Letters of Rev. John W. Alvord

Washington Oct. 21, 1861 Rev Warren

You wonder why I stay so long._ The fact is you cannot do any thing here in Washington very fast, & there are many strings to pull, & some to unpull. I have not even used my letters of introduction except to Gen'l M^cClellan—as I want to get every thing fixed & in a nutshell so that when applied to, Gov't will not hesitate to approve at once & cordially endorse—The National Convention of Young Men seems to hang fire—we do not know here what is the reason. The central com, at Phil., are to call it but we dont yet hear a word from them. Great bodies move slow, & it may be that by some jealousies the thing will be delayed until golden opportunities are past — perhaps fail altogether. We hope not. If however this should be the case, we must do the next best thing which is to press our work right on in the same channels such as in some [form endeavour] I am now opening for them. —The young men here stand ready to cooperate with us (in that case) & the work has already assumed so large a form that we can get a Commission of most respectable character from the materials we already have in hand.— I dont say this to discourage you from pushing on the National Young Men (as previously advised) but to show you how this thing must go any how. I am now just shaping the mode of distribution here with my own agency in connection with Ballantyne & the young men just as I think it will have to go if the larger body take hold of it, ie Ballantyne keeping the Depot

[sideways starting on left] P.S. Send on 2000 Hy. Bks. immediately Send your old almanacks— they will go and more of your un cov^d narration & memoir. Have read your letter to many chaplains—they will help. Dennison will give you a scene at Hatteras for frontispice, & [illegible] a [illegible] breaking scene— your paper will have to be largerHurry up the German tracts as NYk folks will have the ad -vantage of us.

[see transcription of news clipping on next page]

Washington Nov. 6

My Dear Rev Warren

Yours of 4th is here filled with things to be pondered. It is very gratifying to see how our opinions at the [illegible] of this work come home. Does com it not signalize the divine hand & show that a Higher Mind in guiding our minds. Do not fail (some if you) of being in New York on the 14th. I think you better come with one of the numbers of the [illegible]. Can you not be a delegate to the Convention? It will be something of a meeting, though I do not think things will have large numbers or any definite plan -- or can fix upon one different from that wh. we are now pursuing. In other words they will be compelled at any rate to adopt us in a very important sense. Sufficiently so perhaps to give us all the leadership (in the engineering & reaching) wh. we may desire. Our presence therefore in some force (if it can be had legitimately) will be appreciated.

[crosswritten]

P.S. Perhaps it may seem rather formidable for the two of your to come toNYork. Please consider this. We need much [illegible] in all the steps we here take in giving right shape to this whole thing. Don't withdraw yourself prematurely from the Young Men. It may be a question whether we should do so in any case except they shall attempt to ignore us. We can afford to wait around very patiently until we see just what they do. The combination may start with energy and carry with it large influence. If so we better be with it. I have no doubt a majority of the Young Men of the whole country are in very strong sympathy with us.

Wash. Nov 12 / 61

Dear Rev Warren

I am almost too busy to say a word — your two last came duly & so I briefly said in Bs letter —

Your views are mine — mainly — forced upon me, for while I have tried to do one thing quite another I have been obliged to do as the thing. We can best distribute what we make, & if you can all do double work this winter in Boston — we can do this with very little additional expence — especially if we obtain all we hope from Govt. I told the young men here last evening that we were well satisfied in cooperating with their assoc. but that