Mr. F. W. Seward to Lord Lyons.
Department of State,
Washington,
December 29, 1863.
My Lord: Referring to your note of the 18th
ultimo, asking for information with regard to the detention at Fort
Jackson of the British vessel H. G. Berry, by the United States forces
there, and to my reply, I have the honor to enclose herewith the copy of
a communication of the 23d instant, addressed to this department by
Brigadier General Canby.
I have the honor to be your lordship’s obedient servant,
F. W. SEWARD,Acting Secretary.
Right Hon. Lord Lyons, &c., &c., &c.
General Canby to Mr. Seward.
War Department,
Washington City,
December 23, 1863.
Sir: In reply to your letter of the 19th
ultimo, requesting to be advised,for the information of the British
minister, of the reasons for the detention by the United States
military authorities, at Fort Jackson, of the British vessel H. G.
Berry, the Secretary of War instructs me to state that Major General
Banks, commanding the department of the Gulf, to whom the same was
referred, has made the following report:
“There was being assembled in the Mississippi river, at the time
referred to, a large fleet of transports laden with troops, intended
for a descent on the coast of Texas, near the mouth of the Rio
Grande. That, in order to prevent information from being conveyed to
that region that such a fleet was in the
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river and preparing for sea, I deemed it
proper to detain, for a few days, all vessels bound to that
vicinity. All vessels, national or foreign, were therefore detained
until after the sailing of the transport fleet.”
For your further information as to the measure adopted in the
detention of the H. G. Berry, a copy of the report made by Major
General Banks to the general-in-chief relative thereto is herewith
transmitted.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
ED. R. S. CANBY, Brigadier General, A. A.
G.
The Secretary of State,
Washington, D. C.
General Banks to General H. W. Halleck.
Headquarters Department of the
Gulf,
New Orleans,
December 9, 1863.
General: I beg leave to submit, upon the
subject referred to in the accompanying papers, relative to the
detention of the British vessel H. G. Berry, the following report.
All the facts stated therein were within my knowledge, except that
which relates to the information being conveyed by the schooner; but
I have no doubt whatever of this. The times and circumstances of the
arrival of that vessel make it impossible that the information could
have been otherwise conveyed.
A full statement of the vessel’s forces, guns, &c, the losses
sustained on the voyage, was sent to a rebel officer in Matamoras,
and received there on the evening of the day
that my troops occupied Brownsville. Of this fact I have positive
knowledge. Had it been received earlier by the rebels, it would have
prevented their evacuation, and might have defeated our landing at
Brazos Santiago. If this had occurred, the expedition would have
failed. The person who gave this information called upon me as a
Texan refugee, and offered to procure information in regard to the
armament and defences of Fort Brown. The circumstances detailed to
me at Matamoras make this certain: the information as to our forces
was conveyed to the rebels by this schooner, either by passenger or letter, and her detention by my order
caused the delay in its transmission, which enabled the
forces of the United States to occupy the position in advance of the
reports of this spy. The information in regard to our fleet and
forces was obtained at New Orleans; the. report of our losses, at
the Eio Grande. Of these facts I have no doubt whatever. It is not
probable that the owners of the vessel were parties to the
treason.
I have the honor to be, with much respect, your obedient servant,
N. P. BANKS, Major General
Commanding,
Major General H. W. Halleck,
General-in-Chief, U. S. A., Washington, D.
C.
