Diary of Gideon Welles: Wednesday, June 29, 1864

Nothing from the army. We hear that the pirate Alabama is at Cherbourg. Is she to remain there to be repaired? Seward tells me he knows one of the French armed vessels recently sold is for Sweden, and he has little doubt both are; that the French government is not deceitful in this matter.

Congress is getting restive and discontented with the financial management. The papers speak of the appointment of Field, Assistant Secretary, to be Assistant Treasurer at New York, in the place of Cisco. I doubt if any one but Chase would think of him for the place, and Chase, as usual, does not know the reason. But Field has talents, and Chase takes him from association. Morgan prefers Hillhouse, and Seward wants Blatchford.

The closing hours of Congress are crowded, as usual, but I believe matters are about as square as usual. Our naval bills have mostly been disposed of.

SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 2: April 1, 1864 — December 31, 1866, p. 62

From Washington

WASHINGTON, March 3. – The Senate to-day confirmed Gen. Morgan of Ohio, a Brigadier General of Volunteers.

The Assistant Postmaster General received a dispatch from Nashville yesterday saying the Federal flag floated over the Post Office there.  A special agent has charge of it for the present.

It is understood that Col. Blair had an interview with the President to-day respecting the appointment of Sigel as Major-General.  It is understood that the President will send his name to the Senate immediately for confirmation.

WASHINGTON, March 4. – From 600 to 1,000 barrels of flour belonging to the Confederates have been seized and stored here.

A woolen mill owned by a man named Davis which had been manufacturing Confederate cloth was seized with considerable stores.

Richard Washington, brother of the late John A. Washington is now confined at Harper’s Ferry.

The President has recognized Gerhardt Larson as Vice Consul of Sweden and Norway, to reside at Chicago.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 8, 1862, p. 3

From Washington

WASHINGTON, April 25.

Com. Foote, owing to the wound received in the battle of Fort Henry, has asked to be released from the command of the Western Fleet, but the Department has, it is understood, ordered Capt. Chas. H. Davis to repair to the squadron as his second in command, thus relieving him of much of the physical labor of his responsible position.

In addition to what has heretofore been asserted in contradiction of the false statement of the Richmond papers, there is good authority for stating that Count Mercier, the French Minister, had no official communication whatever with the Southern authorities.

The Navy Department is quietly though effectually at work increasing the means of the national defense.

The Atlantic [Works] and Harrison Loring, of Boston, have been awarded contracts for building iron-clad vessels under the recent law.

The Senate to-day in executive session confirmed the nomination of Gen. Cadwallader, of Pa. and Geo. H. Thomas, of Va., as Major Generals, and Col. Alfred H. Terry of Conn., Miles S. Haskell, of Indiana, Maj. Henry W. Wessels, of the 9th Infantry, Col. John W. Geary, Major Samuel W. Crawford, of the 13th Infantry, and Leonard F. Ross of Indiana, as Brigadier Generals of volunteers, Brig. Gen. Jas. W. Ripley, to be Chief of Ordnance, W. A. Hammond as Surgeon General, with the rank of Brig. Gen. Also Chas. F. Garrett, as Assistant Quartermaster, and Harvy A. Smith, of Kansas, as Commissary of Subsistence. The Senate, it is stated, rejected Nathan Reeve as Quartermaster, and the following as Brig. Gen’ls: J. Cochrane, H. H. Lockwood, Chas. F. Clark, and Chas. Dana. J. Trumble, of Tenn., was confirmed as U. S. attorney, for the Middle District of that State. Owing to a misapprehension which cause the rejection of Daniel E. Sickles, the President to-day renominated him to be Brig. Gen. The Prospect of his confirmation is favorable.

Col. Rooslaff, the Danish, and Count Piper, the Swedish Ministers, have gone to Fort Monroe. It is believed they intend to follow the French Minister’s example and extend their tour to Norfolk and Richmond.

The judiciary committee of the House will report adversely to the memorial of citizens of Chicago in favor of Gen. McKinstry. The committee have determined not to make public the letter of Secretary Stanton to the committee.

Letters from before Yorktown give a sort of confirmation to the reported refusal of an Irish brigade in the rebel army to serve and the surrender of their arms.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, April 28, 1862, p. 1