Flag Officer Samuel F. Dupont to Gustavus V. Fox, February 18, 1862

18 Feby 62.

My Dear Sir

Have not time to write unofficially, and I am much fatigued. Coal—Coal—I am going with the ships unloaded. Lenthall made some mistake, so with the ammunition —do hurry it on. I should be tied down now hard and fast but for Sherman. A paper of the 12th in. Glowing news from Foote and Goldsborough. It made my heart leap. If God is with us, you shall have all this coast in three weeks, so far as we are concerned, what we do not hold inside will be as tight as a bottle from outside. The thanks of the City of New York to Ringgold made a roar to-day and a wag said, it was better to have been outside than inside on the 7th Nov. Strange all the solid honors thus far in this war have gone to two men who were never in harms way. Publish the letter about the Infernal Machines. I suppose that kind of obstruction is all right with the London Times—it does not keep the cotton in.

Yrs truly

S. F. DUPONT

Mr. Fox

Ass. Sec.

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. 107

Diary of Gideon Welles: Thursday, March 3, 1864

Governor Thomas of Maryland called on me to-day in behalf of Commodore Ringgold, who wants a vote of thanks on the recommendation of the President. He says that he and other Members of Congress — Senators and Representatives — have had an interview with the President, who is ready to send in the recommendation, if I will make it out. Told the Governor that it was all wrong; that I well understood Ringgold's intrigue; that the movement was contrary to the policy of the Department, was not to be thought of, would be injustice to others; and that it would be better to repeal the whole law than do anything of the kind. I promised him, however, to see the President, and did so.

I called on the President in the afternoon, who said he should be governed entirely by my views in the matter. The subject was therefore soon disposed of. I then brought up the subject of promoting Colonel Hawley. He said the measure was full now, but he hoped to be able to do justice to H. one of these days. I remarked that I had avoided pressing him on the subject of military appointments, but this was one for a meritorious man from my own State, that I had it much at heart, and had repeatedly brought it to his notice, etc., etc. He gave me credit for forbearance beyond others and assured me he should try not to forget this case when there was opportunity. I have no aid from the Members of Congress in this matter, and from some of them I apprehend there is opposition, or something akin to it. I regret that Hawley fails to appreciate Dahlgren and his service, and rightly to comprehend the whole question of naval and military operations at Charleston. But this partisan weakness shall not prevent me from doing him justice.

SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 1: 1861 – March 30, 1864, p. 534-5