Mr. Washburn to Mr. Seward.
Sir: As, at the time of writing my last despatch, the two hostile armies seem to be at a dead-lock in sight of each other, near Humayta, the allies are waiting to be re-enforced by the army of Baron Porto Alegre, who is said to be very near, having under him some 14,000 troops, 8,000 of which are cavalry. The admiral of the squadron is said to be waiting for more iron-clads. He has more now than he has ever put to any use, and his tardiness and apparent disinclination to support the land forces with his fleet has caused great dissatisfaction in the army from the commander-in-chief to the last recruit. For the last month there has been no fighting, except that occasionally the Paraguayans have fired some heavy shot at long range into the camp of the allies. They have caused but little damage, however, and have not been replied to.
With my last despatch I sent you a copy of a letter I had sent to President Mitre, in which I intimated that he had had time enough to consult his government in regard to my passing through the lines to Paraguay. The letter, though dated on the 14th, probably did not reach him till the 16th. On the 22d I received an answer, a copy or translation of which I send. You will observe he declines making any decision, but sends his private secretary to make some verbal explanations to me. These explanations were simply this, that the Brazilian envoy extraordinary, Señor Octaviana, was expected here very soon, and the President wanted to confer with him before he gave a final reply to me. The secretary said the minister was expected to arrive the same day, and I might count on a decided answer within three days at furthest. This was on the 26th instant, four days after the date of the letter; and about an hour after the messenger that brought it had left me the steamer having the Brazilian envoy on board came into port. He stopped here for two or three days, but I did not see him, as since his neglect or refusal to answer the note which I sent him in Buenos Ayres I could not call on him, and he did not call on me. He went from here to the army, and was gone several days, and then returned and is here yet. Soon after his return he called to see me, and was very profuse in [Page 586] his professions of desire to serve me in any way but that of getting to Paraguay. He said he had received orders from his government at Rio de Janeiro to extend to me every courtesy and attention and do any tiling that might render my stay here less unpleasant to me and my family. He said his government was fully aware of the service I had rendered it at the beginning of the war in extricating their minister to Paraguay from a very unhappy position. But with all these professions he was not disposed to grant the only thing I wanted, and that was to go through to Paraguay. As for other attentions, I was as comfortably situated as the place would permit. I must either return to the mouth of the river, to Montevideo or Buenos Ayres, or wait here the issue of the war. This place is at present unfit to live in. Though usually very healthy, it is now far otherwise. It is full of sick and wounded soldiers; every house in town that can be had being taken as a hospital, and new buildings of boards going up all the time in different parts of the city to meet the ever-increasing necessity of more room for the sick. There is little or no regard paid to any sanitary regulations, dead animals being permitted to lie in the streets till they rot above ground, and the offal of the slaughter-houses being thrown out to infect the air, without remonstrance or question from any one.
Señor Octaviana is very confident that the war is near its end. He told me that he had been in consultation with the principal officers of the army and navy, and had asked each one the reason of so prolonged inaction. They all said that if they could be supplied with this or that thing necessary to a safe and certain movement they would take Humayta immediately. To this the envoy said, “Very well; everything you ask for shall be on the ground in less than thirty days, and then I shall expect you to make good your promises.” Accordingly most of the steamers that have been lying here for some time have been despatched to Buenos Ayres with orders to bring up as many horses as possible, with the hay and corn necessary to keep them in good order for several weeks. Strong fat horses are about the only thing lacking, and they will undoubtedly be supplied in abundance within twenty days, and within the next month I think it safe to count on a decided action. I trust that something will happen soon of so decisive a character that I may be able to get out of this place.
I am now expecting the arrival of the American mail that left New York the latter part of May, within two or three days. I hope it may bring me something in the way of instructions from you, as I have received nothing of the kind since I left the United States the first of September last, and for nearly all the time I have been so peculiarly situated as to be in doubt what course I ought to pursue. I, therefore, hope that some instructions may arrive soon.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.