Confidential
Wabash. 2 P.M. Thursday
24. Oct. H. Roads.
My Dear Sir—
A long & earnest conference last night with the Genls
(4) was followed by another this morning on the practicability of the1
big place. The necessity of occupying those points as stated in our
memoirs on it & the extreme doubt I am sorry to say, on a closer look of
getting this ship over the bar gave gravity not to say anxiety to the council —
but I am happy to say that they all came in & we are about decided Sherman
& I, to try, & he orders his great condenser to Hilton head with
other matters — But I tell you it is a much greater job than you & I
contemplated — the landing of the troops & reserves to be brought by the
enemy from Savannah & Charleston may be great embarrassments — I wish you
could have been with us.
Their last ship is in from Annapolis — they are about ready,
we equally so — but they want Boutelle as much as we, for his topographical
knowledge. We lose no time, for he is our eyes — the bar is ten miles off &
that is the nearest we can approach, going in without his direction can of
course be done, but it will require more time & be longer in sight of the
enemy, and give him time to concentrate — so all agreed to wait until
tomorrow's steamer — I will then leave on steamer wh’ch will about overtake us
by following us on Sunday or Monday — though we may or may not sail tomorrow—
certainly, Boutelle or not, Saturday morg. Twenty nine transports, twenty six
vessels of mine, 55 in all!!
My mind tells me now it will be Saturday Morg — I have no
superstition about Friday, never had & never respected it but many have—
Putting these Marines on board the Emma has added to our
work, we are still busy on the small vessels
With best regards to Mr. Welles
Yrs most faithfully
S. F. Dupont
Hon G. V. Fox
Ass. Secty.
_______________
1 Port Royal that I insisted upon.
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. 58-9
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