Diary of Gideon Welles: Saturday, August 5, 1865

Captain Drayton died last night. The nation is not aware of the loss it has sustained. There will be difficulty in finding an equally good man for his position. Truthful, intelligent, discriminating, with no partialities or prejudices that were allowed to interfere with his duties, he was invaluable.

I recall more distinctly our last interview and conversation on the Wednesday before he died. He took great interest in the Naval Academy. Thought Porter well adapted for the place at this time when rigor and renovation were wanted. Blake he considered no disciplinarian, too much of a courtier, not severely and sternly truthful. I remarked to him that I had at one time thought of Foote as a proper successor to Blake, but it was before he was made an Admiral. He said that Foote had some excellent qualities but was not, perhaps, full up to the position. Knowing that Raymond Rodgers and Drayton had been pets of Du Pont, I thought it a good time to ascertain how far he had permitted himself to be mixed up with the Du Pont clique. Drayton said promptly and at once that Rodgers was not adapted to the post, that it would have been unfortunate to have given it to him. I told him I had become aware of that, though at one time partial to him for the position, chiefly on the recommendation of Du Pont, strongly favored and indorsed by Fox; but when I came personally to know more of Rodgers, and see how he chose to identify himself without reason with Du Pont's controversy – become a partisan – and to quarrel with the Department for no cause, [I saw] that it would not do to appoint him. In all this canvassing of characters there was coincidence of views between us, even when I had previously supposed there was a difference. It was no conforming of his opinions to mine, for Drayton was truthful; though modest, he was independent and frank.

I authorized Admiral Porter to take charge of the funeral ceremonies, as we heard nothing from his relatives and friends. Telegrams were again sent to Alexander Hamilton, Jr., also to relatives at Hyde Park, informing of Drayton's decease.

I called to see the President, but his family had just arrived from Tennessee, and, he not being well, I deferred my business, which was, among other things, to deliver a letter sent to me by Mrs. James K. Polk.

SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 2: April 1, 1864 — December 31, 1866, p. 353-4

Flag Officer Samuel F. Dupont to Gustavus V. Fox, January 8, 1862

Private

Wabash 8" J any 62

Port Royal      

My Dear Sir

One word on a subject which has considerable effect on the morale of officers — viz — the publication or non publication of official reports.

I always intended to have suggested to Mr Welles the publication of my reports or such portions of them as could see the light by way of keeping up consecutive and correct information of our doings here, and thus carry along the antidote to the mistakes made and ignorance of letter writers. Some people are writing yet to know what has become of our people driven away from Tybee. The country believe at this moment that we are shut up in Port Royal and have not advanced a foot—while I am holding seven harbours of refuge in lieu of the two you required me to take. I say seven because South Edisto, and Ossabaw are nullified by North Edisto and St. Helena it being between the two, and Wassaw inlet covering Ossibaw.

Now comes the point. You have lately published some such reports and reconnaissances and not others — so that some officers are chronicled while others in equal operations are not. Drayton's report on N. Edisto I see reported—it is very interesting but his two previous ones on St. Helena much more so, and on the negro condition especially coming from him would have caused a good deal of effect.

So with R. Rodger's reports. You gave his capital one on Wassaw but not the one on Ossibaw. And then of all others, you have not published Davis's on yr favorite stone fleet. Now, different officers go on these Exp. and it is on their acct that I write.

I see more than I want of my own name, and wish to live through my officers.

I am going to lose two Lts. Please let me have Lt. Mackenzie. Excuse great haste.

Yrs most faithfully

S F DP

What are your views about the commanding officers for Dale and Wyandotte?

Upshur has applied for one or the other, on principle he being Senior — the last has filled an immediate emergency. Luce too has to go to the Academy and will go North on R. Island. The young Masters must work up in their places but Luce and Upshur are tiptop men and Rodgers was so sorry to lose them and then Corbin I presume will go soon.

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. 99-100

Commandant Samuel F. DuPont to Gustavus V. Fox, January 4, 1862

Confidential.

Port Royal, Jany. 4, 62.

My Dear Sir

The Vanderbilt played us a scurvy trick yesterday, having gone off without our mail, paid no attention to a gun from this ship, nor to a Tug which followed her out to the bar making signals all the time. Whether it was accident or design for a particular purpose — I cannot say.

The Oriental takes to-day the official reports of a clever joint Expedition, well conducted on both sides, in which the gun boats have been signally successful and drawing as much admiration from the troops engaged, as the whole fleet did on the day of the capture of the Forts.

The getting of them up the Port Royal or Beaufort River and then into the Coosaw (our Potomac) but thoroughly swept now, was a great feat, like the Spaniards over the dykes in Holland. Of course they often grounded, but they care no more for this than putting a mud flat on the beach. With light anchors hanging from the bowsprit and the armed boats from this ship they were even turned in their length — it having been asserted they would not be able to do this in either of the rivers. The truth is, wherever Raymond Rodgers is, things are sure to go right — he possesses more enterprise with care and forethought combined than I have met with before. Gen. Stevens has sent me a handsome letter in reference to the cooperation, semi-official. Our howitzers under Irwin composed their only field artillery. This army code of signals is very superior, Rodgers and Stevens kept up the most perfect communication. The general impression is that the rebels did not come up to the mark, after a great deal of taunting and invitation heretofore for our troops to “dare come” on the fort land, and leave the islands. Our shell did immense execution. A Colonel out with the skirmishers could see them burst among the rebel troops within the line of works—four men literally torn in fragments were killed by the bursting of one. Stevens thinks Evans was in command — the Leesburg man.

Now My Dear friend a little business. In order to carry out the above Expedition which has raised very much the morale of our troops, and in spite of themselves giving them a still higher opinion of us, I had to withdraw Ammen from Edisto, leaving Budd shaking in his boots lest the Charleston Navy come down upon him. The Ottawa had to come up from Tybee leaving Drayton with a lame duck the Wyandotte, and the old Vandalia, with heavy fire rafts building up the river. A three hundred feet one having been cut adrift by a loyal man from under Pulaski, was caught in Tybee and gave us excellent timber. The Pembina had to be taken from old Gillis threatened by the Georgia Navy in Wassaw, the 'Andrew' being disabled in her rudder. The blockading ships are getting out of coal and how I can relieve them I can hardly tell. Now, most important operations are pending between the Comdg General and myself based on naval and army reconnaissances and contraband knowledge, of communications from Wassaw inlet into the Savannah River, also into the latter, through the islands on its northern or left bank, such as Venus and Elba—allowing Pulaski to be cut off from all supplies, a vastly better plan than a regular approach with mortars, which will cost a half million of dollars. I send a report from Captain Gilmore and wish I had John Rodgers' sent up last night from Wassaw (another man worth his weight in Gold) and you would then have some insight into our plans. We can debouche into the Savannah river between Pulaski and Jackson, rather near the latter, and hold the river there against Tattnall while the troops are occupying Elba and fortifying it. On the mainland there is hard ground enough for Sherman to move on the city, but he must have cavalry; he can get there by boats through the inland waters and is now drawing up piles from Wall's Cut, sunk after the fight here and a hulk sunk besides. Now I don't want to press you — but I am spread to my utmost capacity and if you cannot send me more of the regular Gunboats and particularly one or two of the new side wheel ones, (one of them to be given to John Rodgers) why I must wait — because you are the judge and not me where they are most wanted. I won't growl, but you have sent me nothing yet. Another item. Our army friends beat us all to pieces on the means of communicating and transportation, and I have to fall back upon them oftener than is pleasant to them — for example I did not dare remove my force from Wassaw and had to get them to tow down a coal ship for me, and by the way this brought up a question of insurance and further compensation to the Collier, please see to this in future charters. I have already asked the Department for a dispatch vessel. I dare not send the Tugs outside. No Commodores Perry nor Barney yet, and what has become of that Light vessel! Coal, Coal too, please tell Lenthall — fortunately the army has long strings of coal vessels and have given us one to-day. Please also tell Mr. Lenthall three of his carpenters have gone home and we want more, a good boat builder among them, sending none but such as are willing to stay. Please hurry on the Forbes and what has become of Watmough! No machinery yet for Unadilla a painful lame bird and an eye sore in the harbor — if her commander a very worthy man is promoted do send a flash of a fellow out to her.

Steedman has sent me word that the Nassau people are going to try Cedar Keys, afraid of the North East gales on this side and so many of their small craft having been run into the breakers the last by the Gem of the Sea at Georgetown. I am dispatching the Florida there though it is on McKean's ground, for she may catch the Gladiator or her cargo distributed, and she will see to the safety of the Lighthouses &c. The Rail Road from Cedar Keys has caused this diversion from this Coast.

We are getting short of officers. The Vandalia is very short.

We had news from Wassaw last night that the Negroes were to have a stampede from Savannah—the Fingal had gone back and unloaded, and that Tattnall's vessel had been burnt by the slaves — that 17000 men were between S^h & Brunswick, intending to set fire to the former city when overpowered. Some of the contraband who bring news in this way are very superior darkies. “William” who went with the Gun boats especially so. I intend to give him fifty dolls for his pilotage and enter him as a Pilot — he knows every foot of the inland waters. These men risk their lives to serve us without the slightest hesitation, indeed like Governor Pickens they seem insensible to fear — make no bargains about their remuneration, leave all that with entire confidence to us. The batteries at Skiddaway, Thunderbolt, and Green island (on the Ogeechee) are pretty fierce and the water shallow — but what I have told you above will fool them all. The contraband report great gloom in Savannah at what they call the apology to England, every one looking to a war. A thousand cavalry in from Virginia and say the rebels have given up Western Virga.

Best regards to Mr. Welles.

Yours faithfully

S. F. Dupont

Hon. G. V. Fox Ass. Sec

Washington

I have nothing from my home since 10" Dec. I believe our Lyceum mail don't come. Savannah bad with scurvy has come in for wood and water and provisions.

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. 86-90

Commandant Samuel F. DuPont to Gustavus V. Fox, December 6, 1861

Confidential.

‘Wabash’ Dec. 6, 61.

Port Royal, SC

My Dear Sir

Raymond Rodgers returned this morning from a splendid reconnaissance of the Wassaw Inlet strangely overlooked heretofore by the Coast Survey. He had Stevens, Ammen and Bankhead's vessels, found 21 f. on the bar, went up ten miles from it and saw the steeples of Savannah.

Boldly advancing on the fort, to his astonishment he found it abandoned like those in St. Helena Sound. Eight heavy guns had been removed — the magazine blown up, the beds and circles broken. The Fort now building is on Wilmington Creek near a Coast Survey triangulation station and ten miles from Savannah.

Now my Dear friend I want to make a point as the Japanese express it. We are you will see going more and more into the flanks of the rebels, driving them from these coast defences and keeping up our prestige I think, — but alas my vessels are so spread and absorbed, that we have to come out of these places again. Drayton is holding all the St. Helena waters and the Dale is to be the depot ship — at Otter island and keeping up this demonstration off Savannah by the ships in Tybee roads is right also, — and now comes Wassaw, and I believe (I don't know) that Ossabaw and the rest of the Coast of Georgia will be ready to fall into our hands. This you will remember was the regular plan of the Department, but I never thought I could carry it out so fast — then again we were to begin at the lower end and work up, but having made this great breach in the centre, by the occupation of Port Royal, we are working towards both ends at the same time.

Mr. Welles and Yrself have been so kind that I dislike to be troubling you for more vessels — but besides the above disposition of them, the constant and necessary repairs to every steam vessel are more frequent and consume more time than you have any idea of. I don't want to say anything of a most remarkable ignorance which seems to prevail among some of my fine fellows here in handling vessels in a tide way, so that our collisions are more frequent than they should be, hence more tinkering.

Your stone fleet has arrived, and so far as Savannah is concerned anticipated — besides Tattnall is doing the work for us and I sent to Missroon to get him word if he could, that we would supply him with a half dozen vessels to help his obstructions off Pulaski. I have written to Lardner about the Charleston bar and have ordered the fleet in here in the meantime. They doubt less caused an awful fright in Savannah yesterday and certainly captured Wassaw. It is wonderful how safely they came. One encountered a water spout, which took his sails out of him. One or two got into Tybee just in time to go down. One in a sinking condition was towed to the beach for a breakwater and wharf.

I thought the inside of the Light House had been burnt, by an incendiary, but it was more likely the result of spontaneous combustion. The new frame barracks most comfortable structures were spared. These barracks seem to be holding out imploring looks, to be occupied by our troops! What I write is about our business, but I yearn to see Savannah and Charleston taken — then the neck of the foul thing will be broken.

Davis and Rodgers send their warm regards to you. We are all three excessively busy but very happy.

Yours most truly

S. F. DuPONT

G. V. Fox Esq.

Washington

P.S.

Could you not take a holiday and run down and see us here? You always bring us good luck.

S. F. DP.

I have been told a brigade goes to Beaufort! Glad to hear of any movement, but Beaufort is not Savannah, nor the way to get to it.

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. 76-8

Diary of John Hay: [April 27, 1864]

On the evening of the 25th Fox, who had been frequently telegraphed by Butler to come down to Fort Monroe, determined to go, and asked me to go with him. We started for the Navy Yard at 5.30, passing Willard’s while Burnside’s splendid column was moving down 14th Street across the Long Bridge into Virginia. This is the finest looking and best appointed force I have ever yet seen. A little gorgeous and showy, reminding one of the early regiments who went shining down to Bull Run and the Peninsula as if to a picnic. The 3d N. J. Cavalry looked fine and yellow in their new cloaks and gold-braided breasts. The officers looked so superbly outlandish that it surprised one to hear them speaking in a Yankee accent, pure American as Cash Clay calls it. The black regiments looked well, and marched better than others — as in fact they always do.

We went down the river among the twilight “shadders” and got some fish and dined off shad roe and shad. Fox had brought with him some of his choice Oolong tea. . . . We got to Fortress Monroe in the morning, and Welles and I visited the “Iroquois,” Capt. Raymond Rogers, while Fox went to see the General. Coming ashore we skirmished for some time about the walls of the Fortress before we could find the right entrance. We went in; saw Schaffer and Kent who was lounging round with an air intensely ennuyeé, and who said: — “There are plenty of indications here which to a green hand would presage an early movement; but we blasé fellows don't seem to see it; we are familiar with large promise and scanty performance.”

Joined Butler and Fox on the ramparts. Butler said he was walking there for the first time in several months; preferring to take necessary exercise on horseback. He spoke highly of the negro troops — especially of their walking powers. They start off and trot slouchingly without wasting any muscle in grace of action, he said, illustrating the shuffling step, on the ramparts, bending his knees, and dragging his feet over the oniony grass. He spoke of the delight with which Bob Ould ate the good dinners he got while at the Fort — saying that one breakfast he got at Shaffers would have cost $2,000 in Richmond. . . . . I had a good deal of a talk with Shaffer, one of “the best staff a man was ever blessed with, — Strong Turner Shaffer and Weitzell” as Butler says. Shaffer is sanguine about the coming movement. “We will fasten our teeth,” he says, “on his line of supplies, and he must leave his positions to come and beat us off;” — relying on Grant’s not being the man to let that be done quietly. . . .

Fox seemed troubled sorely by the prospect. He fears the details have not been sufficiently studied; that the forces are to bulge ahead and get badly handled; that they rely on help from the navy in places where the navy cannot possibly help, — but rather “will be useless as an elephant with his trunk unscrewed and his tusks unshipped;” that going up the James between the precipitous banks, a few riflemen on the banks will produce a panic that nothing can remedy. He seemed surprised that the navy should not have been informed of the intended movement until to-day; or that Grant should have sanctioned, and concluded that G. must be letting the thing slide on without suggestion from him, to squelch it before it was consummated, or, relying upon his other plans, might have given this column up to the fate of a reconnoissance in force which will have accomplished its object if it diverts from his front a force large enough to destroy it. . . . .

SOURCES: Clara B. Hay, Letters of John Hay and Extracts from Diary, Volume 1, p. 183-6; See Michael Burlingame and John R. Turner Ettlinger, Editors, Inside Lincoln’s White House,: the complete Civil War Diary of John Hay, p. 189-91 for the full entry.