[
56]
Governor Pickens, of
South Carolina, began about the 1st of January to build batteries to isolate and reduce
Fort Sumter; and the newly made
General Beauregard was on the 1st of March sent by the rebel government to
Charleston to assume direction of military affairs and to complete the preparations for its capture.
The Governor had been exceedingly anxious that the capture should be attempted before the expiration of
Mr. Buchanan's presidential termthat is, between the 12th of February and the 4th of March. “
Mr. Buchanan cannot resist,” wrote the
Governor to
Jefferson Davis, “because he has not the power.
Mr. Lincoln may not attack, because the cause of quarrel will have been, or may be considered by him, as past.”
But the rebel
President doubtless thought it unwise to risk offending and alienating his party friends at the
North by placing the responsibility of such an affront and loss upon their administration.
Even when General-
Beauregard came, the
Governor was admonished that no attack must be attempted without mature preparation, as a failure would seriously demoralize and perhaps prematurely wreck the rebellion.
Beauregard found, as he reports, that
Sumter was naturally “a perfect
Gibraltar,” and that only the weakness of the garrison rendered its capture reasonably feasible.
He
