During March and April 1861, after seven states had seceded and formed the Confederate States of America but before war broke out, Confederate Secretary of State Robert Toombs appointed Martin J. Crawford, John Forsyth, and A.B. Roman as Commissioners of the Confederate States to Washington, DC. Their purpose was to seek diplomatic recognition from the United States and negotiate peace—at least for a while. Central to the question of peace or war was whether the United States would continue to retain claim over federal forts located in the southern states that had seceded, including Fort Pickens in Florida and Fort Sumter in South Carolina. This item is transcribed from a letter book maintained by J.T. Pickett, secretary to the commissioners, containing copies of 72 letters, dispatches, and telegrams sent and received by the commissioners from the time of their appointment to the demand for the evacuation of Fort Sumter.
Transcript (excerpt):
No 2.
Washington City
March 6th, 1861
Hon R Tooms
Dear Sir,
Since my last communication the President of the U.S. has been inaugurated, delivered the Address, named his Cabinet officers and they have been confirmed. Much difficulty and embarassment attended the election of the individuals to be called around the President as his advisers, my opinion however is that the selections made will prove beneficial to the Confederate States, as it is the determined purpose of the Secretaries of State and War to adopt and maintain a peace policy; the end and aim of which is to prevent any further dismemberment of the Union in the first place, and in the second to bring back those States which have seceded.
The President himself is really not aware of the condition of the country, and his Secretaries of State and War are to open the difficulties and dangers to him in Cabinet meeting today. I have felt it my duty under instructions from your Department as well as from my own best judgment to adopt and support Mr Seward’s policy, upon conditions however that the present Status is to be rigidly maintained. His reasons and my own, it is proper to say are as wide apart as the poles, he is fully persuaded that peace will bring about a reconstruction of the Union, whilst I feel confident that it will build up, and cement our Confederacy, and put us beyond the reach either of his arms or his diplomacy.
[…]
With highest consideration
I am your Obt Svt
Martin J Crawford
Citation:Commissioners of the Confederate States of America to the Government of the United States, letter book.Washington, D.C., Feb 27-April 11, 1861.AMS 811/20