NEWS FROM WASHINGTON: Return of the French Minister from Richmond; The Reported Removal of Secretary Welles (4/25/1862)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 4/25/1862

[Homer_J_Simpson]

WASHINGTON, Thursday, April 24.

THE RETURN OF THE FRENCH MINISTER.

As foreshadowed in my dispatch last night, the French war-steamer Gassendi arrived up the Potomac about noon to-day, with the French Minister, M. MERCIER, on board, direct from his mission to Norfolk and Richmond. When the steamer was off the Navy-yard salutes were exchanged, and another was fired at the Yard in honor of the French Minister.

M. MERCIER states that he never heard, until his arrival here, of Dr. LEMOINE, who is said by the Richmond papers to have represented 30,000 Frenchmen.

I learn from an authoritative source that the announcement in Philadelphia and New-York papers, to-day, that the President has decided to remove Mr. WELLES from the Cabinet, send him to Spain, and call Gen. BANKS from the field to the Cabinet, in place of Mr. WELLES, is not true.

The Senate, to-day, by a unanimous vote, ratified the Seward-Lyons treaty, recently negotiated here for the suppression of the African Slave-trade. This is deemed a most important treaty, which will probably sweep the last vestige of the piratical traffic from the face of the seas.

Mr. VALLANDIGHAM, of Ohio, while the House was in Committee of the Whole to-day, in commenting upon the recent speech of Senator WADE, is charged with having made use of the following language: "The author is a liar, a scoundrel, and a coward, and his name is BENJAMIN F. WADE." AS soon as the Committee rose, and the Speaker assumed the duties of the Chair, a resolution of censure was offered and is spending. If VALLANDIGHAM does not openly avow the language, and desires to dodge behind the rules of the House, he can do so by contending that he was not called to order at the time he

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1861-1865: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4057492/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

News from Washington: Hon. Return of the French Minister from Richmond – 2
The Mountain Department: Gen. Milroy Driving the Rebels Out of Western Virginia – 2-3
Old Point and Yorktown: An Arrival from Gen. Burnside’s Department – 3-4
Important from New-Mexico: More About the Recent Battle at Apache Pass – 4
Important from New-Orleans: The Rebel Defence on the Mississippi Much Exaggerated – 4
Important from the South: Rebel News from Tennessee and North Alabama – 4-5
The Rebellion in North Carolina – 5
The New-Orleans Mystery – 5
The Military Movements in the Southwest – 5-6
A Red Tape Entanglement – 6
Gunboats Through the Canals, and the Legislature – 6
Serenade to Mrs. Commodore Foote – 6
Secretary Welles – 6
More Liquor-Dealers Arrested – 6

[BroJoeK]

Union actions in North Carolina resulted in the Siege of Fort Macon "today", a Union victory, their fourth in NC:

North Carolina 1861-'62 Engagements

Date	Engagement	Military Units	Losses	Victor
Aug 28	Hatteras Inlet, NC	Union NY 9th & 20th Infantry (Butler -935) plus 7 US Navy ships (including Harriet Lane & Pawnee) vs. Confederate NC 17th Infantry (Barron ~900)	Union 3-total (1 killed); Confederates 715-total (4 killed, 691 captured)	USA
Feb 6, 1862	Roanoke Island, NC	Union Dept of NC + Blockading Squagron (Burnside, Goldsborough ~10,000) & Confederate Wise Legion (Wise ~3,000)	Union 264-total (37-killed), Confederates 2,643-total (23 killed)	USA
Mar 14	New Bern, NC	Union Blockading Squadron (Bernside, Rowen ~11,000 +14 gunboats) & Confederate Dept of NC (Branch ~4,000)	Union 471 total (90-killed), Confederate 578 total (64- killed)	USA
April 19	Camden, NC	Union NC Exped (Reno ~3,000)., Confederate garrison (Wright ~1,000)	Union none, Confederate 28-total (6-killed)	CSA
April 25	Fort Macon, NC	Union NC Dept., NAtlantic Blockading Squadron (Parke, Lockwood ~2,649)., Confederate Ft. Macon Garrison (White ~450)	Union 15-total (2-killed), Confederate 424-total (8-killed)	USA

This makes the total 101 engagements to date:

Summary of Civil War Engagements as of April 25, 1862:
Engagements in Confederate states:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
South Carolina	1	1	1	3
Virginia	5	11	7	23
North Carolina	4	1	0	5
Florida	1	0	0	1
Louisiana	1	1	0	2
Tennessee	3	1	0	4
Arkansas	1	0	1	2
Georgia	1	0	0	1
Total Engagements in CSA	17	15	9	41

Engagements in Union states/territories:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
Maryland	1	0	1	2
West Virginia	9	2	2	13
Missouri	11	9	1	21
New Mexico	4	8	0	12
Kentucky	4	3	2	9
Oklahoma	0	3	0	3
Total Engagements in Union	29	25	6	60
Total Engagements to date	46	40	15	101