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January 9, 1861 - Captain John Foster to Colonel Joseph Totten

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Union Correspondence, etc.

FORT SUMTER, S.C., January 9, 1861.

General TOTTEN;

MY DEAR SIR: I have only a moment to write by Lieutenant Meade [?], who comes with dispatches from Major Anderson. I wish to assure you, however, that the officers of your corps are doing everything in their power to make this work impregnable, even with the present small garrison of seventy men. We even mount all the guns, as we can do it much more rapidly than the garrison. We have twenty-nine guns on the first tier and eleven on the barbette tier. Four 8-inch columbiads are ready to mount to-morrow. I shall place the 10-inch on the parade as mortars.

The firing upon the Star of the West this morning by the batteries on Morris Island opened the war, but Major Anderson hopes that the delay of sending to Washington may possibly prevent civil war. The hope, although a small one, may be the thread that prevents the sundering of the Union. We are none the less determined to defend ourselves to the last extremity. I am in want of funds,and would respectfully urge that as soon as possible $15,000 may be placed to my credit in New York. In haste.

Very respectfully,

J.G. FOSTER,
Captain, Engineers.

P.S. - I beg to refer you to Lieutenant Meade [?] for particulars.

J.G.F.

[Memorandum.]

Received January 12 by Lieutenant Talbot, U.S. Army.

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