Tuesday January 29, 1861

"Truce" Established at Fort Pickens

After previously ordering the Brooklyn to go to Fort Pickens with supplies and troops to reinforce Lieutenant Slemmer's command on January 21, the Buchanan administration now ordered the Brooklyn to land supplies, but leave the troop reinforcements on board. The troops were to remain at sea unless the fort was attacked or appeared in imminent danger of attack. Slemmer was instructed to act "strictly on the defensive, and avoid as far as possible a collision with the hostile troops concentrated at Pensacola and in the adjacent forts." In return, the Buchanan administration received "satisfactory assurances" that the fort would not be attacked by secessionist forces.

Bibliography: Rhodes, History, 3: 283-87; OR, pp. 352-58, 445-46; Nicolay and Hay, Lincoln, 3: 14-70.