Diary of John Hay: October 12, 1861

To-night the President went to Seward's, I with him. At the door a telegram was handed him from McClellan stating that the enemy was before him in force and would probably attack in the morning. “If they attack,” he added, “I shall beat them.” We went to Seward’s and talked of many things. Seward spoke of Lander’s restlessness and griefs at inaction; his offered resignation, and resolve to go West and begin again, — that watching the Potomac was not congenial, and other such. Gen. Scott was already fixing his orders for exactly the work he wanted to do.

Col. Scott came in with despatches from McCl., ordering Hooker’s Bladensburg Brigade in — one countermanding and one reaffirming. Scott then went out to order transportation for 6,000.

G. V. Fox came in and began to talk about the great expedition that is fitting at Annapolis. He wants, when they have sailed, to have 14,000 more men detached from the Army of the Potomac to be held in readiness awaiting the result of the expedition. If it causes a retreat of the rebels, then this additional force can be easily spared. The fleet will probably sail on Tuesday, and will have some work to do at Fernandina, Pensacola, Mobile. Gen'l Scott told Fox that 3,500 men would be enough to take Mobile, assisted by their ships. Fox himself seemed very confident that the expedition would succeed. His only nervousness was in relation to submarine batteries which modern science has rendered very destructive and entirely feasible.

Seward spoke also of Motley’s despatch which seems to contain a most cheering account of honest sympathy existing in the best class of English society towards us. Motley’s letter embraced free and cordial conversations with Earl Russell, Earl Grey, Cobden, Mr. Layard, Prince Albert and the Queen.

There was much talk of Daniel Webster, in which the financial sansouciism of the great man was strikingly prominent. Seward thought he would not live, nor Clay, a tithe as long as J. Q. Adams. The President disagreed with him, and thought Webster will be read forever.

SOURCES: Clara B. Hay, Letters of John Hay and Extracts from Diary, Volume 1, p. 42-4; Tyler Dennett, Lincoln and the Civil War in the Diaries and Letters of John Hay, p. 27-8.

John Lothrop Motley to Anna Lothrop Motley, September 22, 1861

East Sheen, September 22, 1861.

My Dearest Mother: I am writing you a little note again. I can do no more until such time as we shall be settled at Vienna. We came down here last evening to spend Sunday with your old friends Mr. and Mrs. Bates. He is the same excellent, kindly old gentleman he always was, and is as stanch an American and as firm a believer in the ultimate success of our cause as if he had never left Boston.

. . . I have lost no time since I have been in England, for almost every day I have had interesting conversations with men connected with the government or engaged in public affairs.

There will be no foreign interference, certainly none from England, unless we be utterly defeated in our present struggle. We spent a few days with our friends the De Greys in Yorkshire. During my visit I went up to the north of Scotland to pass a couple of days with Lord John Russell at Abergeldie. It is an old Scotch castle, which formerly belonged to a family of Gordon of Abergeldie. The country is wild and pretty about it, with mountains clothed in purple heather all round, the Dee winding its way through a pleasant valley, and the misty heights of Lochnagar, sung by Byron in his younger days, crowning the scene whenever the clouds permit that famous summit to be visible.

I was received with the greatest kindness. There were no visitors at the house, for both Lord and Lady Russell are the most domestic people in the world, and are glad to escape from the great whirl of London society as much as they can. In the afternoons we went with the children out in the woods, making fires, boiling a kettle, and making tea al fresco with water from the Dee, which, by the way, is rather coffee-colored, and ascending hills to get peeps of the prospects.

Most of my time, however, was spent in long and full conversations tete-a-tete with Lord John (it is impossible to call him by his new title of Earl Russell).

The cotton-manufacturers are straining every nerve to supply themselves with cotton from India and other sources. But it seems rather a desperate attempt to break up the Southern monopoly, however galling it is to them.

I can only repeat, everything depends upon ourselves, upon what we do. There are a few papers, like the “Daily News,” the “Star,” and the “Spectator,” which sustain our cause with cordiality, vigor, and talent.

The real secret of the exultation which manifests itself in the “Times” and other organs over our troubles and disasters is their hatred not to America so much as to democracy in England. We shall be let alone long enough for us to put down this mutiny if we are ever going to do it. And I firmly believe it will be done in a reasonable time, and I tell everybody here that the great Republic will rise from the conflict stronger than ever, and will live to plague them many a long year.

. . . We shall probably remain another week in London, for I have not yet seen Lord Palmerston, whom I am most anxious to have some talk with, and he is expected to-morrow in London. While I was stopping with Lord John, the queen sent to intimate that she would be pleased if I would make a visit at Balmoral, which is their Highland home, about one and a half miles from Abergeldie. Accordingly, Lord John went over with me in his carriage. We were received entirely without ceremony by the Prince Consort (we were all dressed in the plainest morning costumes), who conversed very pleasantly with us, and I must say there was never more got out of the weather than we managed to extract from it on this occasion. After we had been talking some twenty minutes the door opened, and her Majesty, in a plain black gown, walked quietly into the room, and I was presented with the least possible ceremony by the Prince Consort. I had never seen her before, but the little photographs in every shop-window of Boston or London give you an exact representation of her.

They are so faithful that I do not feel that I know her appearance now better than I did before. Her voice is very agreeable and her smile pleasant. She received me very politely, said something friendly about my works, and then alluded with interest to the great pleasure which the Prince of Wales had experienced in his visit to America.

The Prince Consort spoke with great animation on the same subject. There is not much more to be said in regard to the interview. I thought that the sending for me was intended as a compliment to the United States, and a mark of respect to one of its representatives.

Most affectionately your son,

J. L. M.

SOURCE: George William Curtis, editor, The Correspondence of John Lothrop Motley in Two Volumes, Library Edition, Volume 2, p. 204-7

The Nashville at Southampton – Tuscarora is Waiting – Interesting News

(From the London Times’ Southampton Correspondent, Jan. 9th, 10th and 11th, and telegrams of the 12th.)

Southampton is in a state of blockade.  The federal screw sloop-of-war Tuscarora is moored at the entrance of the Itchen Creek, just at its confluence with the Southampton water, about a mile from the dock mouth.  She has her fires banked up, and lies with two springs to her cable, ready to slip another and start at a moment’s notice.  The Nashville, which vessel the Tuscarora has come over to take specially under her watchful care and protection, still remains berthed in the dock.  The Tuscarora is armed with nine heavy guns, while the Nashville is stated to have only two guns of somewhat inferior caliber.  As soon as the Tuscarora arrived, Captain Craven communicated with the captain of the frigate Dauntless, which lies off Netley, expressing the regret he felt at hearing of the death of Prince Albert, and asking if there would be any objection to his firing a salute of twenty-one minute guns in respect to his memory.  Capt. Heath replied that in consequence of Her Majesty having requested that no guns should be fired in the vicinity of Osborne, the compliment, which he fully appreciated, could not be accepted.

On Wednesday evening the American Consul went on board the Tuscarora, and it may be presumed, made such arrangements as will render it a matter of impossibility for the Nashville to make her escape.  The Tuscarora, it is said, is to be followed by one or two other ships of the Federal navy, to protect their flag in the English Channel.  With regard to the Nashville there is no doubt that the expected arrival of the Tuscarora, was received by Capt. Pegram some days ago, and every effort has been made to get her ready for sea as expeditiously as possible. – The British Government has observed the strictest neutrality in regard to the repairs, &c., effected in this ship.  Nothing has been done but what was absolutely necessary to make her sea worthy, and such repairs only have been executed as are always permitted, as an act of humanity, to any vessel in distress.  In proof of this, it may be mentioned that the shipwright who is engaged to repair her, attempting to put in some heavy pieces of oak to strengthen the decks, to enable her to carry guns, the Government authorities absolutely refused their permission for the timber to go on board, and it still lies on the deck quay.  She has not been allowed to ship any powder, a small quantity which was on board when she arrived here, and which was permitted to be removed to shore, has been reshipped.  No guns or munitions of war have been put on board, and, in fact, has been allowed to be executed but ordinary repairs.  The Tuscarora requires only coals, water and provisions, which are being supplied her.

A telegram, dated Southampton, Friday, says:  “Three armed men and an officer from the Federal corvette Tuscarora were found last Tuesday night in the docks, watching the Southern privateer Nashville.  They were discovered by the Dock Superintendent close at Nashville’s bows.  They had dark lanterns and combustibles for the purpose of signaling the Tuscarora should the Nashville attempt to leave the docks.  The dock Superintendent stated that the docks were private property, that they had no right there for such a purpose and insisted on their leaving immediately, which they eventually did.

The Nashville is now getting up steam to leave the docks and to anchor near the Tuscarora.  The Confederate war steamer Sumter is expected here.  She has seven guns and one hundred and forty men.”  Another telegram dated 10 A. M. yesterday, says:  “A boat has just left the Tuscarora, and came on afterwards the docks, as if reconnoitering.  The Nashville was getting steam up.  The boat returned to the Tuscarora.”

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, February 8, 1862, p. 2

Five Days Later From Europe

FT. DOENLSON NEWS IN ENGLAND.

How it was Received -- American Securities Higher -- Cotton Lower.

PORTLAND, March 19. – The steamship Anglo Saxon, Capt. John Graham, from Liverpool on the 6th, via Londonderry, arrived here this morning.  Her dates are five days later.

GREAT BRITAIN. – The importance of the Federal victory at Fort Donelson was generally recognized in England, causing an advance in American securities and a depression in cotton.

The London Times admits the success of the Federals and their importance, and says, “they have been gained in districts where the allegiance of the population was divided, but they have scarcely brought the Federal Government any nearer than before to a reconstruction of the Union.”

The London Morning Post hopes that both the Unionists and the secessionists will look upon the present state of affairs an affording ground for a compromise of their difficulties, and the conquest of the south is beyond the attainment of the North, on the one hand, and the complete establishment of their independence on the other, may be beyond the power of the South.

Cyrus W. Field had an interview with Earl Russell recently, in regard to connecting Europe and America by a cable from Iceland to Newfoundland.  The interview is understood to have been satisfactory and encouraging.  The annual meeting of the Atlantic Telegraph Company was to be held in London on the 19th of March, to receive the report of the Board of Directors.

Great excitement and violence attended the election of the member of Parliament for Longport, Ireland.  The military were called out and charged upon the rioters several times.  No lives were lost, but many persons were injured.

Sir Henry and Edward Mugridge, extensive iron manufactures in England, had failed.  Liabilities, £5,520,000.  It was feared their assets would turn out unsatisfactory.  The continuous fall in breadstuffs is alleged to have been the cause of their failure.

The Paris correspondents of the London newspapers give reports that many hundreds of arrests had taken place there.  All men suspected of having been chiefs of barricades in former insurrections have been imprisoned.  These measures had increased the uneasy feelings prevailing.  Bourse on the 5th flat and lower.  Rentes quoted 69 70c.

The emperor has sent a quarter of a million francs out of his own private purse to be distributed among the workmen at great industrial centers.

Brazil mails have reached England.  Buenos Ayers was quiet, and peace was expected to be fully restored by the end of February.  The probability of a war between England and America restricted operations in produce at Brazil. – Business in Coffee was limited, owing to extreme prices, which had advanced to 69½@71.

The following is a summary of the news taken out by the Glasgow:  There was no news of the City of Baltimore when the Glasgow left Liverpool.  She was a week overdue.

Mr. Layard stated in the House of Commons, in reply to enquiries, that an officer of the Sumter named Myers, accompanied by a Mr. Tompkins, of Cadiz, had landed at Tangiers from a French merchant vessel, and were arrested by the United States Consul, who requested the assistance of the Moorish troops for this purpose, but he (Layard) was not aware that any pressure had been put on the Moorish Government.  Myers and Thompson have since been released.

Lord Palmerston, in response to enquiries, said the Government originally intended sending a much larger force to Canada than that dispatched, and it was only in consequence of representations from the Colonial authorities that the number was reduced.  He believed the promptitutde, vigor, and power displayed by the Government had tended greatly to a peaceful solution of the difficulty with America.  The total number of the British army is 227,000, and of these over 24,000 are in the American possessions.  The House of Commons has adopted a resolution declaring that the colonies exercising the right of self-government ought to undertake the responsibility of providing for their own internal security.  Mr. Halliburton protested against the resolution as ill-timed.

The steamer Bermuda left Liverpool on the 1st inst. for Bermuda.  She had a large general cargo, including a considerable quantity of merchandise under the designation of hardware.  It is believed her cargo was destined for the Southern ports.

It was stated that Mr. Peabody had offered if the funds collected for the Prince Albert memorial should be devoted to a charitable institution, to give £100,000 towards it, or failing in this, that he had determined to spend the sum in building houses for the working classes of London.  Mr. Peabody quits England for a time with a fortune of £60,000 per annum.

It is reported that Smith O’Brein had challenged Sir Robert Peel, offering to meet him in France or Belgium.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 22, 1862, p. 3

Ex-President Buchanan . . .

. . . according to a Washington letter-writer, took with him from the White House the pictures of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and other member of the royal family Presented to the President by the Prince of Wales.

– Published in the Times Weekly, Dubuque, Iowa, Thursday, January 2, 1862, p. 1