Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: April 15, 1863

There is a dispatch, unofficial, from the West, contradicting the news of the defeat of Van Dorn. On the Cumberland River, another dispatch says, we have met with new successes, capturing or destroying several more gun-boats. And Wheeler has certainly captured a railroad train in the rear of the enemy, containing a large sum of Federal money, and a number of officers.

We have nothing from the South, except a letter from Gen. Whiting, in regard to some demonstration at Bull Bay, S. C.

Major Griswold, Provost Marshal, is now himself on trial before a court-martial, for allowing 200 barrels of spirits to come into the city. He says he had an order from the Surgeon-General; but what right had he to give such orders? It is understood he will resign, irrespective of the decision of the court.

Congress, yesterday (the House of Representatives), passed a series of resolutions, denying the authority of the government to declare martial law, such as existed in this city under the administration of Gen. Winder. It was a great blunder, and alienated thousands.

We have a seasonable rain to-day.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 293

Frederick Law Olmsted to John M. Forbes, December 16, 1861

U. S. Sanitary Commission,

Washington, D. C., December 16, 1861.

My Dear Sir, — I have just received your favor of the 12th, and am exceedingly glad there is so good a prospect of financial aid to the commission from Massachusetts. Your contributions of goods have astonished me and overrun all my calculations. You have done in a month nearly four times as much as the New York association — of which we had been quite proud — in six months! If the present rate of supply continues, I shall soon be in concern to know where to put it.

I shall refer that portion of your letter which relates to the surgeon-general to Dr. Bellows. The simplest statement of the case would be perhaps that with an army of 600,000 fresh men, with impromptu officers, it is criminal weakness to intrust such important responsibilities as those resting on the surgeon-general to a self-satisfied, supercilious, bigoted blockhead, merely because he is the oldest of the old mess-room doctors of the old frontier-guard of the country. He knows nothing and does nothing, and is capable of knowing nothing and doing nothing but quibble about matters of form and precedent, and sign his name to papers which require that ceremony to be performed before they can be admitted to eternal rest in the pigeonholes of the bureau. I write this personally rather than as the secretary, and from general report rather than personal knowledge, but if it were not true is it not certain that as secretary of the Sanitary Commission, after six months' dealings with these poor, green volunteer sawbones, I should have seen some evidence of life in and from their chief?

You may contradict the report to which you refer, that the contributions made to the Sanitary Commission for the benefit of the soldiers' sick have been diverted to the aid of the exiles of the rebellion. To this date no funds of the commission have been disbursed in St. Louis. Probably the local commission there has done something which has given rise to the report.

I have directed Dr. Ware, in visiting Fort Monroe, to ascertain the condition of the refugees there, and report, but to give them no aid except under advice or in an emergency.

Very respectfully yours,

Fred. Law Olmsted.

SOURCE: Sarah Forbes Hughes, Letters and Recollections of John Murray Forbes, Volume 1, p. 265-6

From Washington

WASHINGTON, April 18.

Tribune’s Special.

It is said on the authority of intercepted letters from Richmond, that several editors of rebel newspapers have been hung for publishing intelligence which was contraband of war.

A general order from the Adj. General’s office directs paymasters to recognize agents which may be appointed by States under certain circumstances to receive soldier’s pay.

A rumor, which the War Department has not had an opportunity to disprove or rectify, asserts that Gen. Blenker has been seriously injured by a fall from his horse. It is not true that his command has been assigned to Gen. Rosencrans [sic].

The condition of the Treasury now enables the Secretary to direct the payment in cash of all claims, of dates prior to Nov. 1st 1861, including claims settled by the St. Louis commission, and it is expected that those of November will also be paid in full within a few days. All other claims, without regard to date, will be paid on presentation, if desired as heretofore, 80 percent in cash.

The prospect of the passage of the Pacific RR. Bill during the present session is not promising.

The Herald’s Fort Monroe correspondent under the date of the 17th state: From our army before Yorktown, I hear the most cheering news. By information just received from soldiers, I learn that last evening a Colonel and Lieut. Colonel from the rebel army came over to our lines, and surrendered themselves as prisoners of war. These two officers also report that an entire Irish brigade mutinied, and by order of Jeff. Davis, were deprived of their arms and sent to the rear.

The act authorizing the Postmaster General to establish branch postoffices in the cities prescribes the charge of one cent in addition to the regular postage, for ever letter deposited in any branch postoffice to be forwarded by mail from the principal office, and which shall be prepaid by stamp; and once cent for every letter delivered as such branch office, to be paid on delivery.

The naval appropriation bill contains an item of nearly $800,000 to pay for and finish Steven’s battery, the money Not to be expended unless the Secretary of the Navy is of the opinion that the same will secure an efficient steam battery. The section appropriated $13,000,000 merely says to enable the secretary to contract for iron-clad steam vessels of war.

The select committee of the Senate through Mr. Hale, made their report under the resolution adopted in July last, instructing them to inquire into the circumstances attending the surrender of the navy yard at Pensacola, and the destruction of the property of the United States at the Norfolk navy yard and the armory at Harper’s Ferry, and the abandonment of the same by the Federal forces; and also whether there was default on the part of our officers. The committee relate at length the facts of the case. The amount of property at the Norfolk navy hard was valued at $9,760,000. The vessels were worth nearly $2,000,000. There were in the yard at least 2,000 heavy guns, of which 300 were of the Dahlgren pattern. The committee making this report was composed of senators Hale, Johnson, of Tenn., and Grimes.


WASHINGTON, April 19.

Col. Morrow, late of the 2d Ohio regiment, now attached to Gen. Hunter’s staff, has arrived, bringing dispatches to the War Department, but which up to 10 o’clock had not been delivered. He states that among the prisoners taken is Capt. Simms, editor of the Savannah Republican. The sword belonging to the latter he has presented to Representative Gurney, of Ohio.

Ex-Mayor Britt has declined the appointment tendered him by the President as one of the commissioners under the bill for the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia.

The post-office appropriation bill provides $1,000,000 for the service of the California Central route, and repeals the acts requiring the Postmaster General in causing the transportation of the mails by steamship between our own and foreign ports, and between any of our own ports touching at foreign ports, to give preference to American over foreign steamships when departing from the same port for the same port within three days of each other. The Postmaster General is authorized to establish a coast mail, not less than semi-monthly, between San Francisco and Crescent City, Cal., including service at intermediate points; provided the sum to be paid for such service does not exceed $20,000 per annum. The President has approved and signed the above named bills.

The act reorganizing and increasing the efficiency of the medical department of the army, adds to the present corps ten surgeons and ten assistant surgeons, twenty military cadets and as many hospital stewards as the Surgeon General may consider necessary. The Surgeon General to be appointed under this act is to have the rank and pay and emoluments of a Brigadier General. There is to be one Assistant Surgeon General, one Inspector General, and ten of hospitals. The latter is to have the supervision of all that relates to the sanitary condition of the army. There are to be beside eight medical inspectors, charged with the duty of inspecting the sanitary condition of the transports, quarters and camps of the field hospitals. The appointments are to be made by the President, either from the regular or volunteer surgeons, with sole regard to qualifications.


WASHINGTON, April 19.

The following was received at the Navy Department to-day:

FLAG SHIP WABASH, PORT ROYAL HARBOR, S. C.,
April 13, 1862.

SIR: The dispatches from the commanding General of this department to the Hon. Secretary of War will convey the gratifying intelligence of the fall of Ft. Pulaski. It was a purely military operation – the result of laborious and scientific preparations and of consummate skill and bravery in execution. It would not have pertained to me to address you in reference to this brilliant and successful achievement, had not Maj. Gen. Hunter, with a generous spirit long to be remembered, permitted the navy to be represented on this interesting occasion, by allowing a detachment of seamen and officers from this ship to serve one of the breaching batteries. I have thanked General personally, and desire to express my acknowledgments to Brig. Gen. Benham, and acting Brig. Gen. Gilmore, for acts of consideration shown to my officers and men. Respectfully,

S. F. DUPONT,
Flagg Officer Commanding.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, April 21, 1862, p. 1