UNITED STATES. 



701 



Convention of South Carolina, and immediately 

 afterwards commissioners were appointed to 

 proceed to Washington to negotiate for a peace- 

 able surrender, by the Federal Government, of 

 the forts and other public property within the 

 limits of the State. (See SOUTH CAROLINA.) 



About this time, on the 26th of December, 

 Major Anderson transferred his garrison from 

 Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, in Charleston 

 harbor. (See FORTS, page 315, also SUMTER and 

 CHARLESTON.) The movement excited intense 

 indignation among the active secessionists. It 

 was the first flash across their minds of the 

 idea that the United States might fight before 

 the matter was ended. This movement of 

 Major Anderson was made upon his own re- 

 sponsibility, and in view of the weakness of his 

 former position, and the excitement which ex- 

 isted in the city of Charleston. 



Major Anderson is a native of the State of 

 Kentucky, and entered the army as a second 

 lieutenant by brevet, in the Second Artillery, 

 in 1845; in"l847 he was brevetted a major. 

 He was ordered to the forts in Charleston 

 harbor, in August, 1860. 



The resignation of Mr. Floyd, Secretary of 

 War, followed immediately upon this move- 

 ment of Major Anderson. His letter of resig- 

 nation and the reply of the President were as 

 follows : 



WAR DEPARTMENT, Dec. 29, I860. 



Sm : On the morning of the 27th inst. I read the 

 following paper to you in the presence of the Cabinet : 



COUNCIL CHAMBER, EXECTTIVE MANSION. 



SIR : It is evident now from the action of the Com- 

 mander of Fort Moultrie, that the solemn pledges of 

 the Government have been violated by Major Ander- 

 son. In my judgment but one remedy is now left us 

 by which to vindicate our honor and prevent civil war. 

 It is in vain now to hope for confidence on the part of 

 the people of South Carolina in any further pledges as 

 to the action of the military. One remedy is left, and 

 that is to withdraw the ga'rrison from the harbor of 

 Charleston. I hope the President will allow me to 

 make that order at once. This order, in my judgment, 

 can alone prevent bloodshed and civil war. 



(Signed.) JOHN B. FLOYD, Secretary of War. 



I then considered the honor of the Administration 

 pledged to maintain the troops in the position they 

 occupied, for such had been the assurances given to 

 the gentlemen of South Carolina, who had a right to 

 speak for her. South Carolina, on the other hand, 

 gave reciprocal pledges that no force should be 

 brought by them against the troops or against the 



Eroperty of the United States. The sole object of 

 oth parties in these reciprocal pledges was to pre- 

 vent a collision and the effusion of blood, in the 

 hope that some means might be found for a peaceful 

 accommodation of the existing troubles, the two 

 Houses of Congress having both raised committees 

 looking to that object. Thus affairs stood until the 

 action of Major Anderson, taken unfortunately while 

 the commissioners were on their way to this capital, 

 on a peaceful mission looking to the avoidance of 

 bloodshed, has complicated matters in the existing 

 manner. Our refusal or even delay to place affairs 

 back as they stood under our agreement, invites a col-' 

 lision and "must inevitably inaugurate civil war. I 

 cannot consent to be the agent of such a calamity. I 

 deeply regret that I feel myself under the necessity of 

 tendering to you my resignatio_n as Secretary of War, 

 because I can no longer hold it under my convictions 



of patriotism, nor with honor, subjected as I am to a 

 violation of solemn pledges and plighted faith. 

 With the highest personal regard, 



I am most truly yours, 



JOHN' B. FLOYD. 

 To His Excellency the President o/tfo United States. 



THE PRESIDENT'S REPLY. 



WASHINGTON, Dec. 81, I860. 



MY DEAR SIR : I have received and accepted your 

 resignation of the office of Secretary of War ; and not 

 wishing to impose upon you the task of performing its 

 mere routine duties, which you have so Kindly ottered 

 to do, I have authorized Postmaster-General Holt to 

 administer the affairs of the Department until your 

 successor shall be appointed. 



Yours, very respectfully, 



JAMES BUCHANAN. 

 Hon. JOHN B. FLOYD, 



Secretary Floyd is a native of the State of 

 Virginia; he has been a representative in Con- 

 gress, Governor of his native State, and member 

 of Mr. Buchanan's Cabinet. Subsequently an 

 indictment was found against the ex-Secretary 

 by the Grand Jury of the District of Columbia 

 as being privy to the abstraction of certain 

 bonds amounting to more than $800,000, in the 

 custody of the Department of the Interior, in 

 the latter part of the year 1860. The report of 

 the proceedings in this matter is very summary. 

 On the 19th of March, 1861, in the Criminal 

 Court at Washington, in the case of John B. 

 Floyd, ex-Secretary of War, for conspiracy in 

 attempting to defraud the Government, District 

 Attorney Ould moved to enter a nolle prosequi. 

 He stated that he believed the conspiracy ex- 

 isted with Godard Bailey alone, and also, that 

 as Mr. Floyd had been summoned and request- 

 ed to testify before a congressional committee 

 in relation to the matter, he could not be pros- 

 ecuted by the Court, according to its ruling in 

 the case of Eussell. 



Mr. Carlisle thought it was proper to state 

 that his client (Mr. Floyd) had come here ready 

 to answer the charges brought against him; 

 but hearing of the decision with regard to Rus- 

 sell, he (Carlisle) had, upon his own respon- 

 sibility, and without consultation with any one, 

 thought proper to bring the matter before his 

 Honor. He hoped the motion of the District 

 Attorney would be allowed. 



The Judge stated that he would take time to 

 examine the indictment, and some other tech- 

 nicalities of the case. He gave a decision on 

 the 20th, dismissing the case. 



The agency of the Secretary in improving the 

 military condition of the Southern States, filling 

 the arsenals with arms, and preventing the oc- 

 cupation of the forts by the United States forces, 

 was most important to the Confederacy. Be- 

 fore the close of the j;ear he was appointed a 

 brigadier-general in the Confederate army, and 

 was in command at several skirmishes in West- 

 ern Virginia. 



On the 29th of December the commissioners 

 from South Carolina, Messrs. Barnwell, Adams, 

 and Orr, addressed a letter to President Bu- 

 chanan, stating that they were authorized and 

 empowered to treat with the Government of 



