light-houses, and other real estate, for an apportionment of the public
debt, for a division of all other property, and generally to negotiate
about other measures and arrangements." The Commissioners arrived in
Washington on the 26th of December, and, by special appointment, were to
meet the President at one o'clock on the following day. Before that hour
arrived an unlooked-for event occurred.


III.


We must now turn back again. Major Anderson, it will be remembered, had
been sent to Charleston by order of Lieutenant-General Scott, acting, of
course, under orders of the Secretary of War. Major Anderson's first
letter, dated November 23d, was sent through the regular channels. It
appears from the records[3] that, on the 28th of November, he was
ordered by Secretary Floyd to address all future communications
_only_ to the Adjutant-General or _direct_ to the Secretary of
War. From this time forth, then, Major Anderson could communicate only
with the conspirators against his government.

At last General Scott began to wonder why he had received no further
tidings from Major Anderson, and on the 27th of December he delivered
the following message to the President:--


Since the formal order, unaccompanied by special instructions, assigning
Major Anderson to the command of Fort Moultrie, no order, intimation,
suggestion, or communication for his government and guidance, has gone
to that officer, or any of his subordinates, from the head-quarters of