Mr. Burnley to Mr. Seward
Washington,
February 25, 1865.
Sir: With reference to previous correspondence
with the lieutenant governor of New Brunswick on the subject of the
Chesapeake, I have the honor to enclose copy of a despatch of the 18th
instant, which I have received from Mr. Gordon, transmitting copy of a
report, made to his excellency by the high sheriff of St. John’s, as to
the steps taken by him to secure the apprehension of the captors of this
vessel.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most
obedient, humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
&c., &c., &c.
[Page 83]
Mr. Gordon to Mr. Burnley
Fredericton,
February 18, 1865.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit for your
information a copy of a report made to me by the high sheriff of St.
John’s, as to the steps taken by him to secure the apprehension of
the captors of the Chesapeake.
I have also the honor to inform you that since the date of the report
Linus Seely, one of the parties implicated, has been arrested at St.
John’s, and is now awaiting examination before one of the members of
the high court of admiralty.
I have, &c., &c.,
J.H. Burnley, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
High Sheriff of St. John’s to
Provincial Secretary
Sheriff’s Office, St. John’s,
February 8, 1865.
Sir: In reply to yours of the 7th instant,
you will be kind enough to submit to his excellency the lieutenant
governor the following, all the information I have in reference to
the persons implicated in the seizure of the Chesapeake:
That when first the warrant of Mr. Justice Parker, of date March 16,
1864, was put into my hands, I called upon the chief of police of
the city, requesting him to direct his men to arrest any of the
parties whose names were in the warrant, which he said he would do;
that on Sunday afternoon, in December last past, the American consul
in St. John’s called upon me, stating that George Wade, one of the
parties, had arrived in the steamer running between Boston and this
city some ten days previous. I immediately called on the chief of
police informing him of the fact, communicated by the consul, and
requesting the assistance of his force, which he acceded to, and
directed the house of his, Wade’s wife, to be watched; and I
personally went to Loch Lomond, in this county, where his farther
resides, and caused a watch to be put on it and the
neighborhood.
Shortly after I heard of his being in the cars on his way to Halifax,
Nova Scotia, to ship as a sailor there. The two Coxes were reported
at the same time to be making shingles in the woods near the road
leading to St. Andrew’s, for the arrest of whom I engaged the most
likely persons I knew of, but without success, and could not gain
even certain information of their being there, as they are difficult
of identification, being but little known here; and I beg to assure
his excellency that no pains shall be spared to arrest the parties
should they be within this county.
I have, &c., &c.
