The Approching Civil
War!
Army and Navy Preparations.
great excitement in New York.
Sailing of the Atlantic and Hilnois.
&c., &c., &c.
The New York papers contain the particulars of the preparations at that point for the military expedition to the
South.
The number of troops concentrated at the different stations in the port is something over 2,600, including the Sappers and Miners who arrived there a few days ago from
Washington.
They are located as follows: ‘ At
Governor's Island, 1,100; at Bedloe's Island, 270; at
Fort Hamilton, 203; at Fort Lafayette, 199; at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard, 886--total, 2,658.
The
Herald says: ’
‘
On
Governor's Island the men are constantly under arms.
ManŒuvres and evolutions are the order of the day, and the drum corps and buglers may be seen and heard any morning practising on the sunny side of the island.
Large supplies of ammunition and other war material have for some time past been taken from the island and placed on board the vessels now cruising off
Pensacola, intended for the relief of
Fort Pickens.
As yet these supplies have not reached their intended destination, and there is little probability that they ever will without a struggle.
The fact of
Fort Sumter being no longer tenable leaves a large force at the disposal of the secessionists, and already divisions of this force have arrived at
Florida, while other divisions are daily expected there.
Fort Pickens is, therefore, the supposed rendezvous of the drafts of United States troops now under arms in the forts in our harbor, and who are hourly expecting the order to start.
From thence, then, will come the first clash of arms.
It must be the fervent hope of all men, North and South, that the catastropre will be averted, and that neither section will lose ‘"one drop of blood on this hot trial."’
’
The soldiers at
Fort Hamilton were paid off on Wednesday last, preparatory to receiving marching orders, and officers who had but a few days before obtained leave of absence, are hurrying back and reporting themselves at their respective posts as ready for duty.
At Fort Lafayette additional troops have arrived, but not to make a permanent stay.--Within the walls the greatest excitement prevails, and a feverish anxiety to know upon what point the troops will be concentrated.--Working detachments are busily employed in making up, according to military usage,
hay, oats and strores of every description for embarkation.
Companies C and F, Third regiment of infantry, have received orders to be ready at a moment's notice to embark; destination not stated.
The first move will be on board the
Powhatan, which is taking in war materials and large quantities of supplies for the subsistence of the troops.
The
Harriet Lane, (
United States revenue cutter,) with a full complement of soldiers and marines, sailed from Quarantine yesterday morning, but returned to the city last evening.
Rumor indicates that she will be sent to
Fort Pickens.
At ten o'clock last night, says the
N. York World, our Army and Navy Reporter returned from a visit to all the forts at this station.
There is not the slightest doubt that, to-morrow or Sunday, a large force of army soldiers will leave for some unknown destination.--The garrison of
Fort Hamilton was paid off yesterday, the last move preparatory to marching.
Officers were arriving from
Washington individually, all day yesterday, and, carpetbags in hand, reporting themselves for duty.
The village of
Fort Hamilton was like a stormed citadel.
Troops, who had just got their money, having been indulging freely in stimulants, thronged the side-walks in knots of from five to ten, boisterously discussing the affairs of the nation.
Fort Lafayette, near
Hamilton, New York harbor, has been garrisoned.
A troop of Sappers and Miners arrived from the
Federal capital on Wednesday night late, and were quartered at that fort, there being no room in the opposite one.
Detachments of picketmen were engaged all yesterday preparing
hay, oats, ambulance and stores for embarkation, and getting places ready for the accommodation of two companies of artillery expected last night.
Companies C and E of the Third Infantry have been under marching orders since Tuesday.
This evening the soldiers ordered from
Governor's Island will, it is reported, go up to
Hamilton, and there go on board a steamer, (probably the U. S. steam frigate
Powhatan,) which is to convey them to
Florida.
The bustle and excitement continued yesterday at the
Navy-Yard and army depots.
Men were kept working all Wednesday night and last night on board the steam frigate
Powhatan.
Yesterday a large force of laborers employed on board of her were reinforced by the crew, lately detached, who assisted in getting in the various necessities for a special cruise, and were pushing forward the general preparations.
Even while they were at dinner on board the
North Carolina, hands were put on to replace them in hurrying up the ship.
A Washington dispatch to the New York Tribune, Thursday, says:
‘
No disgnise is affected in regard to the sending of supplies to the vessels-of-war and
Fort Pickens.
They are ample for present and future necessities.
Instructions have also been forwarded which are intended to keep the squadron off
Pensacola on the alert, and prepare to co-operate with the fort, if a signal should be given.
Commodore Stringham, who was recently ordered here by the
Secretary of the Navy, to act as assistant to him, has been suddenly detailed to the
Minnesota for special service at home.
The Powhatan, which has just returned, and was about to be repaired, and some smaller vessels, will accompany him on this expedition.
The urgency is necessarily positive, or the
Powhatan would not be ordered in her present condition, when she is unfit for a long voyage.
The companies of Sappers and Miners which left here yesterday have a Southern destination, and are to go on board one of these vessels.
They will be replaced by some of the troops just returned from
Texas, for it is not thought expedient, at this time, to withdraw any considerable portion of the defensive force from
Washington.
On the contrary, there are indications which may require it to be augmented immediately.
While the newspapers are harping upon a want of policy in the Administration, the
President has been earnestly engaged, day after day, with his Cabinet, and others high in the confidence of the country, as to the best mode of meeting this crisis, and meeting it thoroughly.
Great responsibilities like those now involved, which require all the powers under the
Constitution to be examined carefully and calmly, with a view to the legal justification of every position that may be assumed, cannot be determined in a day, and they demand almost cotemporaneous preparation in all the Departments, for certain contingencies which may be accepted.
The
Attorney General has now before him several important questions, which affect peace or war substantially as his opinions shall be received by the
Cotton States.
First as to the power of the
President to collect the duties on shipboard, and next, as to the extent of his authority to call out volunteers in a certain emergency.
His decision on these points, and some others, may determine an extra session, and, for reasons obvious to all intelligent minds, that resort will be avoided if possible; but it may be necessary.
In the meantime the Administration must prepare gradually, so that if the Revolutionists should strike, as they threaten, the blow may not fall injuriously.
So far as
Fort Sumter is concerned, no final decision has been taken.
A meeting of the
Cabinet will be held to morrow, when that matter must be concluded.
Major Anderson's supplies are fast getting exhausted, and they must be renewed, or he must be withdrawn, or starvation and surrender are inevitable.--These are the alternatives presented.
Offers have been made to the
Government to introduce supplies, but they are attended with risks which may well cause hesitation.
The golden opportunity was lost when the Star of the West turned back.
Commodore Paulding has been ordered to take the place in the Navy Department recently filled by
Commodore Stringham.
Commodore Pendergast, a Southern man, has been detached from the command of the Home Squadron, and
Com. Stringham has been substituted in his place.
The vessels hereafter named are either in commission or under orders, and all of them will be ready for active service within one week:
The Powhatan is a first class wheel steamer of 2,415 tons burthen, and was built at
Gosport in 1850.
She carries 11 guns and about 300 officers and men. Her service list includes two general cruises and one special cruise.
She returned from
China last summer, and was about to be put in ordinary when she was ordered suddenly to the
Gulf of Mexico, and had nearly been stripped at
Brooklyn on Monday when the instructions to get her ready for sea came from
Washington.
She is the only steam frigate ever converted from the ‘"lying up"’ condition into the commision state
in the space of three days. This is something that could be done in very few yards in the world.
There were not two companies of marines put on board the
Powhatan, as stated by an evening paper.
She has a regular guard.
’
Sailing of the
Atlantic.
The New York Express, of Saturday afternoon, says:
‘
The scene on board the steamer
Atlantic was remarkable for its activity.
The lighters were drawn up on either side of the steamer, on which men were busily engaged in removing their cargoes through the ports.
One of those lighters was loaded with coal, and the entire deck of the other was covered with 68-pound shells.
The shells were carefully stowed in the lower deck, and numbered about fifteen hundred.
On either side of the forward deck were erected seventy-two horse stails, for the use of the animals belonging to the mounted artillery.
The hold was full of breadstuffs and ammunition, and the berths in the lower sleeping deck were fitted up with bedding sufficient to accommodate eight hundred men.
The monster tanks of the ship, together with fourteen large casks, were filled with water sufficient to last the voyagers at least six weeks. On the table of the cabin were the charts of
Charleston harbor, and some points on the
Florida coast, which were delivered at the
Quartermaster's office on Friday, as noticed in the
Express.
The Army and Navy officers are making no preparations for a prolonged stay of their steamers, wherever they are to go. The coal taken in for ‘"the round trip,"’ is enough to bring them back.
No coal transports have been engaged, but, on the contrary, both the
War and Navy Departments have declined transport ships to-day.
The inference from this is, that the steamers are to make no long stays anywhere.
Passing through
Green wich street about 12 ½ o'clock this afternoon, our reporter met company A of the first Flying Artillery.
They were evidently bound for Canal street, to go on board the
Atlantic.
There were about ten guns, which, with the ammunition wagons and troops, extended a long distance.
The Atlantic will probably sail before this account goes to press.
The
Illinois will go to Canal street this afternoon, taking the dock of the
Atlantic, to get her supplies.
She has nothing now on board except the supplies taken for her trip to
Europe.
These will be retained for use. She has been stripped of all extra nice furniture.
Army Movements — resignations of Offigers.
Army circles are in a state of intense excitement to-day, (Saturday.) In the midst of the hurry of embarking a large force for a destination as yet unknown, but generally understood to be
Fort Pickens,
Major Holmes,
Commander-in-Chief of all the U. S. forces at this station and
General Superintendent of the recruiting business, tendered his resignation this morning, and withdrew from his headquarters on
Governor's Island.
It is also reliably reported that
Major Johnson, who is on duty at this post, has resigned his commission rather than continue the warlike preparations now in progress.
Major Holmes is a native of
North Carolina, and has been in the service thirty-one years. He has distinguished himself on various occasions, and has always enjoyed the confidence of the War Department.
His resignation was totally unexpected, and, occurring at such a crisis as the present, when, as executive head of this important station, his services are very necessary to the successful execution of the orders of the War Department, its effect was to throw the garrison into the utmost confusion.
Major Johnson, also a tried officer, is a Kentuckian.
The resignation of these two
Majors has been the theme of general conversation in army and navy circles to-day, and intimations are thrown out that there may be more of the same kind before the expedition at present fitting out shall finally set sail.
Neither officers nor men at the various forts pretend that these resignations have any cause but a disinclination to draw the sword against the
Southern forces.
The soldiers who are to form the expedition now preparing, do not half like the duty they are going on. Though they have not been informed as to their destination, hardly a man of them doubts that they are bound to
Fort Pickens.
They are a very intelligent set of men, and appear to be thoroughly posted up as to the state of the country.
Their conversation among themselves, and with their friends, does not betray any superlative desire to fight
Gen. Bragg's army.
They show no hesitation in obeying the orders of their superiors, though there is no doubt that a large number of them are disaffected.
This morning all is bustle at the forts on
Governor's Island and down the bay. Troops are busily packing up at Forts Columbus and
Hamilton, and arms and accoutrements are being prepared with the utmost dispatch.--The troops from Fort Hamifton will probably be taken on board the vessels of the expedition as they pass through the narrows.
From Governor's. Island, the men will be conveyed in launches.
A large number of transport boats from the
Navy-Yard are along-side of the
Governor's Island wharf, to be used in this duty.
Things in
Washington.
A Washington dispatch announces that the
Pawnee sailed from there for
Norfolk, Saturday, and adds:
’ ‘
The mission of the twenty-five carpenters at five dollars per day, all single men, sworn to secrecy, each man armed with a hatchet and a saw, creates much discussion.
They are supposed to be a part of the Sappers and Miners, whom they accompany.
These facts, and the notorious forward movements towards
Pensacola, are sure indications of an approaching collision.
The Commissioners have telegraphed to
Jefferson Davis ‘"to prepare for war."’ The answer they received was, ‘"we are all ready; let it come!"’
Four
Dahlgren boat howitzers were sent from
Washington to New York last night, which confirms the belief that the troops are expected to effect an armed landing.
The Departments of War and Navy are alive with the proceedings necessarily antecedent to great undertakings by sea or by land, Messengers are continually passing to and frobetween the offices of the members of the
Cabinet.
’
