obert Anderson, of the First
Artillery.

About twelve days before the secession of South Carolina, the
representatives in Congress from that State had called on the President
to assure him, in anticipation of the secession of the State, that no
purpose was entertained by South Carolina to attack, or in any way
molest, the forts held by the United States in the harbor of
Charleston--at least until opportunity could be had for an amicable
settlement of all questions that might arise with regard to these forts
and other public property--provided that no reenforcements should be
sent, and the military _status_ should be permitted to remain unchanged.
The South Carolinians understood Mr. Buchanan as approving of this
suggestion, although declining to make any formal pledge.

It appears, nevertheless, from subsequent developments, that both before
and after the secession of South Carolina preparations were secretly
made for reenforcing Major Anderson, in case it should be deemed
necessary by the Government at Washington.[113] On the 11th of December
instructions were communicated to him, from the War Department, of which
the following is the essential part:

"You are carefully to avoid every act which would needlessly
tend to provoke aggression; and for that reason you are not,
without evident and imminent necessity, to take up any position
which could be construed into the assumption of a hostile
attitude, but you are to hold possession of the forts in this
harbor, and, if attacked, you are to defend yourself to the last
extremity. The smallness of your force will not permit you,
perhaps, to occupy more than one of the three forts, but an
attack on, or attempt to take possession of either of them, will
be regarded as an act of hostility, and you may then put your
command into either of them which you may deem most proper to
increase its power of resistance. You are also authorized to
take similar defensive steps, whenever you have tangible
evidence of a design to proceed to a hostile act."[114]

These instructions were afterward modified--as we are informed by Mr.
Buchanan--so as, instead of requiring him to defend himself "to the last
extremity," to direct him to do so as long as any reasonable hope
remained of saving the fort.[115]

Immediately after the secession of the State, the Convention of South
Carolina deputed three distinguished citizens of that State--