At the outbreak of the war, Lorenzo Thomas was a United States Assistant Adjutant-General
These dispatches were compiled with primary source materials from The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Chapter 1)
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(US Maj) Robert Anderson
- At the outbreak of the war, Robert Anderson was a Major in the United States Army commanding two half-full companies of United States Artillery troops
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| January 5, 1861 - Assistant Adjutant-General Lorenzo Thomas to Major Robert Anderson
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 Click for full-sized scanned image Union Correspondence, etc.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
New York, January 5, 1861.
Major ROBERT ANDERSON,
First Artillery, Commanding Fort Sumter:
SIR: In accordance with the instructions of the General-in-Chief, I yesterday chartered the steamship Star of the West to re-enforce your small garrison with two hundred well-instructed recruits from Fort Columbus, under First Lieutenant C.R. Woods, Ninth Infantry, assisted by Lieuts. W.A. Webb, Fifth Infantry; C.W. Thomass, First Infantry, and Asst. Surg. P.G.S. Ten Broeck, Medical Department, all of whom you will retain until further orders. Besides arms for the men, one hundred spare arms and all the cartridges in the arsenal on Governor's Island will be sent; likewise, three months' subsistence for the detachment and six months' desiccated and fresh vegetables, with three or four days' fresh beef for your entire force. Further re-enforcements will be sent if necessary.
Should a fire, likely to prove injurious, be opened upon any vessel bringing re-enforcements or supplies, or upon tow-boats within the reach of your guns, they may be employed to silence such fire; and you may act in like manner in case a fire is opened upon Fort Sumter itself.
The General-in-Chief desires me to communicate the fact that your conduct meets which the emphatic approbation of the highest in authority.
You are warned to be upon your guard against all telegrams, as false ones may be attempted to be passed upon you. Measures will soon be taken to enable you to correspond with the Government by sea and Wilmington, N.C.
You will send to Fort Columbus by the return of the steamer all your sick, otherwise inefficient, officers and enlisted men. Fill up the two companies with the recruits now sent, and muster the residue as a detachment.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
L. THOMAS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
(To view this page in its Source Category, click HERE)
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(US 1Lt) Charles Woods
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| January 13, 1861 - 1st Lieutenant Charles Woods to Assistant Adjutant-General Lorenzo Thomas
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 Click for full-sized scanned image  Click for full-sized scanned image Reports of Lieutenant Charles R. Woods, Ninth U.S. Infantry, of first expedition for relief of Fort Sumter.
FORT COLUMBUS, N.Y.H.,
January 13, 1861.
COLONEL: Pursuant to instructions, dated Headquarters of the Army, January 5, 1861, I embarked on the evening of Saturday, 5th instant, from Governor's Island, at 6 o'clock p.m., on a steam-tug, which transferred us to the steamer Star of the West.
My command consisted of two hundred men, recruits from the depot, fifty of whom were of the permanent party. My officers were First Lieutenant W.A. Webb, Fifth Infantry; Second Lieutenant C.W. Thomas, First Infantry, and Assist. Surg. P.G.S. Ten Broeck, Medical Department.
On Tuesday afternoon, 8th instant, arms and ammunition were issued to all the men. About midnight same evening we arrived off Charleston Harbor, and remained groping in the dark until nearly day, when we discovered the light on Fort Sumter, which told us where we were. The other coast light marking the approaches to the harbor had been extinguished, and the outer buoy marking the channel across the bar gone.
During the night we saw what we supposed to be the light of a steamer cruising off the harbor, but she did not discover us, as our lights were all out. Just before day we discovered a steamer lying off the main ship channel. As soon as they made us out they burned one blue light and two red lights, and, receiving no response from us, immediately steamed up the channel. As soon as we had light enough we crossed the bar, and steamed up the main ship channel. This was on the first of the ebb tide, the steamer ahead of us firing rockets and burning lights as she went up. We proceeded without interruption until we arrived within one and three-quarter miles of Forts Sumter and Moultrie-they being apparently equidistant-when we were opened on by a masked battery near the north end of Morris Island. This battery was about five-eighths of a mile distant from us, and we were keeping as near into it as we could, to avoid the fire of Fort Moultrie. Before we were fired upon we had discovered a red palmetto flag flying, but could see nothing to indicate that there was a battery there.
We went into the harbor with the American ensign hoisted on the flag-staff, and as soon as the first shot was fired a full-sized garrison flag was displayed at our fore, but the one was no more respected than the other. We kept on, still under the fire of the battery, most of the balls passing over us, one just missing the machinery, another striking but a few feet from the rudder, while a ricochet shot struck us in the force-chains, about two feet above the water line, and just below where the man was throwing the lead. The American flag was flying at Fort Sumter, but we saw no flag at Fort Moultrie, and there were no guns fired from either of these fortifications.
Finding it impossible to take my command to Fort Sumter, I was obliged most reluctantly to turn about, and try to make my way out of the harbor before my retreat should be cut off by vessels then in sight, supposed to be the cutter Aiken, coming down the channel in tow of a steamer, with the evident purpose of cutting us off. A brisk fire was kept up on us by the battery as long as we remained within range, but, fortunately, without damage to us, and we succeeded in recrossing the bar in safety, the steamer touching two or three times. Our course was now laid for New York Harbor, and we were followed for some hours by a steamer from Charleston for the purpose of watching us.
During the whole trip downward the troops were kept out of sight whenever a vessel came near enough to us to distinguish them, and the morning we entered the harbor of Charleston they were sent down before daylight, and kept there until after we got out of the harbor again. From the preparations that had been made for us I have every reason to believe the Charlestonians were perfectly aware of our coming.
We arrived in New York Harbor on the morning of the 12th instant, and disembarked at 8 o'clock this morning, the 13th, by orders from Headquarters of the Army.
The conduct of the officers and men under my command during the whole trip, and particularly while under fire, was unexceptionable.
Captain John McGowan, commanding the steamer Star of the West, deserves the highest praise for the energy, perseverance, and ability displayed in trying to carry out his orders to put the troops in Fort Sumter. He was ably assisted by Mr. Walter Brewer, the New York pilot taken from this place.
I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
CHAS. R. WOODS,
First Lieutenant, Ninth Infantry, Commanding.
Colonel L. THOMAS,
Assistant Adjutant-General, U.S.A., Washington, D.C.
(To view this page in its Source Category, click HERE for Part 1 and HERE for Part 2)
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| January 5, 1861 - Assistant Adjutant-General Lorenzo Thomas to 1st Lieutenant Charles Woods
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 Click for full-sized scanned image Click for full-sized scanned image Union Correspondence, etc.
HEADQUARTERS, January 5, 1861.
First Lieutenant CHARLES R. WOODS,
Ninth Infantry, Fort Columbus:
SIR: The steamship Star of the West has been chartered to take two hundred recruits from Fort Columbus to Fort Sumter, South Carolina, to re-enforce the garrison at that post. You are placed in command of the detachment, assisted by Lieuts. W.A. Webb, Fifth Infantry, C.W. Thomas, First Infantry, and Asst. Surg. P.G.S. Ten Broeck, Medical Department. Arms and ammunition for your men will be placed don the steamer and three months' supply of subsistence.
The duty upon which you are now placed by direction of the General-in-Chief will require great care and energy on your part to execute it successfully, for it is important that all your movements be kept as secret as possible. Accordingly on approaching the Charleston bar, you will place below decks your entire force, in order that only the ordinary crew may be seen by persons from the shore or on boarding the vessel. Every precaution must be resorted to prevent being fired upon by batteries erected on either Sullivan's or James Island.
Yours,
L. THOMAS.
(To view this page in its Source Category, click HERE for Part 1 and HERE for Part 2)
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(US LtG) Winfield Scott
- At the outbreak of the war, Winfield Scott was a Lieutenant General in the United States Regular Army
(US Maj) Theophilus Holmes
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| January 5, 1861 - Assistant Adjutant-General Lorenzo Thomas to Major Theophilius Holmes
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HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
New York, January 5, 1861.
Maj. T.H. HOLMES,
Eighth Infantry,
Superintendent Recruiting Service, Fort Columbus:
SIR: By direction of the General-in-Chief, you will detach this evening two hundred of the best-instructed men at Fort Columbus, by the steamship Star of the West, to re-enforce the garrison at Fort Sumter, South Carolina.
They will be furnished with arms, and, if possible, one hundred rounds of ammunition per man. Orders will be given to the proper officers of the staff department to furnish one hundred stand of spare arms and subsistence for three months.
The officers assigned to duty with the detachment are Lieuts. C.R. Woods, Ninth Infantry; W.A. Webb, Fifth Infantry; C.W. Thomas, First Infantry, and Asst. Surg. P.G.S. Ten Broeck, Medical Department, all of whom will report for duty to Major Anderson, commanding Fort Sumter.
Yours,
L. THOMAS.
(To view this page in its Source Category, click HERE)
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(US AQMG) D.D. Tompkins
- At the outbreak of the war, D.D. Tompkins was an Acting Quartermaster General in the United States Regular Army
MISC.
- Miscellaneous correspondences to or from Lorenzo Thomas
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