[Extracts.]
Mr. Bigelow to Mr Seward
No 19.]
Legation of the United States,
Paris,
February 6, 1865.
Sir: I received a telegram on Saturday from Mr.
Perry, secretary of the legation at Madrid, advising me that a
confederate steamer had put into Connina, in Spain, for repairs. The
next morning, Sunday, about 11 o’clock, I received another despatch from
Mr. Perry (enclosure No. 1) giving such a description of the vessel
referred to in his previous despatch as to satisfy me that it was the
Stoerkodder, alias the Olinde, alias the Stonewall, and that she had
sought refuge in the dock-yard of Ferrol for repairs.
I immediately drove to the minister of foreign affairs, and was fortunate
enough to find Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys in his cabinet. I communicated to him
the infomation I had received, of which he took a copy, and my reasons
for believing the vessel at Ferrol to be the Olinde. After he was fully
possessed of my facts, I suggested to his excellency the propriety of
immediately instructing his ambassador at Madrid, by telegraph, to ask
the Spanish government to detain the vessel at least until the inquest,
which the minister of marine was making in the case of the Olinde, was
completed, and his excellency had an opportunity of communicating more
fully with his minister at Madrid upon the subject. Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys
replied that he had written twice to the minister of marine, pressing
him for a report of the evidence in the case of the Olinde, but as yet
nothing had been received from that department. He could not, he
thought, with propriety, give any order upon the subject to his
diplomatic agents till he had heard from the minister of marine. He also
betrayed some uneasiness, lest in taking the initiative he might be
assuming a greater degree of responsibility for what had recently
occurred at Quiberon bay than was consistent with his theory, that the
Olinde was a Danish and not a French vessel. I explained that a crime
had been committed against the laws of France, hence the inquest upon
which the minister of marine was engaged; till the authors and extent of
that crime were ascertained and punished, France had an interest in
detaining the vessel and all on board as contingently liable in damages;
that this right was quite independent of the nationality of the vessel
upon which there was no immediate occasion to give an opinion. The
Olinde was the corps de delit in a sense, and
France had a right to insist upon her remaining at Ferrol to await the
pending investigation. His excellency seemed to assent to this view, but
again referred to the absence of official evidence. I asked him if there
would be any impropriety in my going to the minister of marine, showing
him my despatch, and discussing the subject with him. “None whatever,”
was his prompt reply, and he wished me to mention to the minister of
marine that he was waiting for his report, without which he was unable
to take any step in the premises.
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I immediately went to the minister of marine, whom I was also fortunate
enough to find in his cabinet. I made substantially the same
communication to him that I had made to the minister of foreign affairs,
including the message I had been requested to deliver.
His excellency informed me that the papers in the case of the Olinde were
just complete, except that the testimony of Arman had not been taken,
and that they were on the point of being sent to the minister of foreign
affairs; he said, of course, he could give no orders to the diplomatic
agents of the government, but that if I would return to Mr. Drouyn de
Lhuys after he had had time to read the report I might renew my
proposition, and the despatch might be sent on that night. He suggested
that I should go at 2 o’clock, and promised that in the course of the
afternoon he would see Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys himself.
I told him I should follow his advice, and in doing so should use his
name. Before leaving I saw the report folded, sealed, directed, and
delivered into the hands of a messenger, who set out with it to the
ministry of foreign affairs. At 2 o’clock I went again to the ministry
of foreign affairs, but unfortunately Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys had gone
out.
I immediately returned to the legation and addressed to him a
communication, of which enclosure No. 2 is a copy.
I then sent the following telegram to Mr. Perry, at Madrid, and to Mr.
Sanford, at Brussels:
“February 5, 1865.
“The steamer Stonewall, Captain V. P. Page, 3 cannons, 300 horse-power,
79 men, from Copenhagen, via France, for America,
flag of confederates, is at Ferrol, Spain, for repairs. It is doubtless
the Olinde.
“BIGELOW.”
I also addressed to Mr. Perry, by mail, a communication, of which
enclosure No. 3 is a copy. I received from Mr. Sanford this afternoon
the following despatch: “Craven telegraphs from Dover,
acknowledging the receipt of my yesterday’s despatch” I presume
from this that the Niagara will soon be at Corunna, if she is not under
conflicting orders. I omitted to state that in my interview with the
minister of foreign affairs he twice asked where our ships were and
advised me to send them after her at once. I was sorry not to have any
definite information upon the subject.
* * * * * * * * *
To explain where the Olinde was between the 2d of January, when she left
Copenhagen, and the 23d, when she arrived off Palais, Belle Isle, I
enclose an extract from a letter received from our consul at Elsinore,
(enclosure No. 4.) I also enclose an extract from a letter received this
morning from our consul at Bordeaux, in reference to the Stoerkodder’s
supply of coals, (enclosure No. 5.)
I hope before the departure of the next mail to have something to send
you from the minister of foreign affairs in reference to this case.
I remain, sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, &c.,
[Enclosure No. 1.—&c.,Telegraphic despatch.]
Madrid,
February 5, 1865—7 1/2
o’clock.
It is the iron-clad steamer Stonewall, Captain V. G. Page; 3 cannon;
300 horse-power; 79 crew; from Copenhagen for America; at dock-yard
of Ferrol; asks repairs.
Mr. ———— ————, Chargé d’Affaires of the United
States at Paris.
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[Enclosure No. 2.]
Mr. Bigeloiw to Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys.
Legation of the United
States, Paris,
February 5, 1865.
Sir: I had the honor to communicate your
excellency’s message this morning to his excellency the minister of
marine, together with my proof already exhibited to your excellency
of the identity of the steam ram Olinde, which recently sailed from
the bay of Quiberon with the confederate steamer Stonewall, now
lying at Ferrol, in Spain. His excellency the minister of marine
informed me that his report in the case of the Olinde was ready, and
he was on the point of sending it. While I was there I saw it placed
in the hands of a messenger. His excellency the minister of marine
purposed to wait upon your excellency to confer upon the subject of
his report in the course of this afternoon, but he recommended me to
wait upon your excellency again, after you had ha I leisure to
peruse the papers, when he thought I might receive some intimation
to guide me in my communication to-night with our agents in Spain.
In compliance with this suggestion, I called at the ministry of
foreign affairs, but was so unfortunate as to find that your
excellency had gone out. Had I been fortunate enough to have seen
your excellency on the occasion of my second visit, I should have
taken the liberty of urging the expediency of to-day instructing Mr.
Mercier to request the Spanish government to detain the Stonewall
until you had finished the inquiry which had been instituted into
the circumstances attending her equipment and departure from France,
which there was reason for believing had been effected in violation
of the laws of France. I had also intended to suggest, as a
precedent to the Spanish government, if any were needed, and to show
that the imperial government asks no more than it is willing to
concede, the case of the Victor, alias
Rappahannock, now lying at Calais, by virtue of a procedure
precisely similar in all important particulars to that which I
propose should be instituted against the Stonewall. If your
excellency should estimate the importance of preventing this steamer
from leaving the west coast of Europe, under the flag of the
so-called confederate government, as highly as I do, you will pardon
the earnestness with which I press a course of proceeding which
promises a speedy, natural, and satisfactory solution of what
otherwise threatens to become a very troublesome case.
I beg to renew to your excellency the assurance of the very
distinguished consideration with which I have the honor to be your
excellency’s very obedient and very humble servant,
His Excellency M. Drouyn de Lhuys, Minister
of Foreign Affairs, &c.,
[Enclosure No. 3.]
Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Perry.
Legation of the United
States,
Paris,
February 5, 1865.
Sir: The confederate steamer Stonewall,
referred to in your telegram received this morning, is undoubtedly
one of the rams built at Bordeaux; originally for the confederates,
but ultimately sold, conditionally, to the Banish government. She
left Bordeaux last September for Copenhagen, but not answering to
the specifications of the contract was refused. She left, as was
given out to the public and stated in the shipping articles of the
crew, for. Bordeaux early in January, with a Danish crew, shipped by
Arnons de la Bieere, (the agent of Mr. Arman, the builder, ) who
accompanied her to Copenhagen and returned with her. She stopped in
the bay of Quiberon, just inside the isle of Honat, when she
discharged her Danish crew and received at the same time from the
Duke of Richmond, (an English steamer,) a crew, guns, and munitions
of all kinds. From a steam-tug sent from St. Nazaire she also
received thirty tons of coal, which replaced what had been consumed
on her voyage from Copenhagen, where she had also taken only thirty
tons, that being the extent of her capacity at that time, from which
I infer that she left Bordeaux full of coal, and that her final
destination for the confederates was planned before she left
Bordeaux.
The name she bore when she left Bordeaux was the Stoerkodder; after
passing into the confederate hands, as I presume she did immediately
after clearing at Copenhagen, she took the name of Olinde, which she
bore on her stern while lying in Quiberon bay. I heard a report
current, a day or two after she sailed, that great things were
expected (by the confederates) from a ram which had just left
France, called the Stonewall, and that the utter destruction of our
blockading fleet off Charleston was to be one of the least
considerable of its achievements. Of the identity of these two
vessels I have no doubt, nor do I believe any is entertained here,
either at the department of marine or foreign affairs, both of which
I visited immediately upon the receipt of your despatch.
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I proposed that his excellency the minister of foreign affairs should
telegraph this afternoon to his minister at Madrid to ask the
Spanish government to detain the Stonewall, at least until the
investigation which the government here is now making be completed,
and the guilty parties, if there are any, to the equipment of this
vessel in French waters, be ascertained. I assured him that our
legation at Madrid would unite in such an application if
necessary.
Unfortunately he had not yet received any report from the department
of marine, without which he could not take any step of that
gravity.
I took measures to have the report of the minister of marine reach
him within an hour after my interview, and I hope that one of the
results of a perusal of the evidence will be a telegraphic direction
this afternoon to Mr. Mercier to do what may be necessary to detain
the vessel.
I write you all these facts in detail that you may understand the
position which the French government occupies, and to suggest that
you put yourself at once in relation with Mr. Mercier, and urge him
to do what he can to make the Spanish government seize, or at least
detain, the Stonewall. The more France can be made to take the
initiative in this matter the more will our future course be
simplified. Should Mr. Mercier receive no instructions, or should he
decline to act, I would suggest that you make the application in
behalf of your own government.
France has recently furnished Spain an excellent precedent for such a
step in the case of the Rappahannock, which was fraudulently taken
from English waters into Calais to be fitted out and equipped for
the confederates. This government refused to let her leave, upon
grounds which apply with exactness to the case of the Stonewall. In
both cases they got an opportunity of flying the confederate flag by
a fraud upon the government, under which they were equipped in part.
France refused to recognize a nationality acquired in that way, and
the Rappahannock lies at Calais to this day.
Have you any agent at Ferrol? If not, would you not do well to send
one there at once? I hope you will keep me advised of the movements
of the Stonewall by telegram.
I am. sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant,
JOHN BIGELOW, Charge, &c.,
Horatio J. Perry, Secretary of Legation.
[Enclosure No.
4.—Extract.]
Mr. Hansen to Mr. Bigelow.
Consulate oF the United States
of America,
Elsinore,
February 1, 1865.
Dear Sir: Your telegram of yesterday has
just been received, and answered by me per telegraph.
The Stoerkodder only took on board and cleared for export thirty tons
of coal. What quantity she had on board is unknown.
After she left Copenhagen she had to lay to off this port a couple of
days on account of bad weather. She had gone out, but had to return.
She went into the port of Christiansand, in Norway, where she also
stopped some days on account of the weather. The report from there
is, that she is a poor sea-going vessel. I next found her reported
as arriving in the Texel on the 19th of January, which port she left
on the 20th for Bordeaux, as reported from there. She undoubtedly
went in there for coals. * * * * *
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
GEORGE P. HANSEN, United States
Consul
Hon. John Bigelow,
United States Consul, Paris.
[Enclosure No.
5.—Extract.]
Mr. Davison to Mr. Bigelow.
Consulate of the United States
of America,
Bordeaux,
February 6, 1865.
Sir: In answer to yours of the 4th,
received yesterday, (Sunday,) I am enabled to say that the
Stoerkodder took on 180 tons of coal here before leaving for
Denmark. I called upon Mr. William Bradley, (an Englishman,) coal
dealer, who informed me that he furnished the coal for all of
Annan’s vessels—the Yedo, Osacca, and Stoerkodder—and that he put
180. tons on the latter, and a larger amount on the former two,
(some 200 or 300 tons each.) It is stated here, and was published in
the papers at the time, that the Stoerkodder also put into
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Cherbourg for more coal on
her way north, the statements being that her sailing apparatus did
not work well, and that she had to go entirely by steam.
I called on my friend Mr. Preck, also, again to-day, who tells me he
thinks she had but 100 tons of coal on her, and that she would hold
250 tons. He was a surveyor of that vessel, and was on board during
her trial trips on the river. He says she went up and down the river
two or three times, making, at the best speed, ten knots an hour in
smooth water, with, I believe, sixty-five revolutions of the wheel
per minute. I think Arman had agreed to make her run twelve
knots..
Mr. Preck says the remaining iron-clad, the Cheops, has been sold to
the Bey of Tunis for two and a half million francs. He tells me an
engineer of the Bey was here to examine her. There may be another
dodge awaiting us with this vessel. * * *
Very respectfully yours,
C. DAVISON, United States
Consul.
Hon. John Bigelow,
United States Minister, Paris.
