March 30, 1861 Saturday President Lincoln announces visiting hours from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. The President again discusses California appointments with Sen. Baker (Oreg.) and James W. Simonton, Washington representative of San Francisco "Bulletin," who opposes Baker. Simonton makes personal remarks about Baker and offends President, who throws Simonton's list of appointments in fire. Mrs. Lincoln establishes White House "at home" between 2 and 4 P.M. each Saturday until further notice. President Lincoln writes to Illinois State Auditor Jesse K. Dubois, who is "sorely disappointed" that Lincoln did not name J. P. Luse to head Minnesota's Indian Affairs office. Lincoln explains, "I was . . . sorry . . . at not being able to give Mr. Luce the appointment . . . Of course I could have done it; but it would have been against the united, earnest, and, I add, angry protest of the republican delegation of Minnesota. . . So far as I understand, it is unprecedented, [to] send an officer into a state against the wishes of the members of congress of the State, and of the same party." Troubled over suggested appointment of "Lizzie" (Elizabeth Todd Grimsley), cousin of Mrs. Lincoln, to Springfield post office, Lincoln writes former law partner, John T. Stuart: "Will it do for me to go on and justify the declaration that Trumbull and I have divided out all the offices among our relatives?"
Colonel Robert E. Lee
Early in the evening of March 1, 1861, Robert E. Lee arrived at Arlington. How he returned from Texas is not known; probably taking a steam vessel from Indianola (Corpus Christi today) he no doubt traveled first to New Orleans, where he either took trains to cross the country, or took a steamer to New York and then a train down to Washington. Several weeks after his return to Arlington, he received a letter from Lorenzo Thomas, the temporary Adjutant General of the Army, informing him of an offer from Secretary of War Cameron tendering to him a commission as colonel in the First Cavalry Regiment. Lee accepted the commission on March 30, 1861.
Lee’s return from Texas raised some eyebrows: A year earlier, Brigadier General David E. Twiggs, a hero in the War with Mexico, had been in command of the Department of Texas. In December 1859, due to advanced age and acute illness, Twiggs, a native Georgian, left Texas on a leave of absence, taking up residence in New Orleans. Lee took his place. On November 7, 1860, just as Lincoln was elected president, General Scott ordered Twiggs back to duty. In December 1860, Twiggs arrived at Army headquarters in San Antonio and relieved Lee of the department’s command. Lee then removed himself to the headquarters of the Second Cavalry Regiment at Fort Mason, a hundred and forty miles away.
The question was asked at the time: Why should Robert E. Lee, sound of mind and body, be relieved at such a perilous moment and Twiggs, a true invalid, pushed in his place? The answer given, is that either the secessionists wanted Lee out of command, or Lee, himself, wanted out of the command. In either event, General Scott accommodated him, by ordering him to report to Washington by March 30th. And, as Lee left Texas for the journey east, Twiggs surrendered the Army’s posts and materiel in Texas, to the secessionists
It is inconceivable, given what is known about Lee, that, had he remained in command of the Department of Texas when the secessionists came to San Antonio in force, he would have surrendered the military post and its stores to the secessionists. Presumably, Lee would have acted as Major Robert Anderson was acting in command at Fort Sumter. Lee would have probably resisted the secessionists’ effort to take possession of the military post and its stores with force of arms.
Had this happened, it seems likely to have placed him, in the public eye, clearly in support of the Union’s effort to coerce the seceded states and made him a political liability in the eyes of Southern leaders, making him unacceptable as a commander of Confederate forces. A reasonable suspicion arises from this that the Southern politicians, led by then Secretary of War, John Floyd, of Virginia, may have induced General Scott to order Twiggs back to duty; indeed, Twiggs may well have returned to duty, prompted to do so by the politicians; for no sooner had Twiggs arrived in San Antonio than he was peppering Scott with messages seeking to be relieved. Scott accommodated Twiggs by ordering Colonel C.A. Waite, commanding the First Infantry Regiment at Camp Verde, to assume Twiggs’s position. Waite arrived at San Antonio on February 18, just after Twiggs surrendered the post and a day after Lee had passed through the town on his way to the coast to take passage home. Why was it necessary to do this, when Lee was already in command? Some would say there had been treachery in Texas.
_________________ Gen Ned Simms 2/XVI Corps/AotT Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em. VMI Class of '00
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