Reiterating his reasons for resigning his command, in a 7-page letter, signed by Simons, Charleston, July 15, 1861, three months after the fall of the Charleston Harbor Fort in the opening salvos of the Civil War, to S.C. Governor F.W. Pickens, a manuscript draft copy with extensive corrections, deletions, and additions

4to. 7 pages, approximately 1200 words in a completely legible hand, on lined stationery, with the embossed stamp of Evans and Cogswell, Charleston. Docketed on the verso of the final leaf "July 15 1861 / James Simons / to / Governor Pickens / Reply to Letter / of Gov. P / 11 July 1861." Brigadier General James Simons's draft copy of a letter further explaining his reasons for resigning his command, given in reply to a July 11 letter from Gov. Pickens that apparently had quarreled with earlier correspondence from Simons, responding point by point, to criticisms he feels the Governor has leveled against him over differences of opinion regarding the military defensibility of Charleston Harbor. Most, if not all, of the Pickens-Simons correspondence concerning this matter has been published; the James Simons papers at the University of South Carolina holds correspondence from Pickens, but we have not been able to locate the original manuscripts or other drafts for the Simons portion of this correspondence. Old tideline from dampstaining, with professional conservation work, cleaning the paper, restoring chipped areas along the lower edge through leaf-casting, and completing several letters and marks with matching manuscript on four leaves. Folded for mailing or filing. (61444) (9835). Following the Union Army take over of Fort Sumter by Major Robert Anderson on December 26, 1860, just six days after South Carolina seceded from the Union, Gov. Pickens directed Major General Schinierle to occupy Fort Moultrie, Fort Johnson, and Castle Pinckney, and to establish a battery on Morris Island to prevent, at all costs, the reinforcement of Anderson's men. Simons, as commander of the 4th Brigade of the Charleston Militia, was second in command of the defenses for the harbor, occupying the critical spot at Morris Island at the harbor's entrance. He expressed his concerns over the defense of the harbor in a six-page report to the Governor on January 1, 1861: "I cannot sacrifice to matter of Etiquette questions and issues of such momentous importance as now surround us . The line of operations embraces four points 1) Fort Moultrie 2) Castle Pinckney 3) Fort Johnson 4) Morris Island. By the map which accompanies this paper, it will appear that your lines of communication with these points . are directly within the range and effective power of Fort Sumter - the Citadel of the Harbour controlling every point. At the first return of fire from Fort Sumter, your lines of communication are utterly cut off." He goes on to report: "Fort Moultrie - This position is wholly untenable - Lt. Col. De Saussure . gave you prompt notice of this fact on the morning after his occupation." To this Gov. Pickens responded with great offense, insinuating that Simons was counseling abandonment of the harbor defenses. Simons' first letter of resignation came almost immediately, on January 8, but he was prevailed upon by the Secretary of War to withdraw it. The 4th Brigade, under Simons command led the first attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. The controversy between Simons and the Governor continued to simmer until a few months after Anderson and his Union forces had surrendered Fort Sumter. By July, in spite of Simons' successes defending the Charleston harbor, he again offered his resignation. Gov. Pickens apparently wrote to refute Simons arguments. Simon replies in this lengthy manuscript letter: "I had hoped I would not have been obliged to extend this correspondence but I am sure your sense of justice will indulge me a letter further. I have assigned among other reasons for resigning, that you have not shown that recognition which appeared to be due to me as a general officer. I detailed several instances, but confined myself to the facts, neither canvassing nor questioning your intuition or motive. You reply, that you do not think my reasons for resigning are sufficient, yet you adopt a line of argument to arrive at this conclusion, which not only admits t.…