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in behalf of those most nearly related to the young man, as well as in behalf of all my people, for your Christian, brotherly conduct towards the strangers who fell in your way, rendering the offices of a good Samaritan.
I have sent a copy of your letter to the Mayor of Lawrence, who will send it to the Needham family.
I beg leave to add the assurances of my personal respect, and the hope that I may yet see you in Boston.
He writes to
Salmon P. Chase,
Secretary of the Treasury:—
I have consulted with the representatives of many of our principal banking institutions, and with our leading private capitalists; and I feel confident, that, if necessary or desirable, $5,000,000 of the $14,000,000 of the next loan can be taken in this Commonwealth.
If the United-States bonds to that amount should be guaranteed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, they would command a premium probably, and could certainly be readily negotiated at par. Will you advise me what would be the wishes of the national Administration in this respect?
He writes again to the
Secretary of War, calling his attention to the defenceless condition of the forts in
Boston Harbor; also to
General Stetson, of the
Astor House, thanking him for his kindness and liberality to our soldiers in passing through New York; also thanks
Daniel Lombard,
Esq., of
Boston, who offers to clear ‘a cargo of rice, free of expense, for the use of our troops.’
He writes to
Colonel Dalton, at
Washington, inclosing him an extract from a letter written by
F. A. B. Simkins, to the effect that a soldier of the Fifth Regiment had told him that the quartermaster of the regiment had neglected his duty.
‘Mattresses that came with the regiment had since lain in a cellar, while the men have slept on stone floors; tons of cheese from
Boston had been there more than a week, before the men could get a mouthful of it; canteens had also been there, for a considerable time, and had not been distributed,—thinks something wrong.’
He also incloses another letter from a gentleman in
Washington, giving an entirely different account of the condition of the regiment.
Colonel Dalton is asked to look into the matter, and report.
