Charles Francis Adams to His Son
London, July 17, 1863
At the time I wrote you last week, our benevolent English friends had made up their minds that General Lee had insulated Washington and taken possession of the Capitol. Our friend Mason with portentous gravity had announced at a dinner table filled with sympathisers, that at the moment he was speaking he had no doubt that such was the fact. There was a general anxiety and looking out for the next news. On Monday evening, at Lady Derby’s reception, both his Lordship and Lord Granville, chieftains of opposite parties, hailed me with equal eagerness to know when I expected later advises. On that same evening, poor Mr. Roebuck, who had prepared his original motion with some reference to a grand “coup de theatre,” was obliged to abandon it, because nothing had turned out as he expected, and the audience would not consent to wait any longer. At last came the intelligence, but, lo! it did not answer the highly wrought expectation. It did not look as if Lee had made much progress to the desired point. The best that could be said was that the issue was not decisive. On the whole it was judged most prudent to wait for further news. . . .
