LETTERS OF A CITIZEN. 3l 



matter of course, obtain one man there or elsewhere. A few 

 months ago it was beheved that a hmited number of men for the 

 expedition might be had in the district, and, as before, an officer 

 was detached to receive proposals. He made a requisition for 

 one thousand dollars, which was approved by the commander of 

 the squadron. The prospect of successful recruiting in that quar- 

 ter was even better than had been anticipated. Fourteen sailors 

 waited on the appointed agent almost as soon as he had opened 

 his office in Alexandria. They were told to call and sign arti- 

 cles on the next day. In the mean time the officer repaired to 

 Washington for the purpose of ascertaining whether i/wV^y dollars^ 

 the usual advance, should be charged to the men, or whether, in 

 compliance with the special provision of Congress, that sum should 

 be allowed as bounty. Before, however, he had time to make 

 this inquiry of the naval department, he received from you an 

 order forthwith to return the money placed in his hands to the 

 treasury, as also to tell the seamen they must go down to Norfolk 

 upon their own hook ! and ship there. Of course, not one of them 

 went. 



This is but a hasty sketch of your " extraordinary efforts" to 

 procure men ; they are a fair sample of all your other " extraor- 

 dinary efforts," and were, of course, attended by the same " ex- 

 traordinary" success ! When to these are added the enervating 

 influence of your ungracious and reluctant action throughout ; the 

 prevalence of the belief that the feelings of the department were 

 arrayed against the measure ; the uncertainty when, if ever, the 

 flotilla would sail, and the nonallowance of the slighest extra en- 

 couragement to the crews, it is not wonderful that the tissue of 

 misrepresentation which mysteriously got into circulation regard- 

 ing the enterprise should have obtained some credence. It was 

 reported, I presume not to say whence such reports emanated, 

 that the service would be one of great privation to the crews, and 

 that all their wages would, of course, be expended in supplying 

 their clothing for the cold and icy latitudes near the South Pole ! 

 Uniting all these circumstances to the other '\facilities^^ you have 

 afforded, the public mind will have little difficulty in comprehend- 

 ing the full force of your " insurmountable difficulties in procu- 

 ring men^"* even when your most " extraordinary efforts'^'' had been 

 put forth to effect that end. Seriously, I do not hesitate to assert 



