The next day I called upon General Scott. It was apparent that he was
in no condition to organize or lead armies. He was lying upon a
lounge, and when he arose he walked with his hand upon his hip and gave
an account of his wound at the battle of Lundy's Lane. He was national
in his views of duty, and he spoke with earnestness in reprobation of
the conduct of Virginia. He spoke also of the efforts that had been
made to induce him to go with his State. He seemed like a man without
hope, but there were no indications of a lack of fidelity to the
country. Aside from the circumstance that he was a native of Virginia
and that Virginia was engaged in the Rebellion, it was too much to
expect that at his age he could cope with so formidable a movement
as the rebellion of eleven States. While I was in Washington I
presented to General Scott a young man, Henry S. Briggs, a son of
ex-Governor Briggs, whom General Scott had known when Governor Briggs
was in Congress. Young Briggs was a lieutenant in the Berkshire
regiment, then on duty in Washington. He wished for a corresponding
appointment in the regular army. This appointment General Scott
secured for him. Afterwards he became colonel of a Massachusetts
regiment of volunteers and at the end of the war he was a brigadier-
general of volunteers.
I left Washington for Massachusetts May 1. I was delayed a night and
until four o'clock the day following at Annapolis, where General Butler
was in command. I had my quarters with him, and during the night the
long roll was beaten. The troops came out, and I waited for the
result, which was the discovery that the call was due to a
misunderstanding of the signal rockets. I left Annapolis in a small
steam tug that came out of the Raritan Canal. We were buffeted about
in the bay by a heavy wind, the captain lost his reckoning, anchored,
and the next morning we found ourselves uncomfortably near to the
Maryland shore.
The next day, May 2, I reached New York and from there I sent the
following letter to Governor Andrew:
NEW YORK, May 2, 1861.
Sir:--I arrived here this afternoon, and I hope to report to you in
person Saturday. I had free conversation with the President, General
Scott, Mr. Seward, Mr. Chase, General Cameron, and Mr. Blair, upon
public affairs. The impression I received from all, except perhaps
Mr. Seward, was favorable to a vigorous prosecution of the war. Mr.
Seward repeated his words of December and February. "The crisis is
over." It is, however, understood at Washington that Mr. Seward
favors vigorous measures. Mr. Chase says that the policy of the
Administration is vigorous and comprehensive, as sure to succeed in
controlling the Rebellion, and preserving the whole territory of the
Union. I will only say now, that I left Washington with a more
favorable impression of the policy of the Government than I entertained
when I left Boston.
General Cameron agreed to authorize Massachusetts to raise two
regiments in addition to that of Dwight. The papers were all made, and
only a Cabinet meeting prevented their completion on Tuesday. I did
not wish to remain another day, and I left the papers with the chief
clerk; and I also received the assurance of Colonel Ripley, that he
would give personal and prompt attention to transmitting them to
Boston. I shall expect them on Sunday.
Colonel Ripley issued an order on Tuesday for rifling cannon. Mr.
Forbes' letter aided very much.
I am truly your most obedient servant,
GEORGE S. BOUTWELL.
I was in Washington again in the month of May, and I made a third visit
the second day after the first battle of Bull Run. At one of these
visits I met General Hooker, at Mr. Sumner's quarters on F. Street. He
had then recently arrived from California and his appearance indicated
poverty. His dress was worn, and his apparel was that of a decayed man
of the world. He had called upon Senator Sumner to secure his aid in
obtaining the command of a Massachusetts regiment, he being a
Massachusetts man by birth. In the course of the conversation Hooker
said that if he could obtain a regiment, he would come to the command
of the army, and take Richmond. When he came to the command of the
army it seemed possible that his vain boast might be fulfilled in both
particulars. The cause of his failure may be the subject of debate,
but, at Chancellorsville, his orders were not obeyed. It is probable,
however, that Hooker lacked the qualities of a great commander. He
inspired his soldiers with enthusiasm, he was brave, and his heart was
in the cause. With many faults, he was one of the great soldiers of
the war, and with less sensitiveness of spirit he might have been one
of its renowned chieftains.
I have obtained from the War Department copies of two letters that I
wrote to Gen. Cameron, Secretary of War, dated at Havre de Grace,
April 26, 1861. They throw some light on the war movements at that
time.
HAVRE DE GRACE, _April_ 26, 1861.
HON. SIMON CAMERON:
_Sir:_ I have written upon the letter of Governor Andrew which Mr.
Bixby will hand to you.
I cannot too strongly impress upon the Government the importance of
authorizing Governor Andrew to procure three steamers for the
protection of the coast and to aid in a blockade of the southern ports.
The New York merchants are anxious to do the same. I hope you will
grant the order. Governor Andrew will put the work of preparation
into the hands of our best merchants, who will charge no commissions
whatever.
The whole North is wild and determined in its enthusiasm. Should not
the Government make another requisition? They will be needed, I fear,
and a short and vigorous campaign round Washington will be advantageous
in the highest degree.
I am, very truly, your obedient servant,
GEORGE S. BOUTWELL.
HAVRE DE GRACE, _April_ 26, 1861.
HON. SIMON CAMERON:
_Sir:_ I have obtained an order from General Wool to garrison the
forts and arsenals, but it is of the utmost importance to obtain
authority to purchase at least three steamers and equip them for coast
defense. This can be done at a moderate cost and the merchants of
Boston are anxious to secure so great a protection to commerce. They
can be used effectively upon the Southern coast. I trust that you will
transmit an order to Governor Andrew by the bearer of this, Mr.
Augustus H. Bixby.
I am, your obedient servant,
GEORGE S. BOUTWELL.
[* This revolver gave me and my friend, Ebenezer F. Stone, then
Adjutant-General of the State, more anxiety than all things else
connected with the expedition. It never occurred to me to return the
pistol. I discharged the barrels and laid the weapon away, only too
glad to have it out of sight. Some years after the war, the Adjutant-
General's department was investigated, and a shortage of arms was
discovered. I received a letter asking me if I had a pistol belonging
to the State. I returned the weapon which I neither wanted nor needed,
and to that extent I relieved General Stone.]
XXVI
THE MILITARY COMMISSION OF 1862 AND GENERAL FREMONT
In the month of May, or early in June 1862, I received a message from
Mr. Stanton asking me to report in Washington, prepared to serve upon
a commission at Cairo, Illinois. Upon arriving at Washington, I was
informed that it would be the duty of the commission to examine claims
that might be preferred against the Government, from the States of
Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. These claims had
arisen from the operations of General Fremont and they were of great
variety. At the end the commission were of the opinion that he was
an expensive commander. Charles A. Dana was chairman of the
commission, and Judge Logan, of Springfield, Illinois, an old friend
of President Lincoln, was my associate. The health of Judge Logan
soon failed, and he was succeeded by Mr. Cullom, afterwards Governor
of Illinois, and a member of the United States Senate.
Our life at Cairo was disagreeable to an extent that cannot be
realized easily. In the months of June and July the weather was
extremely hot. The army of General Grant had quartered in and around
the town during the preceding winter. The larger portion of the town
inside of the levee, had been covered with water to the depth of
several feet. Much of the refuse of the army, including some dead
animals, had been left upon the surface of the ground. Sickness was
general among the inhabitants. Health was the exception. We had our
quarters upon the levee, and before a long time had passed we
organized a mess with General Strong, the officer in command at that
point. For myself I drank only tea and water from Iowa ice. With this
drink and a moderate diet, I preserved my health. It was our fate
each evening to witness and endure a collision of the thunder showers,
one coming down the Mississippi, and the other down the Ohio.
Late in the afternoon we had the benefit of a trip upon a Government
boat up the Ohio as far as Mound City. Once of a Sunday we made a
trip to Columbus, Kentucky, then in command of General Quimby, of New
York. We there met General Dodge, afterward a member of Congress from
Iowa and subsequently a successful railway operator.
At Columbus we had a collation on the boat, where speeches were made by
officers and civilians, in support of the war and for emancipation.
On our return to Cairo, we were met by the customary evening shower, an
unwelcome attendant upon a steamboat excursion.
My acquaintance with Mr. Dana gave me a high opinion of his business
habits and faculties, and when General Grant became President and I was
in charge of the Treasury, I urged the President to appoint Mr. Dana
collector of the port of New York. The President had already selected
Mr. Grinnell, but whether he had communicated the fact to Mr. Grinnell
I never knew. Moreover, the President had formed an unfavorable
opinion of Mr. Dana, arising from some intercourse during the war.
Consequently, my advice was unavailing. The President said, however,
that I might offer him the post of chief appraiser of the port of New
York. The offer was declined; and from that time forward Mr. Dana was
the President's bitter enemy. As another result, there was no further
communication between Mr. Dana and myself. Once I saw him upon a
steamer, but we did not recognize each other. In the year 1887, in
consequence of a paragraph in the New York _Sun_ in which my name was
mentioned, not unkindly, I wrote a brief note to Mr. Dana. Without
delay I received from him a long and almost affectionate letter, in
which he urged me to let him know when I was in New York, that he might
call upon me, and talk over some things old, and some things new.
I called upon him in New York at his office, where we had a pleasant
chat of an hour. His office was plain, without carpets, the floor
was worn rough, rather than smooth, and the appearance of the rooms
was a striking contrast to the editorial rooms of prosperous
journalists generally.
My experience at Cairo gave me a poor opinion of Fremont's qualities as
a business man, but in the early part of his career he had exhibited
capacity of a high order as a bold and successful explorer of the then
unknown regions of the Rocky Mountains. He had also exhibited genius
as a soldier, which led to high expectations which were not realized
when he came to important commands in the Civil War. My studied
opinion of General Fremont is contained in an article that I prepared
for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of which society he was
an honorary member: