Office of the Historian

Mr. F. W. Seward to Mr. Mercier.

Department of State, Washington, June 12, 1862.

Sir: Referring to the letter from a Frenchman at New York to the consul general of France there, relating to wines being considered by the custom-house authorities at that place as contraband of war, which you some days since left at this department, I now have the honor to enclose to you, for your information, the copy of a communication of the 6th instant from the Secretary of the Treasury, to whom the matter was referred, from which it appears that wines, as they do not properly come under the head of ardent spirits, are permitted to be shipped.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient servant,

F. W. SEWARD, Acting Secretary.

Mr. Henry Mercier, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Chase to Mr. Seward.

Treasury Department, June 6, 1862.

Sir: I have received your letter of the 22d ultimo, stating that a letter from a Frenchman at New York to the consul general of France at that port has been left at your department by Mr. Mercier, which represents that the writer had been informed by the custom-house authorities that wines were considered as contraband of war, and asking for information in regard to the matter.

I have the honor to transmit herewith, for your information, a copy of the instructions addressed to collectors, with reference to clearances to the ports newly opened by the proclamation of the President, by which you will perceive that [Page 425] “ardent spirits” are declared contraband of war, and their shipment prohibited; but wines, not coming properly under this head, are permitted to be shipped.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. P. CHASE, Secretary of the Treasury.

Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.

[circular.]

Mr. Chase to collectors of customs.

Treasury Department, May 23, 1862.

Sir: In pursuance of the provisions of the proclamation of the President, modifying the blockade of the ports of Beaufort, Port Royal, and New Orleans, and of the regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury relating to trade with those ports, no articles contraband of war will be permitted to enter at either of said ports, and you will accordingly refuse clearance to vessels bound for those ports, or either of them, with any such articles on board.

Until further instructed, you will regard as contraband of war the following articles, viz: cannons, mortars, fire-arms, pistols, bombs, grenades, firelocks, flints, matches, powder, saltpetre, balls, bullets, pikes, swords, sulphur, helmets or boarding-caps, sword-belts, saddles and bridles, (always excepting the quantity of the said articles which may be necessary for the defence of the ship and of those who compose the crew,) cartridge-bag material, percussion and other caps, clothing adapted for uniforms, rosin, sail-cloth of all kinds, hemp and cordage, masts, ship timber, tar and pitch, ardent spirits, military persons in the service of the enemy, despatches of the enemy, and articles of like character with those specially enumerated. You will also refuse clearances to all vessels which, whatever the ostensible destination, are believed by you, on satisfactory grounds, to be intended for ports or places in possession or under control of insurgents against the United States, or that there is imminent danger that the goods, wares, or merchandise, of whatever description, laden on such vessels, will fall into the possession or under the control of such insurgents; and in all cases where, in pour judgment, there is ground for apprehension that any goods, wares, or merchandise, shipped at your port, will be used, in any way, for the aid of the insurgents or the insurrection, you will require substantial security to be given that such goods, wares, or merchandise, shall not be transported to any place under insurrectionary control, and shall not, in any way, be used to give aid or comfort to such insurgents.

You will be especially careful upon application for clearances to require bonds, with sufficient sureties, conditioned for fulfilling faithfully all the conditions imposed by law or departmental regulations, from shippers of the following articles to the ports opened, or to any other ports from which they may easily be, and are probably intended to be, re-shipped in aid of the existing insurrection, namely: liquors of all kinds other than ardent spirits, coals, iron, lead, copper, tin, brass, telegraphic instruments, wire, porous cups, platina, sulphuric acid, zinc, and all other telegraphic materials, marine engines, screw propellers, paddle-wheels, cylinders, cranks, shafts, boilers, tubes for boilers, fire-bars, and every article or other component part of an engine or boiler, or any article whatever which is, can or [Page 426] may become applicable for the manufacture of marine machinery, or for the armor of vessels.

I am, very respectfully,

S. P. CHASE, Secretary of the Treasury,

Hiram Barney, Esq., Collector, &c., New York.

The foregoing circular letter has been sent to collectors of the customs for their information and guidance.