Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Third Session Thirty-seventh Congress

Mr. Seward to Lord Lyons.

Department of State,Washington, January 7, 1862.

My Lord: With reference to your private note of the 30th ultimo, in which mention is made of the imprisonment of three of the crew of the British schooner Adeline, and of the oath exacted from them as a condition of their release, and to my reply, I now have the honor to enclose to you for information the copy of a communication of the 4th instant, addressed to this department by the Secretary of the Navy, on the subject.

I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to your lordship the assurance of my high consideration.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Right Hon. Lord Lyons, & c., &c., &c.

Mr. Welles to Mr. Seward.

Navy Department, January 4, 1862.

Sir: I have had the honor to receive your communication of the 31st ultimo, in reference to the conditional release of three of the crew of the British schooner Adeline, captured for a breach of the blockade by Commander Maxwell Woodhull, of the United States steamer Connecticut.

Commander Woodhull has been informed that, in your opinion, the requirement exacted by him is not warranted by public law, and that the three alleged British subjects in question are, consequently, to be considered as absolved from the obligation required of them. I have also given instructions to the flag-officers of the blockading squadrons, so that a similar condition for the release of persons found on board of prizes, or vessels charged with a breach of the blockade, may not in future be exacted.

I transmit herewith, for your information, an extract from a report of Commander Woodhull in relation to the release of the parties, &c.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

GIDEON WELLES.

Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.

[Extract.]

United States Steamer Connecticut, Brooklyn Navy Yard, December 17, 1861.

Sir: * * * * * * * *

Among the persons found on board the schooner Adeline (one of the above prizes) was a citizen of Georgia, Captain Hardee, commanding a company of artillery, now located in one of the forts near Savannah. He was connected with the Adeline as her supercargo, and, by his own acknowledgment, a bearer of despatches from Messrs. Mason and Slidell, which documents he threw overboard a few moments before our boat boarded the schooner. I understand also that he is the nephew of Colonel Hardee, late of the United States army, now a general of the rebel forces. He is of an influential family, who, doubtless, will use great exertion to obtain his release or exchange. Under these circumstances I determined to bring him north and place him in charge of the United States marshal at New York to await the further orders of the government.

It was also my desire to bring with me the captain of the Adeline, her pilot and mate, “old offenders,” having, by their own admission, and other evidence, satisfactorily proved that they had run the blockade several times before, but, as they were claimed as British subjects by her Britannic Majesty’s vice-consul at Key West, I did, by advice (though not of my own judgment) of Judge Marvin, conclude to liberate them, first, however, causing the said consul to furnish me with written personal obligation, under oath, not to again embark in a like enterprise or interfere with the legitimate object of the United States government in suppressing the rebellion. * * * * * *

M. WOODHULL, Commander United States Navy.

Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, Washington City.