I presume that you must have already received from Mr. Wood, in his
account of his personal intercourse with the Danish government,
something more satisfactory, if it had anything more satisfactory to
offer.
The position of the question at this court has undergone no change since
my last communication about it. I understand from our consul at Nantes
that an investigation is going on at that place with the view of
punishing three of the parties concerned in supplying the Stoerkodder
with coal, provisions, and munitions within the waters of France. It
remains to be seen with what vigor the majesty of the law will be
asserted. I should attach more importance to such a demonstration if it
were directed against the notorious head offender, Arman, instead of
being directed against some of his instruments.
The Stonewall left Ferrol for Lisbon, whence, after a few days’
detention, she sailed for parts unknown. No doubt you have received full
particulars of her stay at and departure from both these places from our
representatives at Madrid and Lisbon.
It is possible they may not have been able to send you a list of the
officers of the Stonewall; I therefore send you one, which I believe to
be authentic and complete up to the 20th of March last.
Hon. William H. Seward,
&c., &c., &c.
[Enclosure.]
List of officers of confederate
pirate Stonewall, March 20, 1865.
Captain T. J. Page, from Virginia; R. R. Carter, first lieutenant,
from Virginia; Geo. S. Shryock, second lieutenant, from Kentucky;
Geo. T. Bochart, third lieutenant, from Savannah, Ga.; E. G. Reed,
third lieutenant, from Virginia; Samuel Barron, jr., third
lieutenant, from Virginia; E. Green, surgeon, from Virginia; C. W.
Curtis, paymaster, from South Carolina; W. P. Brooks, chief
engineer, from South Carolina; J. W. Herty, assistant surgeon, from
Georgia; W. W. Wilkenson, master, from South Carolina; W. Hutcheson
Jackson, first assistant engineer, from Baltimore; J. C. Cosh,
second assistant engineer, from Texas; John W. Dukeheart, boatswain,
from Baltimore; J. W. King, gunner, from North Carolina; J. Mather,
carpenter, from Maryland; William Savage, master’s mate, from
Maryland; William Baynton, paymaster’s clerk, from Florida John W.
Prior, sergeant of marines, from Virginia.
Mr. Wood to Mr. Bigelow
Legation of the United
States, Copenhagen,
March 25, 1865.
Dear Sir: I herewith send you copies of
certain papers received from the Danish government, those in French
certified. I have the Danish also certified, but supposing that they
would be useless in Danish, I set Consul Hansen, a Dane by birth, to
translate, and I give you his literal translation. I suppose the
original are also in the Danish legation in Paris.
Mr. Hoxtheussen is a good English and French scholar, and can render
Hansen’s literal translation liberal. It is
very possible that if the Danes could have got the Stoerkodder in
time they would have owned her, but they had no use for her after
June, 1864, and availed themselves of her defects to get rid of her.
As they did not suspect anything, and wished to be obliging to
Arman, who had here the reputation of being a very responsible man,
and one of the Emperor’s right hand men, they allowed themselves to
be imposed on by Annan’s correspondent, “Puggaard,”a Danish merchant
residing here, and who unquestionably knew that this ship was sold
to the confederates when he applied for the use of the Danish flag,
as he had advanced money on her when she was being built for the
confederates. And what is more, I have no doubt the Danish
government now know of Puggaard’s complicity in the matter. Arman’s
intention in sending this ship here was to get her out of France and
into the hands of the confederates, and he deceived the French
minister. I have the police on the watch for the men you advised me
of.
I remain, very truly, your obedient servant,
BRADFORD R. WOOD, Minister
Resident,
John Bigelow, Charge,
&c, Paris.
I have made the request, and it is to be complied with, that the
Danish government inform the governments of France and Spain
that they never owned the Stoerkodder. Will Spain let this ship
go to sea? If she does I hope she may lose Cuba.
W.
[Enclosure.—Translation.]
BORDEAUX, October 25,
1864.
After the trials of the Stoerkodder, on the 20th instant, had
taken place, I informed Mr. Arman that I would report the
results of these trials to the ministry, and by my request he
consented to await the nearer determination of the ministry to
accept or reject the vessel according to the statement from me,
as stipulated in the contract. Upon the receipt of the telegram
of the 23d instant from the ministry. I immediately, as
commanded, made known to Mr. Arman the expected arrival here of
Etatsnad Eskieden. But Mr. Arman has to-day informed me that the
Stoerkodder had gone to sea yesterday, with orders to proceed to
the Sound. As it is his intention, if the vessel should be
rejected by the government, because the conditions as to speed
and draught were not fulfilled in accordance with the contract,
then to leave it to the generosity of the government whether
they will receive the vessel any how,
[Page 254]
and on what conditions other than those
stipulated in the contract, all of which I do omit to herewith
inform the ministry.
I take the liberty to enclose a copy of a declaration made to me
by “Expert,” engaged by me to attend to the trial of the
Stoerkodder and to certify to the result.
I am, &c,
G. SCHRUHEGDEN.
Commissariat and Book
Office, March 14, 1865.
That this copy is in conformity with the original certifies
marine minister.
TUXEN.
Copenhagen, March 14, 1865.
P. VEDEL.
[seal.]
[Enclosure.—Translation.]
Ministry of Marine, Copenhagen,
December 21,
1864.
By letter of the 14th instant Mr. Arman has communicated that he
has empowered Mr. Grossereau, merchant, as his representative,
to make a final adjustment of the* matter of the iron-clad
vessel Stoerkodder, and in this manner—that the vessel be at
once accepted without any other loss to Mr. Arman than the
interest, or that the contract be annulled with the only
compensation in damages that some new rank be given him from the
Danish marine.
In accordance herewith, by virtue of office, it is communicated
that the minister of marine, notwithstanding that Mr. Arman has
failed in several principal points to fulfil the conditions he
has taken on himself, by the contract of the 31st of March, this
year to deliver the Stoerkodder, relieves him from the contract
in this manner: that this (contract) is annulled from now on
this condition, that when Mr. Arman, now or later, lets the
vessel depart from here, he thereby acknowledges himself to have
no demand whatsoever upon the Danish government.
Grossereau is also requested to remind Mr. Arman that the
expenses, &c, occasioned by bringing the vessel here were
incurred in consequence of the vessel being sent here,
notwithstanding he had been already informed at Paris that he
alone must take the risk thereof.
O. LUTKEN.
TUXEN.
Hon. E. Puggaard
Original received.
RUDOLPH PUGGAARD.
Commissariat and Book-keeping
Office, March 14, 1865.
That this copy is in conformity with the original certifies
marine ministry.
TUXEN.
[seal.]
P. VEDEL.
[Enclosure.]
List of the crew who sail with me, the undersigned, who commands
the iron-clad vessel the Stoerkodder, belonging in Bordeaux, but
who sails under the Danish flag, of tonnage of the bill of gauge
of over 200 commerce last, with which I now intend to go from
here to Bordeaux.
(Notice on the list that the six French engineers were discharged
on the 5th of January, 1865.)
(Here follows a list of the crew, Danes and Swedes, and some
forty-five in number.)
B. R. W.
[Enclosure.—Translation.]
Certificate to the iron-clad
vessel Stoerkodder.
General Custom-house,
Copenhagen,
December 30,
1864.
The secretary of the general custom-house makes known that the
iron-clad vessel Stoer kodder, belonging to Mr. Arman, of
Bordeaux, after having arrived in this city from Bor
[Page 255]
deaux, for the purpose
of being offered for sale to the royal Danish marine, has been
rejected after trial; and now that the owner intends to carry
her back to France, it is permitted that the above-named vessel
depart from here with a Danish crew.
BLUMBE.
The Kingdom’s Expedition
Office.
Correct copy.
J. WINTHER.
Copenhagen, March 14, 1865.
[seal.]
[Enclosure.—Translation.]
Copenhagen,
December 31,
1864.
On the petition of the commercial firm of Puggaard & Co.,
residing at this place, the ministry for foreign affairs, on its
part, has permitted the iron clad vessel Stoerkodder, on the
return from Copenhagen to Bordeaux, to carry the Danish
flag.
In consideration hereof, the above-named vessel is to be treated
as Danish by the royal consuls in whatever port it shall enter
on this voyage, wherefore we would not
omit to communicate this legitimation.
The ministry, in conclusion, will add that no outlay for the
aforesaid vessel must be made unless the aforenamed commercial
firm should desire it and guarantee the payment thereof.
BLUMBE.
The Royal Consuls
in Sweden, Norway, Great Britain, Netherlands,
France.
Protha copia:
[seal.]
[Enclosure.—Translation.]
Copenhagen,
December 31,
1864.
The ministry of foreign affairs has, by request, permitted the
iron-clad vessel Stoerkodder, which the royal government once
intended to buy, but which was not accepted, on its return from
here to Bordeaux, to carry the Danish flag, but with the
implicit instruction that this permission is only granted for
this voyage.
Your honor is therefore requested to see to it that this vessel,
on its arrival in Bordeaux, strikes the Danish flag, in regard
to which the ministry of foreign affairs, in proper time, ex
pects to receive the report of consul.
The return of a document of legitimation granted by me to the
vessel must be demanded from the shipmaster and transmitted
here.
BLUMBE.
The Royal Consul
at Bordeaux.
True copy:
[seal.]
