1861 April 10 Richmond, Va.

Dear Judge
We have intelligence from Charleston
that 7 war steamers are standing off from
Charleston harbour. The supositon is they are
to attempt to reinforce Fort Sumter. We
also have a dispatch that the Charleston
authorities have ordered all the ships
out the harbour and that tomorrow morng
that Fort will be attact, and the fire kept
up til the Fort shall be taken. What this
may lead to no one can tell. This city is
wild with excitement it is all astir tonight--
you have seen that the convention has
sent three commissioners to Washington to
consult with Lincoln [?], to enquire his
policy, and to get him to stay the hand
of war until this state shall make
a further effort to redeem the country--If
this is not done the most awful
consequences may be anticipated -- The settled
policy of the Convention -- Union men and all, is

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to recognise the [?] prudence of the
seceded states--The Forts have been the
great trouble--Summers today presented
a compromise proposition, it is to recom-
mend the gov't to surrender to the
seceded states all the forts, arsenals
dock yards & on the main land
or within the harbors of those states--
and to obtain possession for the present
of the quo national forts such as
the Tortugas and Key west-- as they
stand far out in the gulf and
afford a protection to the navigation
of the gulf and the Mississippi
River -- The Union men have
the responsibility of the state on their
hands, and you would be surprised
to see what a burthen it is to them--
They re all making a mighty effort to
sustain the state rights doctrine and
yet they find it a bitter pill--I
speak more particularly of the old
Federalists--Goggin and Branch
have gone entirely over. Flourney

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is nearly over. Preston may now
be said to be in the right wing of
the state rights party--Marshall
of Winchester is the head and front.
Does this not surprise you--
At the commencement of the session
they made a terrible attac on Wise,
but he has baged them one by one--
I have never seen his equal. He
never fails in his speech. He
never fails in his everlasting tact
to get some advantage--Sommers
prevailed over him today about the
forts. that was however by the
force of numbers. In the arguement
Wise sustained himself manfully-
Tonight he literally slaughtered
Brown from Preston on the tax
question-- the fact is the whole
convention is afraid of him except
Tim Rives.

I fear we will not get off from
here till week after next, day
20 or perhaps 25. yet we may
If I do not I wish you to have

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all my cases passed. I am to
defend [?] Knight for felony.
Set the case to about 4 may--I
will at home by that time.
Your old friends often enquire
after you. Chambliss
Wise Price Carpenter and
others. They want to know
what kind of Judge you
make. Chambliss thinks
you are to determined, too
unyielding for a Judge. Whilst
I told him you were not I
thought there was a good deal
of truth in his remark.

Carlile and I had a brush in the
Convention yesterday-- he says
our people dont want any
thing from the North. You will
see the report. He is on the Bots platform
Write to me and oblige Yr. frd.
B. Wilson.

MSS 11540