Intelligence reaches us this morning that Sheridan has
achieved a great victory over Early in the valley of the Shenandoah, after much
hard fighting. This will do much to encourage and stimulate all Union-loving
men, and will be ominous to Lee.
At Cabinet-meeting. Met Fessenden on my way, who said he had
called in but the President told him there was “no business.” This is
the announcement three out of four days of meeting. Sometimes matters are
brought forward notwithstanding. I found the Postmaster-General and the
Attorney-General with the President. In a few minutes Fessenden returned, and
shortly after Stanton came in. It was easy to perceive that the latter was
full, – that he had something on the brain, — and I concluded he had additional
tidings from Sheridan. But, the President being called out just as he entered,
Stanton went and seated himself by Fessenden and conversed in an undertone. He
had remarked as he came in that he had sent for Mr. Seward. When Seward
arrived, Stanton unfolded and read a telegram, stating two steamers had been
captured on Lake Erie by Rebels from Canada. This he said was a matter that
immediately concerned the State and Navy Departments. He inquired what naval
force we had there. I told him I apprehended more than we were authorized to
have by treaty stipulations. He inquired what the treaty was; said he knew
nothing about that. Seward explained. Stanton wanted to know where the Michigan
was. I told him she had lain at Johnson's Island most of the summer to aid the
army and guard prisoners and my impression was that she was still there. As
usual, he was excited, and, as usual, a little annoyed that I viewed the matter
coolly. He soon left, and Seward also, each agreeing to let me know as soon as
they had farther information. On my return to the Department I telegraphed to
Commodore Rodgers in New York to hold himself in readiness to obey any orders,
and also to Admiral Paulding to have one hundred picked men and officers ready
to proceed on immediate service if required. I then called on Stanton, who
agreed to furnish transportation for these men and four guns to Buffalo, if the
occasion needed them, — and he was confident it would, thought they had better
be sent at all events, officers, men, and guns. I thought it premature but that
we would be prepared. Just before leaving the Department for the day, Stanton
sent me a dispatch just received, that some Rebel refugees had come on board
the packet-boat Parsons at Malden, the boat being on her way from Detroit to
Sandusky; had risen on the officers and crew and seized the boat, had
subsequently seized and sunk the (Island Queen), then run their own boat into a
Canada port and disabled and then deserted her. I called on Stanton at the War
Department on my way home and remarked the flurry was pretty well over, and the
fuss ended. He did not, he said, consider it so by any means. One vessel was
destroyed, and one was rushing over the lake and all our vast shipping on the
Lakes was at its mercy. I requested him to reread the dispatch he had sent me.
He did so, and was a little nonplussed; but said the pirate was there and would
do the same thing over again. I thought not immediately. He thought they would
at once, and we should be prepared by having two more naval vessels. The army
had two, he said, which they would turn over to us. I remarked that we had best
keep within the terms of the treaty, and call on the British authorities to do
their duty. I remarked this was a piece of robbery and could not be considered
in any other light; that the robbers had come from Canada and risen upon the
vessel upon which they had embarked, and had fled into Canada with the stolen
property. The State Department had, or should have, the question now in hand.
This, I perceived, was letting off the affair in too quiet a way to suit the
Secretary of War, and I left him. He is always in an excited panic, a
sensational condition, at such times.
There was some conversation after the others left, between
the President, Blair, and myself - chiefly by them in regard to men and things
in Maryland. In the early days of the Administration, H. Winter Davis and his
crew had been more regarded than they deserved.
Some matters in Dakota were also alluded to. Todd, who
succeeded in obtaining the seat of delegate over Dr. Jayne, brother-in-law of
Trumbull, had undertaken to be exacting, and the President had told him so. I
well remember that early in the Administration Trumbull had pressed the
appointment of his brother-in-law to that Territory, against the wishes and
convictions of the President. It appeared to me that Trumbull was unreasonable,
but he then succeeded. His brother-in-law had just previously been elected to
the Illinois Senate by seven votes in a district that was usually Democratic;
his appointment compelled him to resign and a candidate of opposite politics
was elected. The control of the legislature went into other hands; Richardson,
an opponent of the Administration, was elected;1 a quarrel then broke out in Nebraska between the two - Jayne and Todd - from Springfield, etc., etc.
_______________
1 To the United States Senate, William A.
Richardson.
SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles,
Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 2: April 1, 1864 —
December 31, 1866, p. 151-3
