loop-holes near the guard-house, which he said
would have a tendency to irritate the people. I thought the remark a
strange one, under the circumstances, as "the people" were preparing to
attack us. I had no doubt, at the time, in spite of the warlike message
he had brought, that Buell's expressions reflected the wishes of his
superiors. I have ascertained recently that Floyd did have one or more
confidential agents in Charleston, who were secretly intermeddling in
this matter, without the sanction of the President or the open authority
of the War Office. It appears from the records that another assistant
adjutant-general, Captain Withers, who joined the rebels at the outbreak
of the rebellion, and became a rebel general, was also sent by Floyd to
confer with Anderson. It is not at all improbable, therefore, that some
one of the messengers who actually joined the enemy may have been the
bearer of a treasonable communication. It appears from Anderson's own
statement that his hands were tied, and no one that knew him would ever
doubt his veracity. Yet, if he really desired to retain possession of
Charleston harbor for the Government, and Floyd's orders stood in his
way, why did he not, after the latter fled to the South, make a plain
statement to the new secretary, Judge Holt, whose patriotism was
undoubted, and ask for fresh instructions? It looks to me very much as
if he accepted the orders without question because he preferred the
policy of non-resistance.

I shall have occasion to refer to this subject again in the course of my
narrative.

We had frequently regretted the absence of a garrison in Castle
Pinckney, as that post, being within a mile of Charleston, could easily
control the city by means of its mortars and heavy guns. We were too
short-handed ourselves to spare a single soldier. The brave
ordnance-sergeant, Skillen, who was in charge there, begged hard that we
would send him a few artillerists. He could not bear the thought of
surrendering the work to the enemies of the Government without a
struggle, and would have made a determined resistance if he could have
found any one to stand by him. We talked the matter over, and Captain
Foster thought he could re-enforce Skillen by selecting a few reliable
men from his masons to assist in defending the place. He accordingly
sent a body of picked workmen there, under his assistant, Lieutenant
R.K. Meade, with orders to make certain repairs. The moment, however,
Me