Thomas F. Harney

[L Verge]

I have been trying for about ten years (off and on) to find an incident concerning the Russian fleet's wintering in New York harbor. I cannot remember where I read about it, but the incident involved a barroom brawl along the docks where a Russian sailor was killed. I cannot remember the reason why either, but U.S. authorities refused to release the Russian's body to his comrades. It became quite a political issue with an appeal finally being made to Mrs. Lincoln (I think) to convince her husband to take action.

Has anyone else read about this, or did I dream it?