Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward
Sir: I learned on Saturday, the 28th instant, about 1 p.m., through our consul at Nantes, that a despatch had come to the Danish consul at Nantes from the French commissaire de Vinscription maritime, at Palais, Bell Isle, informing him that a “Danish vessel called the Olinde, which had been sold to the confederates, had discharged her crew of fifty men at Quiberon, and that they were on their way to the care of the Danish consul at Nantes.” The same letter advised me that a steam ram, built at Bordeaux, on the model of the Castelfidardo, with a Danish crew, and under the command of a Danish captain, was lying at the island of Honat, where she had discharged her crew of forty-two men on board a vessel sent from the yard of Messrs. Dubigeon Fils, of St. Nazaire, with coals for her; and while taking on board some thirty tons, which was all the weather admitted of transshipment, a British steamer came alongside with a supply of guns, ammunition, and a crew, which were also put on board. I immediately addressed a note, of which a copy is annexed, to the minister of foreign affairs.
The following despatch from Palais, Bell Isle, received at Nantes on the night of the 27th, reached me this morning:
“According to report to-day from Quiberon, the crew of a Danish steamer have been paid off. There are close to Honat island two steamers, unknown; one it is said is a ram, which passed four days ago before Palais without any flag up.”
I also learned yesterday from our consul at Nantes that the ram sailed on the morning of the 28th at nine o’clock, steering southwest. These facts taken in connexion with information derived from a letter from our consul at Bordeaux, which I found on the files of the legation, an extract of which is annexed, led me to the conclusion that at least one of the vessels referred to by our consul at Nantes was built by Arman and sold to the Danish government, but not accepted, and was subsequently transferred to the confederates.
To-day I called upon Monsieur Chasseloup Laubat, the minister of marine, to learn what action he had taken or proposed to take upon the subject. He read me two despatches, speaking only of the arrival of a ram, apparently a foreign vessel, in the waters near Quiberon; but he had as yet received no written information upon the subject. I revealed to him my suspicions that these vessels, or this vessel if there is but one, had gone into the confederate service, and stated some of the facts upon which my suspicions were founded. He said he would telegraph at once for information; that Arman had deceived him twice, and might try to do it again; if so they could not help it, as the point where these vessels lay was not under the eye or guns of the government. I replied that [Page 210] the transfer occurred in Frenen waters, that the vessel was coaled clandestinely from a French steamer, and that intelligence of these facts reached me indirectly through a French government officer. He repeated that the waters in which these vessels are reported to have lain are not under surveillance; and besides, these vessels had been sold to the Danish government, which became thereby responsible for the use which should be made of them. I replied that according to the report the Danish government had refused to accept them, as not answering to the contract. His excellency replied, that he had received no official notice of their refusal to accept the vessels; that, as they were vessels-of-war, they could not have received his authorization to leave without first showing a contract for their purchase from some neutral government; that they did produce one from the Danish government, and if they did not intend to keep them it was its duty to notify this government and to place the ship once more under French jurisdiction; till then, Denmark, and not France, was responsible for the vessels.
As it was in the ministry of foreign affairs, and not in the department of marine, that questions of international responsibility are to be discussed, I hastened away in the hope of finding the Danish minister before his legation was closed. I was unfortunately too late; but I saw Mr. Haxlhaussen, the first secretary of the legation, who acknowledged the receipt of a despatch from their consul at Nantes, confirming the report that a vessel built by Arman and sold to his government, on arriving at Copenhagen had failed to answer the terms of the contract; that Arman preferred to take her back, rather than modify his terms; that she had put into Quiberon and discharged her crew; beyond this he professed to have no information. He insisted, however, that his government had never accepted the Stoerkodder; he gave her the name borne by the iron-clad to which our consul at Bordeaux referred in his letter, and therefore his government could not be responsible, &c.
After making an appointment to see the Danish minister at three o’clock tomorrow, I took my leave. I hope to learn from him something more definitive in regard to the terms of purchase and surrender of this vessel, or of these vessels if there were more than one, in time for to-morrow evening’s mail.
I will conclude this despatch with a report current among the confederates in Paris this evening, that they have purchased a powerful ram, which is now on its way to Charleston, where it is expected to make havoc among our blockading vessels. She is reputed to carry one Armstrong gun of 300 pounds, two of 120 pounds, steel shot and shell, and bears the name of Stonewall.
I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State &c., &c., &c.