January 1. This morning Mason and Slidell and attachés were put on board a tugboat and taken to Provincetown, where the British gunboat “Rinaldo” was waiting. She sailed that night at six in the face of a severe northwest gale. Mr. William Appleton is failing. He died February 15. Incendiary...

December 14. The English Cabinet, on hearing of the seizure of Mason and Slidell from the mail steamer “Trent,” forbade the export of saltpetre and lead, ordered arms sent to Canada, put several vessels in commission, and sent secret orders to their ambassador, Lord Lyons, as the newspapers state...

= December 13. The rebel steamer “Nashville” is lying at Southampton waiting to be repaired. She burned on her way out the American ship “Harvey Birch,” in ballast, and brought the crew in irons to England. She has no letters of marque and I believe is not a national vessel, though Pegram, the...

July 22. We went on board the old frigate “Constitution.” About ten feet are said to remain of the original vessel which took the “Guerrière” in the War of 1812. Whilst on board we were alarmed at the report of the complete overthrow of McDowell’s army at Bull Run near Manassas Gap. The fight...

April 9, 12, 13, and 14. Mr. Appleton and Mr. Amory decided to go to Charleston and see for themselves the true condition of affairs. They embarked on the steamer “Nashville.” On the twelfth Sumter was attacked by the rebels, and after fighting thirty hours without much damage on either side...

January. The “Star of the West,” carrying supplies to Major Anderson, was fired into and driven away. Louisiana has seized the United States forts. The President seems at last to have decided to use stronger means and the sloop of war “Brooklyn” has been ordered to Charleston. Senator Seward*...

1865 January. Edward Everett, one of the most brilliant orators and ripest scholars in the world, died of apoplexy. When he was president of Harvard College I sat under him; but with all his ability he had not the necessary force to gain the admiration of the students, and his political life was...

1864 During this year the war continued in all its force, but we were gradually breaking down the Confederate strength and preparing for their surrender in April, 1865. The financial condition of the country became appalling, gold reaching at one time two hundred and seventy-six, and the English...

Wednesday, December 4. We have the President’s message, a conservative, sensible document in much better English than his former one. The reports of the Secretary of the Navy and of the Army are also very interesting; the former showing that from a navy of five hundred guns, last spring much...

Wednesday, October 17. I rode and our party drove twenty-six miles along the Maryland line to General Banks’s headquarters. Gordon’s regiment, the Massachusetts Second, was encamped close by. Towards evening on to General Stone’s headquarters to visit the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment, at...