Private
Louner's near
Wilmington
Aug. 9, 1861
My Dear Mr. Fox
I was sorry to leave Washn before your return,
but it was better for what you have at heart, the Public Service. I have
arranged with Davis to telegraph if wanted.
I take the pen to say first, how gratified I was at the
tone, spirit, and felicitous expression of “the order” — it is a model
dispatch.
I missed you by a few minutes on Sunday and had gone to the
Department to ask for you to reconsider the preference expressed for myself and
if any one came to yr mind who had more fitting requisites for the work it was
yr duty to the country to mention it and no man living would acquiesce sooner
than myself. So I was surprised to see yr rough draft, to which not one word was
to be added nor one taken away. I think I shall come up to the Dept’s
expectation and will doubtless be able to say to it as Lord Exmouth said to the
Br. Admiralty, “Yr Lordships have given me such ample means that if I fail the
failure will be mine — if I succeed, the success will be due to those means.”
But what I mainly wanted to say to you — that Jenkins was
the man of all others to put on that Congressional Committee on the salaries — he
has more financial knowledge and more knowledge of Governmt accounts and
salaries than any officer in the navy — and will save us more than any man you
could name. Further his early, constant, and uncompromising loyalty,
surrounded as he was by traitorous Virginians, should not be forgotten. Twice
going to Norfolk with Com. Paulding the aid of the latter and doing as I know
everything for him, and yet his name never mentioned in the Com’s letter.
I spoke to the Secrty about naming Jenkins — he spoke of
Foote, but the latter's abilities are not in that line, and I think the Depmt
should show some appreciation of the former.
You were sadly wanted on Thursday and Friday — when
Stellwagen came back. I will not venture to say more here, but I have thought
much, ask Davis how indignant we were, but Mr. Welles did well.
Yrs most faithfully
S. F. DuPONT
Capt. Fox
Ass. Secy. Navy.
P.S.
Having seen just now an announcement that the I——s was going
South and my mind is already so absorbed in the matter in hand, that I have
opened my letter to say—that I deem the I——s P——e, S——a and the M——n if she
arrive in time, as sine qua nons and the basis of the naval force to cross the
bars — so I beg you to keep them within reach — no half men of war will
answer to knock down the works we may meet with.
Yrs faithfully
S. F. DP.
I shall be in Philad tomorrow to see to things there and
will write you if necessary
Sunday Aug. 11th
SOURCE: Robert Means Thompson & Richard Wainwright,
Editors, Publications of the Naval Historical Society, Volume 9: Confidential
Correspondence of Gustavus Vasa Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1861-1865,
Volume 1, p. 49-50
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