March 28, 1861 (Thursday)

A Nice, Bright Spring Day....

The envoys sent by Lincoln to Charleston are back in Washington and give their reports.   The links below give the details to the decision-making process which is leading up to the re-inforcing of Fort Sumter or its evacuation. 

From  Civil War Daily Gazette: "Reports of the Missions to Fort Sumter, "  March 27, 1861 AND  "First Fort Sumter, and Now Fort Pickens to be Surrendered?", March 28, 1861.


From Tulane University, Dept. of History, "Hurlbut and Lamon Report,"  March 27, 1861   AND  "Scott's Shocking Recommendation with Commentary,"  March 28, 1861.


And finally, "The Choice is Charybdis," by Jamie Malanowski, Disunion-New York Times, March 28, 2011.   An excellant narrative of the events this week with many detailed anecdotes about Lincoln.  Read the link above for all the details...a couple excerpts below:

" 'I have no hesitation in reporting as unquestionable,' Hurlbut wrote to Lincoln, 'that Separate Nationality is a fixed fact -- that there is an unanimity of sentiment which is to my mind astonishing -- that there is no attachment to the Union -- that almost every one of those very men who in 1832 . . .were in fact ready to draw the sword in civil war for the Nation, are now as ready to take arms if necessary for the Southern Confederacy....Merchants and businessmen act upon the belief that great growth of trade and expansion of material prosperity will follow the Establishment of a Southern Republic.  They expect a golden era, when Charleston shall be a great commercial emporium, and control the South as New York does the North.'

The next day the [cabinet] met.  They found a haggard-looking president who obviously had not slept...Lincoln again asked his advisors to repeat the exercise they had undertaken two weeks before, and place their views in writing.  Two weeks ago, six members favored the evacuation of Sumter, only Blair was in favor...Now four favored re-inforcing Sumter and two were inclined to give it up...the cabinet was tilting towards action. 

Later in the evening, Seward was visited by George Harrington, the assistant secretary of the treasury, who had just been at the White House, where he had seen Lincoln meeting with Blair, Fox and Navy Secretary Welles.  'The president has made up his mind,' Harrington said.  'He's decided to reinforce Fort Sumter.'  'Thunder, George!' Seward exlaimed.  'What are you talking about?  We are not yet in a position to go to war!'  All the next day Lincoln's head pounded with a migraine headache.  Finally, in the afternoon, he 'keeled over,' as his wife put it, and had to be put to bed."


Diary entries from William Howard Russell:  Hat tip Daily Observations from the Civil War.

Arrival in Washington City -- Willard's Hotel -- Dinner at Mr. Sanford's -- Meeting with Secretary of State Seward

Introduced to Abraham Lincoln at the White House