Abraham Lincoln : a history : the full and authorized record of his private life and public career . at Washing-ton had better be abandoned; that in the unpre-pared state of Fort Pickens it would be disastrousto bring on a collision; that the running of thegauntlet by Porter would do this fully concuiTed in this opinion; and beingat the moment on board the Wyandotte, vigorouslymade signals to convey this understanding to thenew-comer. But the Powhatan in her role of anEnglish steamer paid no attention whatever tothese American signals, and headed her coursewith unabated speed
Abraham Lincoln : a history : the full and authorized record of his private life and public career . at Washing-ton had better be abandoned; that in the unpre-pared state of Fort Pickens it would be disastrousto bring on a collision; that the running of thegauntlet by Porter would do this fully concuiTed in this opinion; and beingat the moment on board the Wyandotte, vigorouslymade signals to convey this understanding to thenew-comer. But the Powhatan in her role of anEnglish steamer paid no attention whatever tothese American signals, and headed her coursewith unabated speed for the entrance of the har-bor. Meigs knew both the ship and the headstrongtemper of her commander. Porter, he felt sure,had made up his mind to run the batteries, andunaware of the changed and improved conditionof the fort, would not be turned aside from thispurpose by any ordinary notice. Quickly takinghis measures, therefore, he ordered the Wyandotteto advance and lay exactly across the course of thePowhatan, and thus brought the impulsive Porterto a dead halt lest he should run down a Union. GENERAL M. C. MEIGS. FOET PICKENS KEENFOECED 17 ship, and that only when the two vessels were chap, i,within speaking distance, where Meigs could ver-bally explain the reason for the apparently recklessproceeding. Two more days passed, and Meigs and hisbrother officers began to grow uneasy about theIllinois, when she too made her appearance insafety. With the reenforcements brought by theMeigs expedition. Fort Pickens now contained oiary. eleven hundred men, soldiers and laborers,nearly reaching the estimated war garrison thework was capable of holding, together with sixmonths supplies. The safety of the fort was fullyassured, the fleet yet remaining to aid in its de-fense ; and though beleaguered for a time the flagof the Union floated over its ramparts during thewhole of the civil war. Vol. IV.—2 Chap. II. CHAPTER II THE SUMTER EXPEDITION W E have mentioned that almost simu
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