From Abraham Lincoln to Gideon Welles1, March 18, 1861
Copy.
Executive Mansion
March 18. 1861
Sir:
I shall be obliged if you will inform me what amount of naval force you could at once place at the control of the Revenue Service? And also, whether at some distance of time you could so place an additional force? and how much? and at what time?
Your obt, Servt.
A. Lincoln
___________________
From Gideon Welles to Abraham Lincoln, March 20, 1861
Navy Department,
March 20. 1861
Sir:
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th inst.1 asking to be informed of the amount of Naval force that could be at once placed at the control of the Revenue Service; also whether at some distance of time an additional force could be so placed -- how much? and at what time?
I respectfully state, in reply, that the following vessels could at once be put under orders for such service:
Steam Sloop Brooklyn ... 21 guns ... now off Ft. Pickens
Steamer Crusader ... 8 ... " ... on special service
Steamer Pocahontas ... 5 ... " ... at Norfolk
Steamer Water Witch ... 3 ... " ... at Phila
Steamer Mohawk ... 5 ... " ... on special service
Steamer Wyandotte ... 5 ... " ... off Ft Pickens
Steam Sloop Pawnee ... 11 ... " ... at Washington
Frigate Sabine ... 50 ... " ... off Ft Pickens
Sloop Cumberland ... 23 ... " ... on way to Norfolk
Steamer Powhatan ... 11 ... " ... at New York
Sloop St Louis ... 18 ... guns off Ft Pickens
Sloop Macedonian ... 22 ... " ... off Vera Cruz
The vessel last named could be withdrawn, if deemed expedient, from her present position in a short time.
With regard to the additional force that could be placed at the control of the Revenue service, at some distant time, the amount of it would be governed by the number of men allowed by law to the Navy. The number so allowed is 8500. There are now already in the service about 6870 -- leaving 1630 as the number that could be enlisted under authority of law. With this number the following vessels could be manned and, it is thought, ready for service within the time stated, should there be no difficulty in obtaining recruits, which is not likely, viz--
Sloop Germantown ... 22 guns)
Brig Bainbridge ... 6 " ... ) ... in 2 weeks
Brig Perry ... 6 ... " ... )
Brig Dolphin ... 4 ... " ... )
Sloop Jamestown ... )
Sloop Plymouth ... ) ... in 3 weeks
Steam Frige. Minnesota )
Sloop Preble ... )
Steam Frigate Wabash ) ... in 4 weeks
Steamer Mississippi ... in 5 weeks
There could be withdrawn from foreign stations, without serious disadvantage, the following vessels, in about the time stated, viz:
Steam Sloop Iroquois, from the Mediterranean, in 2 1/2 or 3 months.
Steam Sloop Seminole, from the Brazils, in 3 months
Steam Sloop Mohican, from the Coast of Africa in about 3 months
The steam frigate Niagara is expected home from Japan some time next month.
There are three other steamers on the African Station, the San Jacinto, the Mystic and the Sumter. Their withdrawal would reduce the Squadron below the number of guns required by treaty stipulations.2 A sloop of war would restore the number but a vessel of that class would not be so effective in suppressing the slave trade. The steamers mentioned are well adapted for service on our own coast.
In addition to the vessels hereinbefore mentioned, the following vessels, at the several Navy Yards, not in commission, could be prepared for service in the time stated, if the appropriations and the number of seamen authorized by law admitted of it: viz.
Frigate St Laurence ... 50 guns)
Steam Frigate Colorado ... 40 ... " ... ) ... in 3 weeks
Frigate Santee ... 50 ... " ... )
Steam Frigate Merrimack 40 ... " ... ) ... in 4 weeks
" ... " ... Roanoke ... 40 ... " ... )
Sloop Savannah ... 24 ... " ... )
" ... Vincennes ... 20 ... " ... ) ... in 6 weeks
" ... Dale ... 16 ... " ... )
" ... Marion ... 16 ... " ... ) ... in 3 months
Ship of the Line Vermont 84 ... " ... )
Frigate Raritan ... 50 ... " ... )
" ... Potomac ... 50 ... " ... ) ... in 4 months
" ... Brandywine ... 50 ... " ... in 5 months
" ... Columbia ... 50 ... " ... )
Steam Sloop Pensacola ... ) ... in 6 months
The following vessels, in the Pacific could be employed in service on the Western Coast and be put under orders for that purpose in a few weeks:
Steam Sloop Lancaster ... 22 guns
" ... " ... Narragansett ... 5 ... "
" ... " ... Wyoming ... 6 ... "
Steamer Saranac ... 9 ... "
Sloop St. Marys ... 22 ... "
" ... Cyane ... 18 ... "
Steamer John Hancock ... 3 ... "
The sloop Vandalia has been ordered to proceed from the East Indies to the Coast of California and the Dacotah steam sloop could be put under similar orders. Both of these vessels are at present attached to the East India Squadron.
I have not mentioned in this communication store ships employed in transporting stores -- the Release now at New York and the Supply on the way to Pensacola. Both of them are armed and might be employed in the Revenue Service with some advantage.
I have the honor to be
Yr. Obt. servant
Gideon Welles
____________________
David Upton