My dear General:

I have been looking for you in this city; and expecting to meet you here and converse with you on the subjects we have so much at heart, I have abstained from giving you any account of my proceedings or operations. Besides I was in the dark as to the exact place of your residence. I hear from Mr. Robert A. Smith, of this city, that you have been lately in Columbus and have had a conversation with our warm friend Capt Forsyth. As the Capt. is aware of the result of my operations to a very great extent, I do not know that I could add much to what you have learnt from him. I must say however, that I have been eminently successful in all departments; -- that I have sold Bonds of the Republic, that I have made arrangements to collect one thousand men and from 200 to 300 horses, that one steamer carrying as they tell me from 6 to 700 men & 200 horses will be procured or rather is, by the time I write: that I have, both from purchase & donation, 10 pieces of brass artillery; the present ones being expected every day. That several companies in the State both of cavalry & infantry have promised me their armaments; that the high functionary you introduced me to has been very friendly & liberal with me; that with the exception of $10,000 Gen. Lopez has the means for the purchase of a 2d. Steamer perfectly substantial & seaworthy & as her mate running 16 miles per hour, that I am using every effort to procure that sum & forward it to the Genl. in which case we can transport the whole of our men, artillery and horses that for this important and desirable object I need very especially your moral influence 1. with our Columbus friends 2. with the Macon ones and 3. with your cousin Charles⁽¹⁾ in Savannah. That I have as good officers & men as we could desire; that wealthy planters are selling their property to come with us, both in Savannah, McIntosch⁽²⁾ & Florida, that they are all delighted to serve under you, and as Govr. Towns⁽³⁾ told me, even in Milledgeville there would be 10 or 12 who would go, if with you; that 200 and more noble Hungarians and Poles have been enlisted, with expectations of having from 3 to 400; all veterans & tried republicans:-- that the news from Cuba are such as to make it painful to receive them here; that Cap Scott⁽⁴⁾ of this city & Mr Sidney Lanier, of do, have just arrived from Havana by the Gabel & they speak with highest terms of the perfect unanimity of the Cubans and of the acknowledged fact that one half of the troops will join us, that the latter are not allowed a moment of repose for fear of their concocting plans with the people and that they are only allowed to remain for a very short time at any of the garrisons for the same motive. That I have a magnificent plan of embarkation and one which I have kept entirely to myself; that in three weeks hence we will be at the place of rendezvous that for that reason & to converse with you I expect you will come hither as soon as you can, as this is the central point: that as you know already, in all probability, we have all been discharges, under circumstances amounting to an acquittal; that this result is to have a powerful influence both at present & hereafter; that just now your letter upon Cuban matters would be most opportune; and finally, that upon your exertions at this eleventh hour depend to a very great extent the amount of men we shall take over and what is of more importance, the possession of two steamers. Two steamers will not only carry over in one trip the 1800 men we have in the Southwest ready to follow us armed and equipped under Cols. Downman⁽⁵⁾ & Clendennin,⁽⁶⁾ but will insure 100 fold our own operations of embarking, crossing, & landing; will give additional confidence to all; will under all circumstances give each other important aid and even in some contingencies make themselves respected to our very enemies, as they will be armed. I beg of you therefore as a very signal favor to induce our friends in Columbus and Capts. Davis⁽⁷⁾ & Forsyth⁽⁸⁾ can point out the gentlemen to you, to take our Cuban Bonds. I will sell them now for the sake of raising this sum on the spot, at 10 cents on the dollar so that by giving $2,000 any of those gentlemen will receive from me 40,000 in bonds and have besides the satisfaction of doing us a very great service; a service too that falls back upon their own interests as gentlemen & americans. I know that importuning for money is a thing as strange to you as it is to me but we do certainly do things for humanity that we would never do for our own selves. To beg & entreat for the redemption of hundreds of thousands of Cubans who labor under Spanish tyranny and the selfishness of a few of their own people, contemptible speculators on the misery & thraldom of their brothers; as you know some of them to be, is charitableness indeed, not by the handful, but by the cartload. Your life, disinterestedly & bravely spent for the good of your fellows is destined to close under increased radiance and if Lafayette is called in the Parisian hymn "la liberte de deux mondes," which, as regards France is incorrect, you will with more propriety be called, "la liberte de deux peuples" and the pride of your own. I trust, however, that the Cuban people will know how to be grateful in contradistinction to this preceders in annexation.

With very cordial regard to your lady, I remain

                                                                        Very sincerely your friend & sevt.
 
 

2. ² McIntosh County, Georgia.

3. ³ George Washington Towns.

4. ⁴ Isaac Scott.

5. ⁵ Robert L. Downman, of Mississippi.

6. ⁶ W. S. Clendennin.

7. ⁷ Captain John E. Davis, Columbus Guards Georgia Militia and Mexican War veteran.

8. ⁸ Captain John Forsyth of the Columbus Guards Georgia Militia and Mexican War veteran. Editor of the Columbus Times. Later edited the Mobile Register. Son of former Governor John Forsyth.