No. 509.
Mr. Schuyler to Mr. Fish.
St. Petersburg, July 20, 1875. (Received August 9.)
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that two United States vessels, the “Franklin” and the “Alaska,” under the immediate command of Rear-Admiral Worden, have just paid a visit to this port.
Having received a telegram from Mr. Andrews, at Stockholm, announcing the intention of Admiral Worden to proceed to S. Petersburg, I informed Admiral Lessosky, the acting minister of marine, in a non-official letter, of the expected visit of the two ships, and when they arrived on the morning of the 13th they found places for their anchorage so fixed that they would be in the line during the naval review, and close to the flag-ship of the grand-admiral, the Grand Duke Constantine.
The next day (Wednesday) the admiral dined with the grand-duke Constantine on board his flag-ship.
On Thursday, the admiral having come to St. Petersburg, accompanied by Captains Carter and Franklin, I called with them upon Baron Jomini and Admiral Lessosky, and asked for a presentation to the Emperor of the admiral and the two captains. Late that evening I received a note from Admiral Lessofrsky, inviting all the officers of the squadron to be present at the military review at Krasnoe-Selo. Captains Franklin and Carter, attended by several of their officers, went, and were provided with places on the Imperial stand.
They were also invited to the lunch prepared for the guests and the suite of the Emperor. Those officers who were at Cronstadt were brought from their vessels by special steamer and then conveyed in carriages to [Page 1069] the place of the review. An invitation was also given them to dine that evening at the table of the Court at Peterhof. Admiral Worden and Captains Carter and Franklin were also invited the same evening to dine with the Grand-Duke Constantine, but were obliged to refuse from the impossibility of reaching Cronstadt in time.
Besides the naval officers, formal invitations to the review were given by the minister of war to General Crawford, General Reno, major in the Seventh Cavalry, and to my brother, Lieut. Walter Schuyler, of the Fifth Cavalry My brother has also been invited to be present at the approaching maneuvers of the Russian army.
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On Saturday, in honor of the King of Sweden, there was a review of the Russian fleet, in which the American and the Swedish vessels, as well as the English royal yacht “Osborne,” and the American private yacht “Enchantress,” belonging to Mr. J. F. Loubat, participated.
After visiting the Swedish flag-ship “Vanadis,” the Emperor and the King of Sweden, attended by the Duke of Edinburgh and all the Russian grand-dukes, many of the diplomatic corps, and a numerous suite, as well as the Grand Duchess Cesarevna and several other ladies, came on board the “Franklin,” where they remained some twenty minutes. After being received by Admiral Worden and the officers, the imperial party viewed the ship and descended into the admiral’s cabin, where, at the Emperor’s special request, the wife and daughters of Admiral Worden and the wife of Captain Franklin were presented to him.
On the arrival of the Emperor, for the first time during the review, the Imperial standard was raised on the “Franklin,” and was saluted by the guns of all the vessels and forts.
On the 18th, Admiral Worden and Captains Carter and Franklin were invited to the fête at Peterhof given for the King of Sweden, and were there formally presented to His Majesty the Emperor.
Both ships left on the 20th for Copenhagen.
I cannot but feel pleased at the courtesies which have been extended to the American squadron, and at the politeness with which all our officers, both naval and military, have been treated.
I have, &c.,