot; Political ferment was occurring which threatened the repose of the President. General Totten, chief engineer, U. S. A., quartered at Washington, seemed to understand the situation, as it may be inferred from a sentence in his communication to the secretary of war, Mr. Cameron, &quot;under the strongest convictions on some military questions upon which great political events seem about to turn, I feel impelled to state them/ and proceeds to advise against an attempt to reinforce by exposing vessels to the fire of Charleston batteries. But, he says, &quot; should the above reasoning not meet acceptance, or for political reasons should it be decided to hold and defend this fort (Sumter) to the last, then I have to say that every soldier that can be spared should be sent to its relief with the utmost dispatch, accompanied by military supplies of every kind and in the greatest abundance. Having no personal ambition or party feeling to lead or mislead me to conclusions, I have maturely studied the subject as a soldier bound to give all his faculties to his country, which may God preserve in peace.&quot;

The Fort Sumter reinforcement question was deter mined finally on partisan political considerations. Party pressure overcame the &quot; faith as to Sumter&quot; as &quot; military necessity &quot; subsequently recognized no constitutional restraint. The advice of experienced and able military officers as to the futility of the attempt to reinforce Sumter by the employment of a few vessels went for nothing with the politicians, and since the attempt itself would