Today in History:

591 Series I Volume XLVIII-II Serial 102 - Powder River Expedition Part II

Page 591 Chapter LX. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.

NEW YORK, May 24, 1865.

(Received 9. 20 p. m.)

Honorable W. H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State:

The following communication is just received by the Moro Castle from Havana:

U. S. CONSULATE-GENERAL,

Havana, May 20, 1865.

SIMEON DRAPER, Esq.,

Collector of Customs, New York:

SIR: The ram Stonewall was surrendered yesterday to the Spanish Government unconditionally, except that the Government have paid $16,000 for the crew, coal, &c. Captain Page, the commander of the ram and his first lieutenant, refused to include their names in the list of officers and men to collect their pay. The inventory of the ram was made this morning by the Spanish naval authorities, the rebel flag taken down, and she will be towed to the navy-yard with a crew on board to take care of here. The rebel officers and crew left here yesterday. This information has been transmitted by the captain-general of Cuba to the Spanish minister in London, the Spanish minister to Rear-Admiral Stribling, at Key West, and the supreme Government requested to send out orders immediately as to what is to be done with the ram. The captain-general's secretary gave the above at a private interview to the vice-consul-general, Mr. savage, adding that it was believed orders would come out in twenty-five or twenty-six days for the surrender of the ram to the United States Government.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. T. MINOR,

Consul-General.

S. DRAPER.

(Same to Honorable H. McCulloch, Secretary of the Treasury.)

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, D. C., May 25, 1865.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,

Commanding Armies of the United States:

GENERAL: By direction of the Secretary of War I send you herewith copy of a cipher telegram found on the person of general Wheeler, of the rebel army, and forwarded to this Department by Brigadier-General Schoepf, commanding at Fort Delaware. *

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOS. T. ECKERT,

Major, &c.

NEW ORLEANS, LA., May 25, 1865-9 p. m.

(Received 5 p. m. 26th.)

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,

Commanding Armies of the United States:

I have had a conference to-day with Buckner, Price, and Brent, commissioned by Kirby Smith to make arrangements for the surrender of the rebel forces in the Trans-Mississippi Department. I have explained to them that no other terms could be given than are indicated in the instructions to me of April 19 and modifications authorized by your Special Orders, Numbers 215, of the 9th instant. They are to give me a definite answer to-night.

E. R. S. CANBY,

Major-General, Commanding.

---------------

*See Smith to Davis, March 7, Part I, p. 1411.

---------------


Page 591 Chapter LX. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.