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civil war here before the new Administration and new Congress could be in authority to subdue it. I desired to avoid giving them that advantage.
I conferred throughout with General Scott and Mr. Stanton, then in Mr. Buchanan's Cabinet.
I presume I conversed with others in a way that seemed to me best calculated to leave the inauguration of a war to the secessionists, and to delay it, in any case, until the new Administration should be in possession of the Government.
It was less military demonstration that was wanted at that particular moment than political discretion.
Discretion taught two duties; namely, to awaken patriotism in the North, and to get the secessionists, with Buchanan's Administration, out of Washington.
Mr. Adams well and thoroughly understood me. On the 22d of February, in concert with Mr. Stanton, I caused the United-States flag to be displayed throughout all the Northern and Western portions of the United States.
Colonel Ritchie did not leave
Washington until he had come to a definite understanding in regard to the route by which to forward troops to
Washington, should a call for them be made.
He had been cordially received by
General Scott, to whom the purpose of his mission was made known, and he was referred to
Colonel Keyes of
General Scott's staff for information upon matters of detail.
It was then arranged, that, in case of a call, the troops should be forwarded by sea to
Annapolis or
Baltimore.
Colonel Keyes stated, that all other routes to
Washington would be unsafe; that, for this reason,
General Scott had placed an officer in command of
Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor, upon whom he could rely to hold it to the utmost.
Immediate measures were taken by the
Governor to have the necessary transports in readiness, and
Colonel Lee, of his staff, was detailed to attend to this duty.
The following extract from a letter dated
Boston, Feb. 2, 1861, addressed to the
Governor, by
Colonel Lee, relates a conversation he had held that day with
John M. Forbes,
Esq., in regard to chartering steamers to be used as transports, which shows that the attention of the
Governor had been given to this subject before
Colonel Ritchie had returned from
Washington:—
Mr. Forbes assures me that he and others will have the transports ready as soon as the men can be, waiting until orders come before the vessel is chartered, so as to keep as quiet as possible.
And
