A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Diary of Charles Francis Adams, 1865

Wednesday 26th

26 April 1865

Friday 28th

28 April 1865
27 April 1865
263
Thursday 27th
London
CFA

1865-04-27

AM

This day was passed in a different but not less exciting way than yesterday. Soon after breakfast came in visitors. A poor man by the name of Fitch from Connecticut came in most deeply affected by these sad events. The war had already affected his mind, for which he had been sent to Europe to recruit. I did my best to encourage and console him. He wiped away his tears and took his leave, begging to be able to come again. Next came Messr Sturgis and Morgan on the part of American residents in London to ask if I would on their application consent to call a meeting on the late event. I said yes if the Americans would make the application. They did so, and in the course of the day it was arranged that a meeting should be held on Monday at St James’s Hall. Then came numbers, of whom I shall only mention Lord Houghton, who was really in tears, Lord Russell, the Prince de Joinville and the Duke of Argyll. An arrival a few hours later brought favorable accounts of Mr Seward, so that I hope that calamity is averted, and it further announced that no change was contemplated in the government. Mr Hunter, the Chief Clerk to act in the interval, in the State Department. All this is favorable. The crowd of people who left cards was large. I had barely the requisite time to draw up the Despatches of the week, Mr Forster who came only to hint o me the action of the government upon my letter of the 7th intimated that something would be said in Parliament, bu tin fact only notorious were announced for Monday. Quiet walk in the park, dinner and evening. Mr Alward for an hour.264

Cite web page as:

Charles Francis Adams, Sr., [date of entry], diary, in Charles Francis Adams, Sr.: The Civil War Diaries (Unverified Transcriptions). Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2015. http://www.masshist.org/publications/cfa-civil-war/view?id=DCA65d117