An Unpublished Archive of Letters from Ralph Ingersoll, US Ambassador to Russia, Giving First Hand Accounts of the Emperor’s Actions During the Revolutions of 1848 and Arrival of Cholera

This archive has never before been offered for sale and appears to have never been published

 

The arrival of the Revolutionary News to the Tsar: “It was at a small ball at the palace (Diplomatic corps were not present) that the Revolutionary news was brought to the Emperor. He did not stop the music, as the newspaper has it, but he remarked in an undertone to some officers near him that they must be ‘ready to put foot in the stirrup any moment’.”

 

The toll at the court and with the people of the Revolutionary mobilization: “If Prussian Poland and Austrian Poland effect this separate from the powers now holding them, which is quite likely in their times, Russia will find it the most difficult business she has in hand to retain her portion of the Polish spoil. The Emperor doubtless so feels it and he has now not less than 200,000 troops on that frontier and will have at least 300,000 there in the course of a fortnight. Two fine regiments of Cossacks left here for that frontier the other day. The parting of many of them from their wives and children was an affecting sight. They were accompanied all the way out of the city by immense throngs of the people chanting the national anthems….”

 

The Cholera epidemic, which would decimate Russia, arrives: “Our accounts from Moscow are that the Cholera has re-appeared in that city. You may [recall] that it was there last fall beginning to show itself in the latter part of September. It thus went through its regular course…What course it will take from Moscow is of course more than [anyone] can tell. I notice it also in Constantinople.. where it has lingered the winter… The official account published here gives 12 deaths by children in Moscow in 24 days…”

Ralph Isaacs Ingersoll was a lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, where he was Speaker of the House, a United States representative from Connecticut for four consecutive terms from 1825 to 1833, and was the U.S. Minister to the Russian Empire under President James K. Polk in the late 1840s. He was also the father of Charles Ingersoll, future Connecticut Governor. Ralph was extremely well connected, and knew many of the prominent men of the era well: Henry Clay, Winfield Scott, Zachary Taylor, etc.

While in Russia, Ralph wrote his young son a series of letters covering a variety of subjects, much about domestic politics, on which he had much to say.

But while Ralph was in St. Petersburg, the great revolutions of 1848 broke out. This set Europe ablaze and was a source of concern for the Russian Tsar. These revolutions were in general republican revolts against European monarchies, beginning in Sicily and spreading to France, Germany, Italy, and the Austrian Empire. They all ended in failure and repression and were followed by widespread disillusionment among liberals, many of whom came to the United States. There is a great deal of content of the reaction in Russia of the Empire.

Ingersoll was also among many who fled the great Cholera epidemic that devasted Russia. The third cholera pandemic was the third major outbreak of cholera originating in India in the nineteenth century. In Russia, more than one million people died of cholera.

These letters go typically from 3-6 pages of dense writing.

The correspondence from Ralph starts in New Haven and ends in St. Petersburg. Topics from New Haven include:

– The Administrations of Tyler and Polk, as well as other figures like Taylor, Scott, and Clay.
– The Caroline affair pitting the US against British interests and ending in the Webster Ashburton Treaty
– Domestic politics and the death of the Whig Party
– Much discussion of the coming and going of vessels bearing news
– The sons of Alexander Hamilton, to whom they were related
– The death of Captain Vorhees
– Finances

The below, touching on national politics, national figures, Connecticut politics, and his own aspirations, is not atypical prior to 1848 and his move to Russia.

Nov. 14, 1841 – “…I suppose the newspapers have informed you of the complete revolution in politics, which the autumnal electors have brought about. The Whigs have been routed ‘horse, foot, and dragoons’ from one end of the union to the other. They were just able to keep chin out of water in old Massachusetts even… and the town meetings in Connecticut this fall show that if the election in the state officers were to take place here now we should overthrow the Whig administration of this state…. The same relative changes that have taken place as indicated by the elections in Maine, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Georgia, Michigan, Penna, New York, and I reason Massachusetts, if continued here, would revolutionize Connecticut and unless something unexpected takes place to roll the wheels of revolution back, we shall carry this state next April. Our political friends here from all parts of the state are pressing your father to stand as candidate for Governor. But he will not and indeed cannot afford the sacrifice which such a position would impose upon him…”

In mid 1847, he arrived in Russia.

January 29, 1848 – “It is with deep regret that I have seen General Scott’s movements in arresting the gallant officers who have gathered counsels in the same field with him… Everything of that sort is immediately fixed hold of in Europe and turned to our disadvantage…. Here in Russia we are looked upon with more candor, but with keen anxiety to know what is be the object of our progress. I was the other day conversing with an officer of high rank in the military service of the Empire, on this subject, when he observed to me he hoped our countrymen would conquer Mexico. He said whether we held the country afterwards in whole or in part or gave it up to those whom we had conquered, we should at any rate impose a new element with the degenerate race which now held that beautiful portion of the globe… He said the tide of emigration had received an impulse from this war that nothing could set back. It was much in this same connection that another Russian gentleman, a civilian, told me the other day. That with the invasion of Russia by Napoleon… many of the French prisoners and wounded had remained in the country, some of them with good trades and… many of them well educated. They mixed and intermarried with the Russian masses and learned of their industry, frugality, temperance, kindness and commendable qualities…. “

He continues here in discussing the actions of Zachary Taylor and his son’s wedding.

April 17, 1848 – He begins by discussing the legal and common sense case for allowing a son to serve as Secretary to the Russian ambassador, presumably to allow his son to come to St. Petersburg. Then continues, “I am very much gratified in knowing generally that the Mexican arrangement has been adopted by so large a majority in the Senate. And that my old friend Sevier goes out as Minister under the Treaty… President Polk’s administration has been remarkably successful. Indeed I know no four years since our government has organized that will tell more prominently in the history of our country. Thus – the annexation of Texas perfected, the Oregon question settled, the tariff reconstructed and the fact demonstrated that lowering the taxes largely increases the treasury receipts, the Constitutional treasury re-established…. California and New Mexico added to the Republic – and now bankers foreign and domestic rivalling each other in their offers of easy loans…”

News of the Revolutions of 1848 started seeping through to a nervous Empire Russia.

May 9 1848 – 12 dense pages – the following is, as with other letters, a very, very small portion of the voluminous content – “Having an opportunity by a courier who will go directly to London by a steamer…I write for the purpose of letting my pen go more freely on some of the subjects of my letter than I should, were it going through the mail for I have no doubt that some of my letters are examined by the government officials in the Post office… more particularly is it the case now that free principles are so generally penchant in Europe….” He wants to come home but is told it must be postponed due to the Revolutions. “The truth is it seems to have been generally supposed both in America and Western Europe, that from the moment of the Revolution in France, Russia could move in a crusade against the principles of Republicanism and if not that she herself might __ the fire of from her neighbors. And in a newspaper sent to me… I see the story that you had heard gained credence there, sufficient to be republished. That there had been a popular outbreak in St. Petersburg and that the [protestors] had been fired at. Now both the suppositions of the story are totally without foundation. Russia has taken her position of [non action in any crusade, per above] and the Empire has made proclamation to this effect, and as to any popular outbreak here, it is the last thing in this world to be expected. My dispatches to the State Department… will have removed all apprehensions of that sort ere this….” He wants to be replaced and feels the coming time would be good as Russians would be gone and the Emperor otherwise occupied. He has written the President directly. He laments, perhaps sarcastically, that the French had not waited to start their revolution to allow him time to leave the country.

He has extensive comments in the same letter on the plight of the French.

“…I am glad too to see the rest of the Senate honoring the land of fellowship to the cheering efforts now making for a Republican government in France…. The message of the President on the subject was a capital paper and read particularly well on his side. It is wonderful that the French have got on thus far so well. I do not believe there is a country on the face of the earth that could have gone so long, so quietly and with so few, indeed I may so no, excesses against life, property, and religious institutions as have the French, since the smashing of the throne…. It shows the masses are honest and sincere in their efforts for Republicanism and that men in the lead are remarkably pure indeed…. In an assembly of 900 meeting in the midst of an excitable city population, it is most fortunate that Lamartine is so [appreciated]… It seems his programme of a constitution most favorable __ of the national assembly and the masses of Paris are so attached to him as well as the national guard and the line, that the deliberations of the assembly will not be endangered by popular outbreaks.” What follows is a long assessment of Lamartine’s efforts and the French movement. The French, he feels, ought to have competent local governments, like state systems.

Ingersoll believes that the people of Cuba will take note and throw off the Spanish system.

“I see by the American papers that Poland attracts very much the attention of both our press and public meetings. It is the only spot where the popular tide can at all wear in upon Russia. If Prussian Poland and Austrian Poland effect this separate from the powers now holding them, which is quite likely in their times, Russia will find it the most difficult business she has in hand to retain her portion of the Polish spoil. The Emperor doubtless so feels it and he has now not less than 200,000 troops on that frontier and will have at least 300,000 there in the course of a fortnight. Two fine regiments of Cossacks left here for that frontier the other day. The parting of many of them from their wives and children was an affecting sight. They were accompanied all the way out of the city by immense throngs of the people chanting the national anthems…. An officer of the Imperial Hussars told me that in Warsaw, the Russian authority had carried the disarming of the population so far as to leave but one axe for three houses to chop their wood; and the citadel held by Russian troops is so situated that Warsaw can be battered in ruins in a few minutes if the troops are forced to extremities…” More discussion here of war between Denmark and Prussia, as well as the mediation of Lord Palmerston and Britain. He notes that Russia will not intervene here and that the King of Prussia is the brother [you mean cousin?] of the Russian Emperor.

“…Another powerful bond in keeping the peace is that all the great powers are without money (Russia excepted)… Russia has money but not more than she wants for her own safety…”

May 17 1848 – “…Our accounts from Moscow are that the Cholera has re-appeared in that city. You may [recall] that it was there last fall beginning to show itself in the latter part of September. It thus went through its regular course…What course it will take from Moscow is of course more than [anyone] can tell. I notice it also in Constantinople.. where it has lingered the winter… The official account published here gives 12 deaths by children in Moscow in 24 days… It was at a small ball at the palace (Diplomatic corps were not present) that the Revolutionary news was brought to the Emperor. He did not stop the music, as the newspaper has it, but he remarked in an undertone to some officers near him that they must be ‘ready to put foot in the stirrup any moment’. This I heard the next morning from someone perfectly reliable…” He has accepted gifts from Talleyrand, Clay and Scott, including historical relics. He wants to save a few bottles of his wine from a royal estate, as “I have thought all along as events have gone in Europe, that a few bottles of this wine reserved as a keepsake of ‘glories gone’ (The princes glories I mean) could be quite acceptable to you….” More conversation on domestic politics.

June 30 1848 – “…The cholera is now at such an extent here, that I have concluded to leave here tomorrow in the steam Camilla for London…”

He has left St. Petersburg for good, and is now in London.

July 19 1848 – This 7-page, dense letter begins by noting that Cholera has pushed many out of certain parts, killing a published 300-400 Russians daily, and that he hopes to not go back. He is in a humble apartment in London and he discusses his tour of London in detail, including seeing sites such as Westminster Abbey. The nomination of Zachary Taylor elicits a long conversation about that and the Whigs and the sad fate of Henry Clay.

“I met yesterday the Duke of Wellington on horseback walking his horse along the Picadilly, a servant at at distance behind him and I knew him immediately…. There is nothing to distinguish him in appearance from any other elderly and gentlemanly person. He wore white summer underdress and a plain black park coat.”