Abraham Lincoln : a history : the full and authorized record of his private life and public career . xpedition toNorfolk. The worst apprehensions concerning thatimportant post were soon realized — it was irre-trievably lost. The only bit of comfort to be de-rived from the affair was that the vessels broughtback a number of marines and sailors, who wouldnow add a little fraction of strength to the defenseof the capital. The officers of the expedition weresoon before the President and Cabinet, and relatedcircumstantially the tale of disaster and destruc-tion which the treachery of a few officers
Abraham Lincoln : a history : the full and authorized record of his private life and public career . xpedition toNorfolk. The worst apprehensions concerning thatimportant post were soon realized — it was irre-trievably lost. The only bit of comfort to be de-rived from the affair was that the vessels broughtback a number of marines and sailors, who wouldnow add a little fraction of strength to the defenseof the capital. The officers of the expedition weresoon before the President and Cabinet, and relatedcircumstantially the tale of disaster and destruc-tion which the treachery of a few officers and thecredulity of the commandant had rendered un-avoidable. The Gosport navy yard, at Norfolk, Virginia,was of such value and importance that its safety,from the very beginning of Mr. Lincolns Adminis-tration, had neither been overlooked nor , like every other exposed or threatened point,— like Sumter, Pickens, Tortugas, Key West, FortMonroe, Baltimore, Harpers Ferry, and Washing-ton itself,— its fate was involved in the want of anarmy and navy of adequate strength. The day. WILLIAM M. EVARTS. WASHINGTON IN DANGER 145 the President resolved on the Sumter expedition, chap. seamen had been ordered from Brooklyn toNorfolk to render Gosport more safe. Instead ofgoing there, it was thought necessary to changetheir destination to Sumter and Pickens. Andso, though the danger to Gosport was not lostsight of, the reenforcements to ward it off werenever available. The officers of the navy yard were outwardlyloyal; the commandant had grown gray in the ser-vice of his country, and enjoyed the full confidenceof his equals and superiors. It was known that thesecessionists had designs upon the post; but it wasbelieved that the watchfulness which had beenordered and the measures of precaution which hadbeen arranged under the special supervision of twotrusted officers of the Navy Department, who werecarrying out the personal instructions of Secre-tary Welles, would
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