Diplomacy at Charleston
Beauregard was selected to defend Charleston, and then ordered to take Fort Sumter, as it controlled a vital port. Although Beauregard was eager to make a bigger name for himself, he was hesitant to expend lives and resources needlessly before the war had actually started. Through a series of letters between Beauregard and Major Robert Anderson, who was in charge of the garrison at Fort Sumter, Beauregard called for the evacuation of the fort, even offering to provide a means of transport for all of his troops. He said, "If you will state the time at which you will evacuate Fort Sumter, and
agree that in the mean time you will not use your guns against us unless
ours shall be employed against Fort Sumter, we will abstain from
opening fire upon you." He had clearance to launch a full attack, and it would be an easy victory as the fort's construction was never fully completed and had only half the cannons it should have been fortified with. Despite this, he offered every opportunity for a peaceful surrender. This manner of "polite warfare" set a standard for future engagements, in that he was prepared to make every possible concession for the enemy before lives were expended where it may have not been necessary.
Return to Charleston
After the death of Albert Sydney Johnston, Beauregard was put on charge of the Confederate forces at The Battle of Shiloh. When Beauregard was placed in command, the Union army was in shambles from past Confederate attacks. This was a devastating mistake, as this gave the Union time to receive reinforcements, which then pushed Beauregard's men out of Corinth, which was a vital rail-yard. However, Beauregard did not pale in the face of this adversity. He took his reassignment to Charleston, where he would once again be in charge of defense. This is where his talent as an engineer would show, as stated in Napoleon in Grey, "whatever his defects as a field commander, he was a fine engineer." As soon as he arrived there, he called for the armament in the harbor to be fortified "to the greatest possible extent, as soon as practicable, in all possible ways." He then fortified it with torpedo mines and booms, which kept Charleston successfully defended against several Union attacks, all while keeping a line as far as Savannah fortified, and unbroken. This is testament to both his resilience in the face of failure and his knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses, which are both qualities of an excellent leader.
Attempts to End the War
Once again attempting to use diplomacy instead of fighting to end the war, Beauregard suggested to the Governors of South Carolina, Florida and Georgia that they try to entice the Western states of the Union into splitting from the Union and forming an alliance with the confederacy. He wrote in his address, "I place as much faith in diplomacy to end a war as inn drawn battles." They, however, did not see this as a practical solution, and refused. This is a point he kept returning to throughout the war, but it was never accepted. He also understood how important propaganda and social relations were during a time of war. He insisted that the Federalists be labeled "abolitionists," simply for the sake of propaganda. This was a concept grasped by very few military leaders.