The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-11-16
Hon. Isaac Toucey and Senator sherman
To the Editor OF the New York Times:

To the Editor OF the New York Times:
My attention has been CALLED to the speech
Of Hon. John Sherman, Of Ohio, at Bridge
port. Connecticut, in which he assaulted me
liz was reported for your widely circulated
journal, and published in it. viii YOU d.
ne the favor to publish my response 90 tina
part of it which referred to me personally.
Yours, Very Respectfully,
Isaac ToucEY.
Hartford, Monday, April 80, 1866.
To Hon. John Sherman, United States Sena-
tor from Ohio :.
SIR-In your speech delivered st Bridge
port, IN the recent canvass for state officers
In Connecticut you are reported by the New
York Times to have said, referring to me by
name, 'tHe scattered our vessels, then under
his command, all over the world, so tina,
when another and wo.thier citizen of your
state came to administer the affairs of the
same department. the whole navy under his
comm sad,w was vessel with 5 guns-spiked -
There IS 10 truth in this statement. Tie
home squadron was at that time, a. it had
been In 1860. unusually large end at ready
command. When l came into the depart
ment, the squadron consisted of three veg
sells when 1 left, il consisted Of thirteen
They were the irigste Sabine, carrying so
guns; the steamer Brooklyn, 25; the sloop-
of-war ST. Louis, 20 the steamer Wyandotte,
D /; the steamer Pewbatten, II !; steamer No
hawk, 5; steamer Crusader, 8; ship Supply,
4 sloop-ofWar Cum beriand, "a; steamer
pocahontas, s.: steamer Pawnee, 4 sloop-
of-war Macedonian, %; and the steamer
W aterwitch, 3 guns. All these snips were
IN comm ission, actively employed, except the
Waterwitch, which, while serving on the
home squadron had taken the yellow fever on
board, put into Phiiadslphia, bean disinfec-
ted. and on the l4th of February, had been
ordered by me TO be prepared for sea service
with dispatch that she might resume her
place again In the squadron. The flagship
cumberland, the Powhassan and the Poea-
nontas were coming up the coast from Vera
Cruz to New York and Norfolk. The Pow
hatten arrived at New York on Tuesday.
March IL, the week after Mr.. LipcoIn's in,
augurasion and on the same day the Pocs.
hontas arrived at Hampton Roads. The
cumberland arrived at Ham ton Roads the
week following. The Brooklyn, with a com
pany OF soldiers on board from Fortress Mon
roe, the SABINE, the St. Louis and the WAN
aotte were before Fort Pickene, pensacola
oeienolng 1t against the troops of Florid.
and Alabama
The Mohawk, Crusader and Supply were al
ready at New YORK. The Waterwitcb was NJ
fhliaoelphia and the Pawnee at Wsshinptop
mere the department had stationed force of
organized in four companies as ar ,iljerr.
1um bering 200 men, one mile from the Cas-
'eauy 20 defend 1t at moments warning or 20
be transported BY the steamers Pswpee and Ana.
costa TO any points where necessary. The N,ce-
ionian was At Vera Cruz, much rearer and -ooro
convenient tor operations on the Gulf cos, ,han
!, 1t mad been at any OF the ports or navy wards
his was the condition of the Home Sousdro, :,
C0mmGnc0mpnf Nv
lon; three of them, including the fap.sbin NJ
ae squadron, coming up the coast toward Hamn.
on Roads and New York, one at Ph;ladelnbis
me AT ashington, one at Vera Cruz and four
! OFT fickens, then In a state of seige. in ali |
90 guns and thirteen vessels, of which e;gb,
we're s'eamers. This squadron and that of The |
''ev'oIs year, 1860, were by far the largest and
most efficient sguadrons ever before orgor;.as
or the protection of our interest on the ALL
10 coast VA 'Ne A'iaa
%. the same time there was still more nower
y, 49, ~ Tue Atlantic Navy Yards. which could
ave oeen put to sea, ready for service in An
~ Vas ~ DAYS from the Inauguration of |
!. ~ " .le commandment of Fort Sumter |
sm.1;on fos ms Inauguration to his proc.
sAsou .o' Io,ooe volunteers, when tho -, -
'ur part began. The five most noxs1f,, 20, on
y the navy, the forty-gun steam frieates W.sps
alnnssota, Colorado, Roanoke and Merr;ne,'
,ullt during the administration of Pre.;Son.
'ierce, armed with the heavy Dahlgreen euns
'ere at home, three of them thoroughly repsred
nd secured against the weather in the usual
manner, to await orders, one in dock repairing. |
no the other, recently brought home from the |
acme, could be prepared for temporary service |
rev Gays. The Colorado and Minnesota |
sere a. Boston, thus repaired and secured. and |
,oa'e pe reaay Tor sea in two weeks; the Wabash |
s ~ New York, thus repaired and secured. |
49, . ~ os ready for sea in two and half
Ieeks tna Roanoke in dock at New York. and
oe1i pc ready for sea in six weeks. and the
lerrmaok at Norfolk, and could be ready for |
smporsry duty in three weeks, aoco, ding to the
sport made to me BY q most experienced and