I have the honor to be, with high consideration, my lord, your obedient
servant,
Right Hon. Lord Lyons,
&c., &c., &c.
[Extract.]
Mr. Savage to Mr. Seward.
No. 175.]
United States Consulate
General,
Havana,
July 1, 1864.
Sir: The steamers the Mail, alias Susanna, and the Ivanhoe, sailed on
last Sunday and Tuesday, respectively. The Alice and the Virgin are
about to sail for Mobile. The last three named, I understand, are
almost entirely laden for
[Page 661]
account of the rebel government. Both the Ivanhoe and Virgin belong
to George Wigg, of Nassau; and four other steamers, belonging to the
same person, are expected here soon, to take to Mobile a large
quantity (some $600,000 worth) of war materials, and other supplies,
for the rebel authorities. The Harriet Lane, alias Lavinia, it is likely will go to Nassau to take a
rebel officer, of whom I will speak in a separate communication.
I have been advised that it is quite possible that the uncaptured
steamers hitherto running between Wilmington and Nassau will
transfer themselves to this port to run between it and Mobile, for
the reason that the worn-out railroads communicating with Wilmington
render it extremely difficult to provide them with the requisite
supply of cotton, and that the authorities there intend to use the
railroads exclusively for military purposes.
Henry Hardy, who had been the chief engineer of the blockade-runner
Austin, alias Donegal, returned here on the
last trip of the steamer Eagle from New York. On the 31st of May I
wrote to Mr. Murray, United States marshal, New York, per steamer
Morning Star, that he was going as a passenger on that vessel. He
did go in her. His brother William attempted to ship as chief
engineer on the steamer Mexico, which I prevented, for the reason
that he had been engineer on the Alice. He went in that capacity on
the Mail, a few days ago, to Galveston.”
A very considerable number of men engaged in running the blockade are
Americans, from the northern States, and do not seem to meet, when
captured, with the punishment which their treason deserves. The
steamer Eagle, on her last trip from New York, brought as passengers
a portion of the officers and crew, among them Smith, the master of
the steamer Donegal, recently captured by the gunboat Metacomet, and
sent to Philadelphia. Smith is an American, and a northern man,
though it is possible that he may have represented himself as being
an Englishman. Godfrey, the commander of the notorious Dembigh, is
also a northern man, born in Brunswick, Maine, where he had
interests in several vessels at the breaking out of war. He is a
very bitter secessionist, and, should he ever be captured, ought to
be held in confinement till the termination of the war.
* * * * * * * *
I have the honor to be, sir, with high respect, your obedient
servant,
THOMAS SAVAGE, Vice-Consul
General.
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State.
