April 24th. Commences with pleasant, warm weather. This afternoon, signalizing to vessels of lower fleet. Received a mail from sloop-of-war Richmond during the day, across the point of land, which separated us from vessels of our fleet below, and which gladdened the hearts of many, or of all those who were so fortunate as to receive a letter from home and friends most dear. At five P. M. hove up anchor again, and steamed up river. At seven P. M. brought ship to anchor a short distance above Bayou Sara. Albatross and ram Switzerland anchored astern.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
24th. After breakfast had a visit with Henry Drake. Examination for commissions. Henry went in. None in before allowed. A very pleasant day. About noon rations came. Issued in the P. M. A little slave child buried. Exercises by the chaplain. Serious thoughts. An immortal soul gone out of a poor slave. Wrote to Will in the evening. Read Independent. Letter from home.
London, April 24, 1863
We go here much as usual. The American question excites more fever than ever. The collisions that inevitably take place on the ocean in the effort to stop all the scandalous voyages to help the rebels, that are made from this island, necessarily created much bad feeling. I have got a little mixed up in it of late, so that my name has been bandied about rather more than I like. But such is the fate of all men who are in situations of difficulty in troubled times. I hope and trust I shall survive it. My rule is, so far as I know how, to follow a strict rule of right. As long as I keep myself within it, I trust in God and fear no evil. My endeavor will be to prevent things from coming to a rupture here, not from any particular goodwill to the English, but from a conviction that quarreling with them just now is doing service to the rebels. So far as I can judge from their own reports of their condition, the suffocating process is going on steadily to its end. On the other hand the position of the loyal part of the country is more dignified and imposing than ever. In spite of lukewarm generals and a defective and uneven policy, the great body of the people and the army are true to their duty which is to save the country. I feel more hopeful of that result than ever before. Presently our people will fight with the same energy that animates the rebels. Whenever that happens, the struggle will be soon brought to an end.
We have of late quite an influx of Americans, more than have been here all the winter before. First, there is Mr. Robert J. Walker, the quondam Secretary of the Treasury and Governor of Kansas. I am amused to find him changed into a thorough anti-slavery man, determined upon emancipation as the only condition of pacification. Then we have Mr. W. H. Aspinwall of New York and Mr. John M. Forbes. And in addition, Mr. John A. Kasson of Iowa, late Assistant Postmaster General, and now member of the next House of Representatives, who is out here as a delegate to a convention to settle postal matters between nations. I wish he could succeed in getting a reduction of ocean postage. Over and above these we have my old colleague in the Massachusetts Legislature, Mr. Alvah Crocker of Fitchburg, and George Morey, whilom the great factotum of Whig politics, in days of yore. So we cannot be said to be solitary or without sympathisers….
Friday, 24th—We are now in camp twenty miles above Vicksburg. Received orders to clean up our camp ground and to have company drill forenoon and afternoon. A large detail was put to work and when the camp was put in order we had our regular drills, one hour each time. A large fleet of troops came down the river this morning.
24th April (Friday).—We made a start at 4.15 A.M., and with the assistance of McCarthy, we managed to lose our way; but at 6.15 a loud cheer from the box, of “Hoorraw for h—ll! who’s afraid of fire?” proclaimed that Mr Sargent had come in sight of Grey’s ranch.
After buying some eggs and Indian corn there, we crossed the deep bed of the river San Antonio. Its banks are very steep and picturesque.
We halted immediately beyond, to allow the mules to feed for an hour. A woman was murdered at a ranch close by some time ago, and five bad characters were put to death at San Antonio by the vigilance committee on suspicion.
We crossed the Selado river at 11, and nooned it in its neighbourhood.
Mr Sargent and the Judge finished the gin; and the former, being rather drunk, entertained us with a detailed description of his treatment of a refractory negro girl, which, by his own account, must have been very severe. McCarthy was much disgusted at the story.[1]
After bathing in the Selado, Mr Sargent, being determined to beat Ward, pushed on for San Antonio; and we drew up before Menger’s hotel at 3 P.M., our mules dead beat — our driver having fulfilled his promise of “making his long-eared horses howl.”
Later in the day I walked through the streets with McCarthy to his store, which is a very large building, but now desolate, everything having been sold off. He was of course greeted by his numerous friends, and amongst others I saw a negro come up to him, shake hands, and welcome him back.
I was introduced to Colonel Duffs brother, who is also a very good-looking man; but he has not thrown off his British nationality and become a “citizen.”
The distance from Brownsville to San Antonio is 330 miles, and we have been 11 days and 4 hours en route.
[1] However happy and well off the slaves may be as a general rule, yet there must be many instances (like that of Mr Sargent) of ill treatment and cruelty. Mr Sargent is a Northerner by birth, and is without any of the kind feeling which is nearly always felt by Southerners for negroes.—July 1863.
April 24 — Rained again nearly all day. The South Branch is past fording for artillery, and we, together with the Maryland Line of infantry and the Baltimore Light Artillery, remained near Moorefield while the cavalry all moved toward the Alleghanies.
April 24, Friday. Little of importance at the Cabinet-meeting. Seward left early. He seemed uneasy, and I thought was apprehensive I might bring up the subject of the Peterhoff mails. It suits him better to have interviews with the President alone than with a full Cabinet, especially on points where he knows himself wrong. I did not feel particularly anxious that the subject should be introduced to-day, for I am not fully prepared with my reply, though busily occupied on the subject-matter, giving it every moment I can spare from pressing current business.
April 24. — Rainy most of the day. Towards evening it cleared up. Lawrence Motley was here to dinner. General Benham went over to headquarters, and came back very much pleased, as General Hooker told him that the pontoons were ready in time for this last proposed movement. Cut my thumb with case-knife. Received a letter from Father, in answer to the one I wrote about
April 24—This morning I was detailed by Colonel Owens to go to Wilson, N. C, to get the baggage for our officers. Left at 3 A.M., got to Tarboro at 7 P.M. This is a very pretty town. Stayed here until 3 and took the cars to Rocky Mount. Got there at 5, left at 7, and got to Wilson at 8 on the morning of the 25th. Got my baggage and left at 3 P.M. Arrived at Rocky Mount at 4. Saw some fun with a girl and an old woman. The young one had stole a petticoat from the old one, and was compelled to take it off and return it in the presence of at least fifty men. Left at 8, got to Tarboro at a quarter after nine.
All Quiet on the Roanoke.
April 24. The noise of the battle is over and we are no longer harassed by war’s dread alarms, but can now sit down, eat our fresh shad and herring and drink our peach and honey in peace and quiet.
A Broker’s Office.
Our provost marshal, Major Bartholomew of the 27th Massachusetts, has opened a broker’s office, where he is exchanging salt and amnesty for allegiance oaths, and as this is the fishing season, he is driving a right smart business. The natives for miles around come in droves, take the oath, get their amnesty papers and an order for salt, and after being cautioned not to be found breaking their allegiance they go away happy. There are probably some honest men among them who would like to do about right if they dared to, but the whole thing looks ludicrous, for there is evidently not one in a hundred of them who would ever think of taking the oath were it not for the hope of obtaining a little salt. The boys call it the salt oath.
