No. 4.
Earl Russell to Mr.
Adams.
Foreign Office,
April 9, 1864.
Sir: I transmit to you herewith extracts from a
deposition of one Daniel O’Connell, by which you will perceive that he
declares that he was examined and sworn before or with the knowledge of
officers of the United States ship-of-war Kearsarge, and furnished with the
uniform of a United States sailor.
I know not how these circumstances occurring on board a ship-of-war can have
taken place without the knowledge of the captain of the vessel.
I am, &c.,
[Enclosure in No. 4.]
Extract from deposition of Daniel
O’Connell.
A man that was, I believe, a doctor examined me, being stripped, and told
me I was fit for service. I then went forward and the ship sailed next
day.
* * * * * * * * *
One of the officers of the ship took me (with eight or nine of the men
who had come on board at Queenstown) on shore at Brest in a boat, and
when the boat had just touched the beach the officer said, “Any of you
men that wish can go on there now, but if you wish you can enter on
board the ship.” All the men said they would enter, upon which the boat
returned to the Kearsarge, and we were all sworn to enter the United
States navy for three years, at twelve dollars per month each, and our
names were entered in the ship’s books, and we were provided with the
ship’s uniform.
