Last night I was at a party at Mr. Chase's, or his daughter
Mrs. Sprague’s, and late in the evening he spoke to me of the great abuses in
cotton speculations. It was a new and singular theme for him, and I said it
could not be otherwise than demoralizing. He said, “Yes, your whole fleet out
West is infected; Porter devotes his attention to getting cotton and has a boat
to himself, with a piano and his pipe, on these cotton raids.” I replied this
could not be so. The naval men could capture and retain nothing, which the
courts do not adjudge to be good prize. We were interrupted at this point. I
conclude the Committee on Commerce have notified Chase that they disapprove of
his “Trade Regulations,” and this outburst on the Navy is to turn off attention
from his officials. But we shall see.
Lieutenant-Commander S. L. Phelps has been with me this
evening and given me many interesting details concerning the Red River
expedition and the incompetency of General Banks. Among other matters he
relates some facts in regard to cotton speculations by persons connected with
General Banks — some of his staff — that are exceedingly discreditable. Among
others whom he specially mentions is one Clark from Auburn, New York, who
appears to be managing director of the cotton operations.
Our gunboats are detained above the falls at Alexandria and
we may lose them, though it is possible there yet may be a rise before June. The
expedition has many bad features, of which we shall be better informed
hereafter.
SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the
Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 2: April 1, 1864 — December 31, 1866,
p. 36-7
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