Henry Adams, private secretary of the US Minister to the UK, to his brother, Charles.
London, November 11, 1864
Meanwhile my hopes of our escaping from England soon are not so buoyant as they, perhaps unreasonably, once were. I feel a feeling that your father may fail us at the pinch. Should he be pressed to stay, I fear he will do so, and I am almost convinced that he will either remain here or go into the Cabinet. This is the only alternative I can see, and I dread either almost equally. Nevertheless I wait what may turn up to adapt my plan of operations accordingly.
The decision must soon be made. We shall next week know the result of the election. We drank to Abraham’s success at dinner last Tuesday. If all goes well, another month will see us settled here for another year, I suppose, or preparing to break up between December and April. This is however a critical time. Although we have news down to the 2d, I would be glad to know that our corner was safely turned, and do not therefore venture to build much on the future. There are some ugly diplomatic questions also that have chosen just this time to come up, and I dread their influence on us.
We are as usual void of news except from the war. I do not comprehend Grant’s moves. They do not seem to be made in earnest. He has the air of playing with Lee, and Lee seems to think so, to judge from Mr. Lawley’s last epistle to the Times. I have been expecting for a long time a movement of the combined army across the Appomattox from City Point, on the rear of Petersburg and onto Lee’s flank or rear, as it may be. What is the use of Lee’s extended lines, if we always attack the same points? Nevertheless, the election once over, I am willing to wait patiently if necessary; for the cautious game is probably now our sure play. . . .
