Diary of Gideon Welles: Friday, April 27, 1866

 . . . Senator Guthrie has thrown a mischievous resolution into the Senate in relation to an order forbidding officers from visiting Washington, and inquiring if any have been refused permission to come here and appeal to the President or to Congress. The object is to show that naval officers are denied the privileges of citizens, and to make out that the Navy Department is arbitrary. Senator G. seemed not aware that persons on entering the service, officers as well as privates, surrender certain privileges which private citizens enjoy who are not in the service and subsisting on the Treasury, and subject themselves to certain restraints. The inquiry is designed to get up sympathy for the officers; no interest is manifested for or given to the men, who are under greater restraint. . . . Senator Guthrie himself is guiltless of any mischievous intent and has been prompted by some one, and I cannot be mistaken as to who that some one is.

SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 2: April 1, 1864 — December 31, 1866, p. 494

Diary of George Mifflin Dallas, February 28, 1861

On Monday evening last went with Julia and Sophie to hear M. du Chaillu lecture at the Royal Geographical Society in Burlington House. The gathering, ladies as well as gentlemen, was very large. The walls were hung with portraits of scientific celebrities. Sir Roderick Murchison, in the absence of Lord Ashburton, presided. M. du Chaillu was successful in describing his various conflicts with gorillas, and in conveying a clear idea of the country over which these beasts are "Lords." He was highly complimented in a delightful address from Professor Owen, who eloquently portrayed the resemblances and differences of the human and gorilla skeletons.

On Tuesday, the 26th, took a family dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Bates. Professor Owen, who is temporarily staying there, and young Victor Van de Weyer, with us four, made a party of six guests. The only poor dinner I ever ate at Mr. Bates's.

On Wednesday evening went first to Lady Stanley of Alderley, and second to the Duke of Somerset's, at the Admiralty. Not more than twenty minutes at either.

No promising news from home until this morning.

By the arrival of the Anglo-Saxon at Londonderry, a telegram announces the fact that the Committee of the Peace Convention had reported a plan for adjustment, made up of Crittenden's, Guthrie's, and the Border States' proposal. If this be approved, the great body of the Union may be saved; with a reasonable prospect of reattracting the eight States which have seceded, and are now embodied as "The Confederated States of America." General Jefferson Davis and A. H. Stephens were inaugurated as President and Vice-President on the 18th instant. Query: Were they chosen by popular election, or by the Convention only at Montgomery? Perhaps they are provisional only, and for a limited time.

SOURCE: George Mifflin Dallas, Diary of George Mifflin Dallas, While United States Minister to Russia 1837 to 1839, and to England 1856 to 1861, Volume 3, p. 438-9

Ex-Secreatry Guthrie

A letter has been received at Washington from Hon. James Guthrie, the distinguished Secretary of the Treasury under General Pierce’s Administration, which generally sustains the financial view taken by Secretary Chase.  It also approves of General McCellan’s defensive position upon the Potomac, but he thinks that offensive operations by the Federal columns are the best plans for driving the rebels out of Kentucky.  General Buell is made the subject of his high commendation.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, February 1, 1862, p. 1

A Raft in Mid-Ocean

Correspondence of the N. Y. Evening post:

H. B. M. Steamer Swordship
Inside Sandy Hook Nov. 12

This vessel cast anchor here two hours since, after a passage of twenty-two days from the Cape of Good Hope. On Friday morning, 10th inst., latitude 35 degrees North longitude 66 degrees West. The lookout in the foretop descried a strange looking object on the lee bow, which, in nearing, proved to be a raft with a number of people on it.

So singular a circumstance threw the ship into great excitement. The Captain ordered a boat launched immediately, supposing the people to have escaped from a foundered vessel, and of course desiring to be picked up. By this time we were within hailing distance, and the steamer was nearly stationary. A jury mast was rigged on the raft, and they ran up a flag and cheered lustily. Our Captain never swears in English, but is addicted to a sort of Persian oath. By the great ox, he cried, what does this mean?

There were about twenty-five men on the raft, and they were in a very jolly humor. – Seeing the boat lowered, one of the party shouted, Send us some whisky. We don’t want to be picked up. The Captain couldn’t stand that. Where are you going, and where are you from? he shouted. None of your business; send us some whisky, and we’ll give you a despatch to take into port. The raft was now close under the lee of the ship, and a rope was thrown out to it, which they held on to while a barrel of whisky was slung off. As soon as they got it safe, they let go the rope, to which they had tied their dispatch. On opening it there appeared a list of passengers, which the clerk read aloud. The first name on it was Games Guthrie. By thunder, cried the Captain, that’s the Chicago platform! A cheer and a yell went up from the raft as the sail was spread again to the wind. The clerk went on reading the names, the list was as follows: James Guthrie, Geo. H. Pendleton, Horatio Seymour, Fernando Wood, C. L. Vallandigham, S. S. Cox and nineteen others.

When last seen the raft was making south-east, apparently on a bee-line for the cost of Africa.

Respectfully,
BULLJACK

– Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, Friday, December 30, 1864