William Preston Smith to Governor Henry A. Wise, November 21, 1859

Baltimore, Nov. 21st, 1859.

Hon. Henry A. Wise,
        Governor of Virginia,
                Charlestown, Va.

The telegraphic agents of Associated Press sent your remarks, as reported in to-day's Baltimore American, which I sent you, to the entire Eastern and I believe, the Southern press.

I send you New York papers by morning train to-morrow. Our agents at Wheeling, Benwood and Moundsville have all made full and diligent inquiry, and report by telegraph to-night, that so far they have seen nothing of suspicious men, or other indications of a gathering to rescue the prisoners.

W. P. SMITH.

SOURCE: B. H. Richardson, Annapolis, Maryland, Publisher, Correspondence Relating to the Insurrection at Harper's Ferry, 17th October, 1859, p. 46

Flag Officer Samuel F. Dupont to Gustavus V. Fox, July 7, 1862

Private

Wabash, Port Royal, S.C.     

7, July, 62 

My Dear Friend

I enclose a slip from Charleston Mercury of 25. ulto —that you may see how our correspondents give aid and comfort to the rebels. They were alarmed in so high a degree as not to be able to understand some extraordinary proceedings—they will now be reassured by what I am made to say.

I enclose also a Charleston Courier with a violent attack on Drayton, that he may be credited accordingly at the Department. The denunciation omitted one item in the Drayton family, that the Commander's father General Jackson's friend, was driven from South Carolina for his Union sentiments, lived in exile from his State, and died in the North. Do not however let the article in question be republished, but keep the paper.

Please do not let that gang of Thugs the Associated Press have my reports or the reports of my officers to me—they always mutilate, never know the point involved of anything professional, and generally leave out what is best.

The Dept have been very kind in publishing the reports of my commanding officers, and it has had a very happy effect in the squadron. I wish you could have seen a letter received the other day from Stevens by Rodgers—it would have gratified you as it certainly did me and touched on this very point—that the officers here had always been brought forward. I mention all this because I think you made too light of our occupation of Georgetown waters, not for us but for the Depmt itself. I think you should have published Ammen's and my letter about Sproston's death. You published the one about Budd and Mather and it brought me more letters than you can imagine, and I think the relatives in Balto are all union people. Truxtun's letter too was deeply interesting.

Other letters from me to-day will tell you of my sending this ship home. You will see Rodgers—it is important you should.

Yours most faithfully 

S. F. DUPONT 

Mr. Fox, Washington.

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. 129-30