Lord Lyons to Mr.
Seward.
Washington,
March 26, 1863.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit to you a copy
of a despatch in which Commander Thrupp, of her Majesty’s ship
Desperate, has reported to Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne that a shot
was fired across the bows of that ship from the United States ship
Memphis on the 26th day of last month.
I have also the honor to transmit to you a copy of a despatch addressed
to me by the vice-admiral, in which he points out that this is the third
instance in which a shot has been fired across the bows of one of her
Majesty’s ships by United States cruisers.
In compliance with the vice-admiral’s request, I beg to represent to you
that it is of great importance that United States officers should
refrain from a mode of giving a first indication of their wish to
communicate with her Majesty’s ships, which appears to be opposed to
recognized maritime usages, and to be inconsistent with the courtesy
usually observed towards each other by the ships-of-war of friendly
powers.
I cannot conclude without an acknowledgment of the friendly assistance
which Commander Thrupp states, at the close of his report, that he
received from Captain Turner, the commanding officer of the United
States squadron off Charleston.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most
obedient humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.
Commander Thrupp to Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne.
Her Majesty’s Steamer
Desperate, Fortress
Monroe,
March 2, 1863.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you, that
when steaming along the land for Charleston, the fog was so thick
that we could not see the blockading squadron until within three or
four miles, when we counted eight steamers, anchored in line. We
were steering, not towards Charleston, but direct for the nearest
steamer. She weighed, and steaming towards us, fired a shot across our bows. I took no notice of the
shot, but, as we passed her, we were hailed to know what steamer we
were. I answered, and inquired which ship was the commodore’s. They
told me the second ship, and the United States steamer Memphis, that
fired a shot across our bows, turned round and steamed with us to
the senior officer’s ship, the New Ironsides. Before anchoring I
went on board of her and complained to Captain Turner, the senior
officer, of the unnecessary and discourteous proceeding on the part
of the officer commanding the United States steamer Memphis in
firing a shot across our bows, seeing, at the time, we were steaming
towards him, and had our ensign and a large pendant flying. He
assured me that no insult was intended, and that the gun was fired
to prevent our coming any nearer until we were boarded, and that,
though we had the appearance of a man-of-war, they had lost so many
ships by being courteous to apparent men-of-war. Vessels had hoisted
English colors, and answered, when hailed, that they were English
men-of-war, and afterwards fired into and sunk their ships; (he
quoted a case in point, of the Alabama sinking the Hatteras, after
she had said she was her Majesty’s steamer Vixen;) that now, unless
they knew an English man-of-war by her having been with them before,
they were forced to adopt the rough, uncourteous measure of firing
across their bows.
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I told Captain Turner I did not see our case was at all similar,
seeing that it was daylight, and the two ships within a mile of each
other, close to his large squadron; also, that the shot fired did
not stop us, nor were we asked to stop when hailed, and should,
therefore, report the circumstances to my government. Captain
Gordon, of the United States steamer Powhatan, the late senior
officer of the squadron, who was present, said they had yet to learn
that we were an English man-of-war; for all he knew, we might be the
Alabama. They had certainly my word, also the outward appearance of
the ship, but still no proof; their boat had not returned from
boarding us; they had not seen my commission, (nor were they likely
to see it.) He asked me to write a letter to Captain Turner, making
the complaint, that the question might be settled, and the abuse of
the English flag discontinued. I then stated that it was a question
to be settled by our respective governments; I should send in my
report, stating the whole case and circumstances to my own admiral,
to which they both agreed.
But in making this report, I cannot conclude without mentioning that
Captain Turner has behaved in a most courteous manner, giving us
every assistance that we require, placing a man-of-war at our
disposal, and towing our boat six miles to the edge of the reefs,
letting her wait there to tow the boat back again, on her return
from Charleston.
I have, &c.,
ARTHUR T. THRUPP, Commander.
Vice-Admiral Alexander Milne to
Lord Lyons.
Galatea, at
Bermuda,
March 16, 1863.
My Lord: I have the honor to forward to
your lordship a copy of a letter I have received from Commander
Thrupp, of her Majesty’s steamer Desperate, respecting a shot that
had been fired across the bows of that ship, from the United States
ship-of-war Memphis, on her approaching the blockading squadron, off
Charleston, on the 26th ultimo.
This is the third instance in which a shot has been, in my opinion,
unnecessarily fired across the bows of one of her Majesty’s ships by
United States cruisers; and with every wish to avoid being too
punctilious in the difficult and embarrassing circumstances in which
the blockading ships are frequently placed, yet I cannot any longer
pass over what would now appear to have become an established
practice, and not a mere exceptional case, as your lordship will
have inferred, from my despatch to you of the 17th ultimo, I was
then disposed to regard that of the firing across Her Majesty’s
steamer Vesuvius, off Mobile, in January last.
Your lordship is of course aware that not only is it not the
established custom, but it is very unusual, even during war, to
fire, in the first instance, a shotted gun towards a strange vessel;
and it is only when such vessel has declined or shown a
disinclination to communicate, or obviously disregard the warning
gun, that a shot is fired ahead of the stranger.
In the case of her Majesty’s steamer Desperate, and that of her
Majesty’s steamer Vesuvius, off Mobile, as well as that of her
Majesty’s steamer Steady, off Charleston, (with which, however, I
did not think it necessary, at the time, to trouble your lordship,)
there was nothing in the circumstances attending the approach of her
Majesty’s ships to warrant recourse to this extreme and unusual
measure, of shot being fired toward ships of a friendly nation: they
had their colors flying; they were steering for the ships of the
blockading squadron, from which they were still at a considerable
distance; they had evinced no inclination to avoid the blockading
ships, or the vessel detached to communicate with them;
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and indeed their orders
are most stringent to communicate invariably, as soon as possible,
with the officers in command of the blockading squadron; and I am
not aware that in these, or in any other instance, have officers
under my orders failed to do so, or that they have exhibited any
inclination to cause inconvenience to the officers in command of the
United States ships-of-war, or offered difficulties or obstructions
to them in the performance of their duties. I should be obliged,
therefore, if your lordship would take an opportunity of suggesting
to the United States government how important it is that their
officers should refrain from a persistence in this unusual mode of
giving a first indication of their desire to communicate with her
Majesty’s ships approaching blockaded ports, as, even if other
vessels adopt, or have had recourse to the use of foreign ensigns,
or other means of deception, their having done so cannot be held to
justify recourse to practices toward ships-of-war of friendly
nations, which are opposed to recognized maritime usages, and to the
courtesies generally observed between ships-of-war of different
nations when meeting.
I have, &c.,
ALEXANDER MILNE, Vice-Admiral and
Commander-in-Chief.
