Gustavus V. Fox to Flag Officer Samuel F. Dupont, March 10, 1862

Wabash off St. Johns 

Florida—10 Mar. 62

My Dear Friend—

After sending Mohican, Pocahontas and Potomska to Brunswick I sent the 6 light draft vessels here to cross the bar, explore and go up to Jacksonville and to Palatka if need be—and after arranging all matters for the occupation of Fernandina, St. Mary's Geo^a Cumberland Sound &c, with Gen' Wright and Drayton—I came out in the Bienville and joined my ship again, and run down here to see how the expedition was progressing. Nassau we have—but the boats were still outside the bar, except Ellen which we got in this afternoon. The others hope to get in tomorrow. These bars are very shallow and there is some delusion about the Fernandina one—we came out at high water yesterday, with Mark Twain—how we got over drawing 13 f. I know not.

Four contraband hoisted a white flag and were sent for—they represent an entire abandonment all over the country, pretend to say the Governor has ordered everything to be left except Pensacola and Appalachicola. I have sent Huron that cannot possibly cross this bar with her foot more of draft than her predecessors to St. Augustine to send up Keystone to P. Royal for my mail and to ask Lardner if all is quiet there, for Sherman had a long face the day I left him. I want to finish off this coast—and possibly the Theodoro and Casslin are stowed away in some of the inlets—also see about the Live Oak in Mosquito inlet. You can get as much as you want on Cumberland island. Regards to Mr. Welles.

Faithfully Yrs

S. F. DuPost

I hope Davis is with you today.

Please hurry Flag and send me some light draft Tug or ferry boat for Edisto. Ellen is nearly used up and the tugs must be repaired or break down altogether.

Don't say I never gave you any thing for I enclose you a thousand dollars—but I am rich I have some half million more.

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. 111-2