ded him to order the
relief expedition not to land any troops so long as the Florida forces
refrained from attacking the fort. This understanding between Buchanan
and Mallory is some-times called "the Pickens truce," sometimes "the
Pickens Armistice." N. and H., III, Chap. XI; N. R., first series, 1,
74; Scott, II, 624-625. The new Administration had no definite knowledge
of it. Lincoln, VI, 302. Lincoln despatched a messenger to the relief
expedition, which was still hovering off the Florida coast, and ordered
its troops to be landed. The commander replied that he felt bound by the
previous orders which had been issued in the name of the Secretary of
the Navy while the new orders issued from the Department of War; he
added that relieving Pickens would produce war and wished to be sure
that such was the President's intention; he also informed Lincoln's
messenger of the terms of Buchanan's agreement with Mallory. The
messenger returned to Washington for ampler instructions. N. and H., IV,
Chap. I; N. R., first series, I, 109-110, 110-111.

Two days before his arrival at Washington alarming news from Charleston
brought Lincoln very nearly, if not quite, to the point of issuing
sailing orders to the Sumter expedition. Lincoln, VI, 240. A day later,
Welles issued such orders. N. IL, first series, I, 235; Bancroft, II,
138-139. On April sixth, the Pickens messenger returned to Washington.
N. and H., IV, 7. Lincoln was now in full possession of all the facts.
In his own words, "To now reinforce Fort Pickens before a crisis would
be reached at Fort Sumter was impossible, rendered so by the exhaustion
of provisions at the latter named fort. . . . The strongest anticipated
case for using it (the Sumter expedition) was now presented, and it
was resolved to send it forward." Lincoln, VI, 302. He also issued
peremptory orders for the Pickens expedition to land its force, which
was done April twelfth. N. R., first series, I, 110-111, 115. How he
reasoned upon the question of a moral obligation devolving, or not
devolving, upon himself as a consequence of the Buchanan-Mallory
agreement, he did not make public. The fact of the agreement was
published in the first message. But when Congress demanded information
on the subject, Lincoln transmitted to it a report from Welles declining
to submit the information on account of the state of the country. 10.
IL, 440-441.

25. Lincoln, VI, 241.

XVI. ON TO RICHMOND.

1. May MS, I, 23.