Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session Thirty-eighth Congress, Part III
Mr. Seward to Mr. Geofroy
Sir: With reference to the case of A. Cauvet, which was the subject of your note to this department of the 18th ultimo, I have the honor to communicate a report from the Adjutant General to the Secretary of War, of the 20th instant, and the documents by which it was accompanied.
Mr. Stanton, in his letter to this department, transmitting the report, expresses an opinion that these papers show:
First. That no person bearing the name of A. Cauvet (the name furnished by you) has at any time been in the military service of the United States.
Second. That if the person entered upon the muster-rolls as E. Caulet be the person referred to by you, the War Department was misled in its investigation by the information which you furnished, or by the false designation of himself given by the signature of A. Cauvet.
This department sees no reason to withhold its concurrence in this opinion. The Secretary of War also expresses what seems to be a just sensibility, that the authorities of his department should, upon ex parte representations only, have been charged with kidnapping Cauvet, whose case is claimed to have been [Page 230] as promptly, diligently, and impartially examined as, under the circumstances, was practicable.
I feel confident that you will authorize me to assure him that you have not designed to be understood as adopting that imputation.
The report of the Adjutant General being an original paper, I would be obliged by the return of it, and of the papers which accompany it, when you shall have done with them.
Accept, sir, the renewed assurance of my highest consideration,
Mr. L. de Geofroy, &c., &c., &c.
Gen. Townsend to Mr Stanton
Sir: In reply to the letter of the honorable William H. Seward of the 2d instant, in relation to the case of “A. Cauvet,” or “E. Caulet,” referred to this office, I have the honor to report that, on the 9th day of March, 1864, a letter was received from the Secretary of State, addressed to the Secretary of War, accompanied by a letter dated the 2d of March, addressed by Mr. L. de Geofroy, of the French legation, to the Secretary of State, and a translation of a statement signed “A. Cauvet, 3d regiment V. H. V., Morris island, South Carolina,” copies whereof, marked A, are hereto attached. These papers were, immediately upon their receipt, referred to the Adjutant General of the army for investigation and report upon the subject to which they related.
There is no military organization in the service of the United States known or designated by the initials “V. H. V;” examination was therefore made of all the muster-rolls of the troops at Morris island on the 23d day of December, 1863, and it was found that no name of “A. Cauvet” was entered thereon.
On the 15th of March, in order that further investigation might be made at the place where “A. Cauvet” represented himself to be, the letter of the Secretary of State, with the letter of Mr. Geofroy and the accompanying translation, signed “A. Cauvet,” was transmitted by the Adjutant General to Major General Gillmore, commanding the department of the south, (of which Morris island, South Carolina, forms a part,) with directions to investigate and report upon the subject-matter of the inquiry presented by the letter of the Secretary of State. That reference was received at Hilton Head by General Gillmore on the 24th of March, and was by him referred to the commanding officer of the 3d New Hampshire volunteers, it being conjectured that by a mistake of “A. Cauvet,” or the transcriber of his letter, the initials “V. H. V.” might be intended to denote that regiment, which is designated by the initials “N. H. V.” Two days afterwards, (on the 26th of March,) the commanding officer of the 3d New Hampshire regiment reported to General Gillmore that there was no such man as the person described by Mr. Geofroy in that regiment. On the 28th of March the papers were returned to General Gillmore, with the report that there was no such man found in the regiment named. This report of General Gillmore was received by the department on the 9th day of April.
The paper furnished by Mr. Geofroy, and signed “A. Cauvet,” represented that he was put into the army of the United States in the city of New York, and on the 12th of April, three days after the receipt of General Gillmore’s return, the letter of the Secretary of State, with Mr. Geofroy’s letter and the [Page 231] accompanying translation, signed “A. Cauvet,” was referred to Brigadier General William Hays, assistant provost marshal general for the southern division of New York, having in charge enlistments made in the city of New York, for such information as he could obtain in relation to the enlistment of the person mentioned by Mr. Geofroy. Diligent examination was made by this provost marshal, who, on the 27th of May, reported that he was unable to find any record of this man’s enlistment.
On the 26th of May a second letter was received from the Secretary of State (a copy of which, marked B, is hereto attached) in relation to the case, which had, during all the intermediate period, been under examination at Washington, in the department of the south, at Morris island, and in New York; and on the 28th of May, but before the report of the provost marshal was received, a reply was transmitted to the Secretary of State, a copy of which, marked C, is hereto appended.
No trace of “A. Cauvet” having been found at Morris island, or in the city of New York, under the supposition that there might possibly be a mistake by “A. Cauvet” as to the number of the regiment, the case was referred to the mustering officer in the State of New Hampshire, with instructions to make an investigation of all the rolls of volunteers from that State. On the 15th of June Captain Silvey, mustering officer in the State of New Hampshire, reported that no such name as “A. Cauvet” was found in the records of his office. A re-examination of the rolls in the War Department was then ordered, for the purpose of ascertaining if any person bearing a French name had been mustered into the service in the 3d regiment of New Hampshire volunteers, and it was found that a person designated by the name of “Emile Caulet” was mustered into the service on the 10th of October, 1863, at West Lebanon, in the State of New Hampshire, in the 3d regiment of New Hampshire volunteers, (which regiment was, on the 23d December, 1863, serving at Morris island) as a substitute for one William N. Stowell, of Claremont, in the State above named. A photographic copy of the enlistment paper is hereby annexed, marked D, and also a photographic copy of his signature on the pay-roll. Upon this report being received, on the 16th of June, the subject was again referred to the commanding officer of the 3d New Hampshire volunteers serving at Morris island, to ascertain and report whether “Emile Caulet” could be the person referred to by Mr. Geofroy as “A. Cauvet.” On the 28th of June the report of the commanding officer was received, dated at the headquarters of the 3d New Hampshire volunteers, at Bermuda Hundred, to which place the regiment, with the forces that were serving on Morris island, had been transferred. A copy of his report is herewith transmitted, marked E. On the 6th of July the Adjutant General made a report in the case to the Secretary of War, a copy of which is hereto annexed, marked F. This report was communicated to the Secretary of State by a letter dated the 8th of July, a copy of which is also annexed, marked G.
From the time when Mr. Geofroy’s letter was received by this department, on the 11th of March, the most diligent industry was employed by the Adjutant General, and by the military officers to whom reference was made, to ascertain whether such a person as A. Cauvet, mentioned in the letter of Mr. Geofroy, was in the military service of the United States, and the circumstances under which he was mustered in, with a view to such action as the facts, when discovered, might require. But neither the enlistment rolls nor investigation by commanding officers disclosed that any person bearing the name of A. Cauvet was mustered into the service in New York, or was in any military organization of the United States at Morris island or else where, on the 23d day of December, 1863. If the conjecture of Colonel Plympton, that the person borne on the [Page 232] rolls as E. Caulet is the same mentioned by Mr. Geofroy as A. Cauvet, be correct, the department was misled in its investigation by Mr. Geofroy and the translated papers furnished. No delay, failure, or neglect of duty can justly be imputed to any officer of the service properly to investigate and diligently to ascertain the facts upon which the Secretary of State desired information from the War Department. It is not true that the department has now, or ever has had, any knowledge from which to infer the “fact of the kidnapping” of such person, or of any other French subject, or that any fact was known to the War Department upon which the discharge of A. Cauvet or E. Caulet could be claimed. On the contrary, it appears from his enlistment paper, on file in this department, (the copy whereof, marked D, is hereto attached,) that Emile Caulet voluntarily offered himself as a substitute for William N. Stowell, and was mustered into the service of the United States at West Lebanon, in the State of New Hampshire, on the 10th day of October, 1863. The pay-rolls show that he duly and regularly received the first instalment of bounty under the act of Congress.
An official investigation, made by Major Turner, the judge advocate, (a copy of whose report is hereto annexed, marked H,) has ascertained that Caulet, (who had been a waiter by occupation, was twenty-five years old, and had been residing in the city of New York,) offered himself and was received into the military service of the United States as a voluntary substitute for William N. Stowell, of Claremont, in the State of New Hampshire; that he received from Stowell the sum of three hundred dollars in money, as a price or consideration for becoming said substitute; that he received from the board of enrolment of West Lebanon clothing to the value of $16 69 when he was mustered into the service; that he subscribed an oath to the fact of his becoming a substitute for Stowell for the period of three years, unless sooner discharged; and also a declaration that he was twenty-five years of age, and enlisted for three years. The members of the board of enrolment also certify that Caulet, at the time he offered himself as a voluntary substitute, was neither intoxicated nor induced to enlist by any undue or wrongful influence.
Notwithstanding the most rigorous investigation, no facts or circumstances have come to the knowledge of the department, by correspondence with corps commanders or otherwise, indicating, or from which it could be inferred, that Caulet was kidnapped, or unfairly enlisted in the service of the United States, or that any fraud, or artifice, or wrong, was practiced against him. The insulting imputation against the department and corps commanders of such knowledge, contained in the recent letter of Mr. Geofroy to the Secretary of State, is most unfair and unjust towards officers who labored with their utmost skill and industry to ascertain the facts submitted to them for investigation.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War.
A.
Sir: I have the honor to enclose to you the translation of a communication of the 2d instant, from M. L. De Geofroy, the chargé d’affaires of France, relative to the case of one Cauvet, a French subject, who, on the 23d of December [Page 233] last, was serving in the 3d regiment of V. H. V., at Morris island. I will thank you to cause an investigation to be made, and such proceedings adopted as the result may seem to require.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War.
Official copy:
E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant General.
[Translation].
Sir: A Frenchman, Mr. Cauvet, has addressed the department of foreign affairs, at Paris, for the purpose of obtaining the liberation of his son, arbitrarily incorporated, as it would seem, in the federal army.
M. Drouyn de l’Huys, in transmitting to me the extract annexed, from a letter in which Mr. Cauvet, the son, states to his family the circumstances under which he was constrained to do military service, charges me to point out the fact to your excellency when asking you to have the goodness to give such orders that Mr. Cauvet be stricken from the rolls and set free.
According to the papers annexed, this Frenchman was, on the 23d December last, at Morris island, South Carolina, V. H. V.
Accept, sir, the assurance of my high consideration.
Official copy:
E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant General.
[Translation.]
I am going to tell you something that will not give you much pleasure. I would tell you that I had hardly received your letter, when I settled my account at the house where I was, and came back to New York, where I stayed some days awaiting a vessel on which to return to France; but meantime persons came looking for me, and telling me I was a soldier, and that I must go, because my name had been given at the hotel where I was staying, without my knowing anything about it, and told me the chances had fallen on me. There were two of us in this situation, and we were told we could not be obliged to become soldiers, but we had no person to take care of us, and meantime we were taken to an island in the neighborhood, and gradually, a month afterwards, we were off the city of Charleston, thoroughly enrolled in the regiment, and, at the end of some days, were carrying on our backs the knapsack and musket.
Official copy:
E. D. TOWNSEND. Assistant Adjutant General.
B.
Sir: I have the honor to recall your attention to my communication of the 9th of March last, relative to A. Cauvet, an alleged French subject, who appeared to have been improperly compelled to enter the military service of the United States. Mr. Geofroy, the chargé d’affaires of France, is urgent for a reply to his note on the subject.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War.
Adjutant General’s Office, August 20, 1864.
Official copy:
C.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th instant, recalling attention to your communication of the 9th March last, relative to A. Cauvet, and, in reply, to inform you that on reference to the Adjutant General, he reports that “the communication from the Department of State, dated March 9, 1864, relative to a French subject by the name of Cauvet, was received at this office March 11, 1864; referred March 15, 1864, to commanding officer department of the south for investigation and report, and received back with report April 9, 1864; again referred to the acting assistant provost marshal general, southern district of New York, April 12, 1864; not yet received back.”
As soon as a satisfactory report is received, it will be communicated.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War.
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
Adjutant General’s Office, August 20, 1864.
Official copy:
D.
Photographic copy of the signature of Emile Caulet, on pay-roll.
| 26. Abram A. Card. | E. J. BUTTON, 1st Lieutenant. |
| 26. James F. Clark. | E. J. BUTTON, 1st Lieutenant. |
| 26. Ezra P. Clark. | E. J. BUTTON, 1st Lieutenant. |
| 26. Zeriah L. Clark. | E. J. BUTTON, 1st Lieutenant. |
| 26. Willie H. Choote. | E. J. BUTTON, 1st Lieutenant. |
| 85, 66. Emile Caulet. | E. J. BUTTON, 1st Lieutenant. |
Photographic copy of Emile Caulet’s enlistment.
State of New Hampshire, Town of Lebanon:
I, Emile Caulet, born in the state of France, aged twenty-five years, and by occupation a waiter, do hereby acknowledge to have agreed with William H. Stowell, esq., of Claremont, Sullivan county, New Hampshire, to become his substitute in the military service, for a sufficient consideration paid and delivered to me on the tenth day of October, 1863; and having thus agreed with the said William N. Stowell, I do hereby acknowledge to have enlisted this 10th day of October, 1863, to serve as a Soldier in the army of the United States of America for the period of three years, unless sooner discharged by the proper authority; I do also agree to accept such bounty, pay, rations, and clothing as are or may be established by law for soldiers; and I do solemnly swear that I will bear true and faithful allegiance to the United States of America; that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies or opposers whomsoever; and that I will observe and obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the Rules and Articles of War.
EMILE CAULET.
Sworn and subscribed to at Lebanon, this 10th day of October, 863, before me.
[Untitled]
We certify, on honor, that we have carefully examined the above-named volunteer substitute agreeably to the regulations, and that, in our opinion, he is free from all bodily defects and mental infirmity which would, in any way, disqualify him from performing the duties of a soldier; that he was entirely sober when enlisted; that he is of lawful age, (not under 18 years,) and that in accepting him as duly qualified to perform the duties of an able-bodied soldier, and as a substitute [Page 236] in lieu of William N. Stowell, drafted in West Lebanon, September 3, 1863, we have strictly observed the regulations which govern in such cse.as
This soldier has dark eyes, black hair, and dark complexion; is five feet two inches high.
Declaration of Substitute.
I, Emile Caulat, desiring to enlist in the army of the United States for three years, do declare that I am twenty-five years and —— months of age; that I have never been discharged from the United States service on account of disability or by sentence of a court-martial, and I know of no impediment to my serving honestly and faithfully as a soldier for three years.
Witness: F. Conning.
E.
Sir: I have the honor to state that Emile Caulet was mustered into service as per endorsement from your office; that he was wounded at Drury’s Bluff, May 16, 1864, and died May 22, 1864; and I have no doubt that he is the man referred to by Mr. Geofroy as A. Cauvet.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. J. PLIMPTON, Lieut. Col., Comd’g 3d New Hampshire Vols.
Brigadier General L. Thomas, Adjutant General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.
Official copy:
F.
Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War.
Secretary of State forwards papers from the French minister relative to the fraudulent enlistment of one A. Cauvet, a French subject, enlisted in the 3d regiment “V. H. V.” The commanding officer 3d New Hampshire volunteers reports that E. Caulet, who is borne upon the records of this office as a native of France, and who is supposed by this office and by the commanding officer [Page 237] 3d New Hampshire volunteers to be the man referred to by the French minister as “A. Cauvet, 3d V. H. V.,” was wounded at Drury’s Bluff May 16, 1864, and died May 22, 1864.
No further action is therefore deemed necessary in the case.
SAMUEL BRECK, Assistant Adjutant General.
Official copy:
G.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of the report of the Adjutant General in the case of A. Cauvet, a French subject, alleged in the note of the minister of France of the 3d of March last—a translation of which accompanied your letter of the 9th same month—to have been fraudulently enlisted into the military service of the United States.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War.
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
Official copy:
H.
Sir: I have the honor to report that, in obedience to your orders, I left this city August 3d, instant, and proceeded to New York city, and thence to Claremont and West Lebanon, New Hampshire, to investigate the case of Emile Caulet, company I, 3d New Hampshire volunteers.
At West Lebanon I saw the members of the board of enrolment (Chester Pike, provost marshal; Francis A. Faulkner, commissioner, and Dixi Crosby, surgeon) of the 3d congressional district, examined their official records and papers, and ascertained the following facts:
That Emile Caulet, on the 10th day of October, 1863, offered himself, and was received and mustered into the United States service, at West Lebanon, New Hampshire, as a substitute for William N. Stowell, of Claremont, New Hampshire.
That said Caulet was a native of France, a waiter by occupation, twenty-five years old, dark eyes, black hair, and dark complexion; and resided in New York when mustered into the service as a voluntary substitute.
That he received from said Stowell three hundred dollars ($300) in money as the full price or consideration for becoming the said substitute.
That he drew and received from the board of enrolment at West Lebanon, New Hampshire, clothing of the money value of sixteen dollars and sixty-nine cents ($16 69) when mustered into the United States service.
That he duly subscribed and made oath October 10, 1863, to the facts of his becoming said substitute for said Stowell, as a soldier in the army of the United [Page 238] States for the period of three years, unless sooner discharged by competent authority, and that he would bear true and faithful allegiance to the United States of America, &c.; and he also subscribed a declaration that he was twenty-five years of age; enlisted for three years in the United States army; knew no impediment to his serving honestly and faithfully as such soldier, &c. The members of the board of enrolment also certify that said Emile Caulet, at the time of enlistment as a voluntary substitute, was “neither in the least intoxicated, nor induced to enlist by any undue or wrongful influence.
This substitute (Emile Caulet) is reported as “wounded at Drury’s Bluff,” May 16, 1864, and died May 22, 1864.”
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War.