Continued from above, Allegiance, chapter 7, Slim Pickens and Stout Fort, pg. 98:
"Two days later Pickens wired Trescot again. He had heard, he said, that thirteen men had just arrived in Charleston by train, on their way to Fort Moultrie, that they were part of a hundred and fifty reinforcements that Washington was sending. He demanded to know whether Buchanan had any intention ofreinforcing the garrison, "or to transfer any force from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter," and concluded peremptorily, "I want a clear answer on this immedately. Until the Commissioners shall negotiate at Washington, there can be no change here." Trescot may have been annoyed by the governor's haughty tone but he tramped over to Floyd's again, unaware that the secretary had just been asked to resign over the Russell fiasco. When Trescot asked Floyd about any reinforcements, the secretary whined that "his position ought to be appreciated." He said he was being constantly watched, that his actions were misrepresented. It was all the fault, he said, of the Republicans, who hated him more than any other Southerner. Then he drew himself back from this self-pity enough to tell Trescot to advise Pickens once more that no reinforcements were being sent. As to moving Moultrie's garrison to Sumter, he did not think that likely. And since South Carolina's commissioners would be arriving soon to negotiate the takeover of all Federal properties in that state, it seemed to Floyd unnecessary to be unduly jumpy about something as implausible as Anderson's moving to Sumter.
Francis Pickens remained jittery. He kept hearing all these rumors: reinforcements, no reinforcements; a move to take over Sumter, no such movement. He had been granted the power to deal with some of this, but was uncertain how best to proceed. During the past few weeks the state legislature had been contemplating South Carolina's military situation. It had called for the organization of ten regiments of soldiers, and had stipulated that Governor Pickens was authorized to use them to resist any attempt by "the General Government of the United States, or any officer thereof" to try to coerce the state. Coercion, they said, would include not only any overt act, but even an "intention" to commit such an act--for instance, if Washington simply gathered some troops together that might threaten South Carolina.
The legislature also started the process of purchasing new weapons, though this would take time. On December 20 Pickens received a report that the state's arsenal in Columbia had only several thousand old muskets, 34 cavalry pistols, 3 swords, and 1,580 sabers. Conemplating military action with such arms would have been foolhardy.
As far as Washington sending reinforcements, Pickens could do little about it other than bluster, something he was inclined to do anyway. But he could try to separate rumors from fact--hence his agitated notes to Trescot. He tried other ways, as well. O the day of his inauguration, December 17, he sent an envoy, Lt. Colonel John Green, to Virginia to snoop around, particularly to find out if anything was stirring at Fort Monroe. Once there, Green traveled to nearby Norfolk and contacted a man named Charles Norris, the leader of the local Minute Men. He asked Norris to keep a watchful ey on Fort Monroe and report any doings to South Carolina. While at Norfolk, Green also hired a workman at the naval yard. Under this arrangement, the man would let them know if any ships there seemed to be preparing for action. Pickens later admitted that he received frequent spy reports from Norfolk.
As to whether Major Anderson's garrison might move to Sumter, Pickens could nose about himself. On December 20, the day South Carolina officially seceded, he spoke to Captain Humphreys of the arsenal and quizzed him about a rumor he had come across that very morning--that twenty men were being transferred from Fort Moultrie to Sumter. Was this true? Humphreys said he doubted it, but promised to ask Captain Foster. The same day, Foster received Humphreys's query and wrote back immediately, saying he would not send Pickens any such official denial--especially on this particular day. Let Pickens check with Washington."
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