Office of the Historian

Lord Lyons to Mr. Seward.

Washington, February 3, 1863.

Sir: I have the honor to enclose in original a letter and a certificate which I have received from Mr. John Mackenzie, who states that he was master of the schooner Golden Eagle, of Nassau, New Providence, and that vessel was seized by a United States cruiser, and, after being detained twenty-three days, set at liberty.

Mr. Mackenzie claims compensation for property of which he states the vessel to have been pillaged, during his detention, as well as for the detention itself. I beg you to cause inquiry to be made with a view of ascertaining whether the claim be well founded.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

LYONS.

Hon. W. H. Seward, Secretary of State.

P. S.—I shall be much obliged, if you will be so good as to return the enclosed papers.

[Untitled]

Beaufort, North Carolina, January 9, 1863.

Sir: I sincerely hope you will excuse my making so bold to address you.

I, John Mackenzie, master of the schooner Golden Eagle, of and from Nassau, New Providence, bound to Beaufort, with a cargo of salt, having received a license from the United States consul at Nassau for the same, do hereby certify that on the morning of the 1st day of December, was boarded by the

United States steamship –––– and taken into Beaufort with a prize crew, during which time they pillaged from the vessel her stores, comprising —–––

50 pounds of coffee, at 20 cents per pound; 50 pounds of sugar, at 15 cents per pound; ½ barrel of beef, at $15; 120 pounds of hams, at 20 cents per pound; 6 pounds of butter, at 50 cents per pound; 2,000 oranges, at $3 per 100.

And from myself, $6; from the mate, $15; from the cook, $30; from one of the seamen, $10.

The vessel was delivered up to me on the 5th day of January, 1863, having detained the vessel 23 days, for which I claim $25 per day, and during which time the salt had fallen 40 cents per sack.

I shall be extremely obliged to you if you will put the owners in the way to recover the same by sending to Messrs. Sawyer and Macauley, Nassau, and you will oblige your humble servant,

JOHN MACKENZIE.

The latitude of the vessel when she was captured was 33° 51' north, and longitude 76° 37' west; distance from Beaufort bar, 51 miles due south.

Beaufort, January 5, 1863.

I hereby certify that the schooner Golden Eagle, Captain John Mackenzie, has been seized by the United States government, and is this day released by order of Rear-Admiral S. P. Lee.

W.C. BRUCE, Acting Ensign in charge.
[Page 504]

On separate paper:

$10 00, coffee.
7 50, sugar.
10 00, beef.
24 00, ham.
3 00, butter.
60 00, oranges.
6 00, stolen from captain.
15 00, “ “ mate.
30 00, “ “ cook.
10 00, “ “ seaman.
575 00, “
750 50

Items of claim exclusive of loss by fall of price of salt as I understand it.

Hon. Lord Lyons, British Minister at Washington.