Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session Thirty-eighth Congress, Part I
The Earl of Donoughmore to Earl Russell.—(Received November 26.)
My Lord: I think it right to forward to your lordship the enclosed copy of a letter received this day from the Hon. J. M. Mason, together with copies of the declarations to which it refers. Believe, &c.,
Mr. Mason to the Earl of Donoughmore.
My Lord: I have received here the affidavits of which I venture to enclose copies. They were taken, as you will see, at Cork, in Ireland, by the commercial agent of the Confederate States at that place, and clearly prove the enlistment of a number of men into the naval service of the United States on board the federal frigate Kearsarge whilst recently at that port. It is certainly desirable that this offence should be brought to the notice of the government, an office which I am not in a position to perform. I have taken leave, therefore, to send the papers to you, and though without any request, (which I could not take the liberty to make,) yet if you think proper to send them to the foreign office, it would place it in the power of the government to examine into the facts. The original affidavits remain in the possession of Robert Dowling, esq., at Cork or Queenstown.
I have, &c.,
Declaration of Patrick Kennedy.
Borough of Cork, to wit:
By one of her Majesty’s justices of the peace for the borough of Cork.
I, Patrick Kennedy, of Queenstown, in the county of Cork, yeoman, do solemnly and sincerely declare that, on Tuesday, the 3d day of November instant, I went on board the American war frigate Kearsarge, then lying in the port of Cork, for the purpose of enlisting in the naval service to which she belonged. Thomas Verling, of Queenstown, and two other men from the light-house, whose names I do not know, were with me; we all went for the same purpose, having previously ascertained that the officers on board were enlisting men. This was widely circulated through Queenstown. When I went on board it was about 2 o’clock, and one of the officers told me I would be taken for landsman. The same officers told a person, whom I believe to be the boatswain’s mate, to take me before the doctor; and accordingly I and the three other men were taken before the doctor of the ship, were stripped, even our stockings taken off, and passed his inspection. We left about 4 o’clock, promising to come aboard at 7 o’clock the same evening. I did not go aboard that evening, but returned at about 7 o’clock next morning, and had breakfast, dinner, and supper on board. While aboard next day seven or eight men from Ringaskiddy, all Irishmen, came aboard, and told me they had passed the doctor. These men sailed on board the vessel. I did not, as I, when outside the harbor, as the parties were asleep below, slipped into the boat with the pilot and came home. A boy, of the name of Murphy, from Queenstown, also passed the doctor, and sailed in the vessel, so did all the others, with the exception of Verling; he did not go. There were from 150 to 200 men taken on board, nearly all Irish. I saw Mr. Eastman, the American consul for Queenstown, on board; he was in conversa tion with some of the officers on board and remained for some time. Mr. Daw son, the agent of the consul, was also on board. I was told twelve dollars a month would be the pay. After we passed the doctor our names were registered. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, and in pursuance of the statute for the abolition of oaths, and the substitution of declarations in lieu thereof.
Made and subscribed before me, at and in the borough of Cork, this 18th day of November, 1863.
Truly read by me,
THOMAS H. CROFTS.
Declaration of Edward Lynch.
Borough of Cork, to wit:
By one of her Majesty’s justices of the peace for the said borough.
I, Edward Lynch, of Queenstown, in the county of Cork, yeoman, do solemnly and sincerely declare that the American war steam-frigate Kearsarge [Page 435] came into the port of Queenstown, in this county, on the 2d day of November instant, where she anchored, and remained till the 6th day of November following. That it was rumored that she was taking men for the support of the war now going on in America, and I, in company with one Daniel O’Connell, of Whitepoint, and one John Connelly, of Bishop’s street, in the town of Queens-town, both in said county, and all Irishmen, went on board said frigate. That I remained on board said war frigate up to the hour of half past 5 o’clock in the afternoon on said day, and got my dinner and supper on board with all the other hands, and that the boatswain of said frigate shipped the said O’Connell and Connelly to serve on board said war frigate, and to proceed to America therein, but objected to me on account of my height. That previously to the shipping of said two men, O’Connell and Connelly, they had to pass inspection of the naval doctor on board, in the usual way in which men enlisting in the navy have to do. That another man whose name I do not know, and also, as I believe, a British subject, who formerly belonged to a merchant ship, and was residing in Queenstown for about three months previously, passed the doctor and was shipped. That two other men who belonged to Ringaskiddy, in this county, were also taken as firemen on board said war frigate, and that it was stated on board that the pay was to be twelve dollars per month. That the captain of said frigate was not on board at the time of these occurrences, but I heard the commander say to the boatswain, “I’ll leave them in charge to you now.” The boatswain took them with him, and in some time after they, the said O’Connell and Connelly, returned and told me they passed the doctor. O’Connell’s mother, now Mrs. Buckley, lives at the back of the chapel at Queenstown. A boatman from the holy ground at Queenstown also came on board, passed the naval doctor in the usual way aforesaid, and was taken into service on board. There were about two hundred hands on board, principally English and Irish. The said war frigate sailed from this port, by the directions of the admiral, now stationed at Queenstown, on Friday, the 6th day of November instant, and it was stated she would first proceed to France, thence to America. The men of whom I have declared sailed on board said war frigate, out of the port of Cork, and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true, in pursuance of the statute for the abolition of oaths, and the substitution of declarations in lieu thereof.
Made and subscribed before me, in the borough of Cork, this 16th day of November, 1863.
Truly read by me to the said Edward Lynch,
THOMAS W. CROFTS.