Mr. Bayman to Mr. Harvey
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of the 14th instant) and beg to express my thanks for the appointment therein forwarded.
I return the paper expressing the oath taken at the British consulate this day. I was informed by Commander Preble, United States steamer St. Louis, of the arrival of the rebel steamer Florida on Sunday morning, the 28th ultimo. I then called on the governor; he said that the Florida would be ordered to leave [Page 299] within twenty-four hours, and would not be allowed to take any coal; that any change in his then determination would be at once communicated to me. About eight o’clock that night I was informed that coal was ready in boats to go off to the Florida; on my way to ascertain this I met a messenger from the governor requesting my presence; I went to the castle, and was then told by the governor that the commander of the Florida, one Morris, stated that he had only seven tons of coal on board, barely enough for cooking purposes, and that to take the vessel to another part he required 110 tons, also bread and water. The governor suggested that some one should go on board to verify this statement. Morris declined, and I have reason to believe, from subsequent information, that instead of seven tons there were seventy-five tons of coal on board. The governor, taking the statement made by Morris on honor, proposed to give him sixty tons of coal, water and bread, ordering the Florida to leave the next day, asking my acquiesence, (d’accord.) My reply was that I could not agree to the supply of one ton of coal under any circumstances; that the Florida could sail out of port as readily as any other ship. With regard to water and bread, I begged to remark that the United States government had, from the outset of the domestic troubles, followed a most humane, generous policy in their efforts to crush the most unprovoked rebellion known in the history of the world, offering a marked contrast to the savage ferocity that had characterized the conduct of the rebels. Mindful of this, I would not object to the supply of bread, though in strict justice even these ought to be denied to men roaming over the ocean solely to destroy unarmed vessels.
Subsequently the governor decided to allow the Florida to receive twenty tons of coal, notwithstanding my objections. The foregoing contains the main points of our conversation. I quite believe that the governor was anxious to send the Florida away without more aid than he considered necessary to enable the vessel to depart.
The alleged attempt to coal the Florida clandestinely cannot be proved; three boats were loaded with about twenty-one tons of coal, moored to a buoy, waiting leave to be sent alongside the Florida—so say the owners. I saw the boats so moored, and know that no coal went off till leave was granted, and then only the twenty tons.
The Florida anchored east of the St. Louis; got away during the night of the 29th February; it was very dark, and the wind blowing hard from the west.
The St. Louis left on the morning of the 1st March. The Julia and Constance, steamers, well-known blockade runners, are in port in a leaky condition, awaiting orders.
I have the honor to remain, sir, your obedient servant,
His Excellency James E. Harvey, United States Minister Resident at Lisbon.