Vice-Admiral Porter, for Secretary of the Navy, to the President.
Navy Department,
Washington, April 21, 1869.
Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith,
for your information, a copy of a dispatch, dated the 13th instant,
received from Rear-Admiral
[Page 776]
H. K. Hoff, commanding the North Atlantic squadron, relative to his
inquiries concerning reported expeditions fitting out at New Orleans
to land in Cuba.
Very respectfully, yours, &c.,
DAVID D. PORTER,
For the Secretary of
the Navy.
[Inclosure No. 1.]
Rear-Admiral Hoff, commanding North Atlantic squadron, to
Mr. Borie, Secretary of the
Navy.
North Atlantic Squadron,
United States Flag-Ship Contoocook,
Pensacola Bay, April 13, 1869.
[37]
Sir: In consequence of the Southwest
Pass Bar, at the mouth of the Mississippi River, being partially
blocked up by vessels aground, I did not deem it prudent to go
up to New Orleans in this vessel; therefore I dispatched Fleet
Captain de Krafft to that *place, for the purpose of obtaining
as much information as possible in regard to Cuban expeditions
fitting out.
I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy of-his report,-by
which the Department will observe that there seems to be no
likelihood of any armed parties leaving that locality at
present.
Very respectfully, yours, &c.,
HENRY K. HOFF,
Rear-Admiral,
Commanding North Atlantic Squadron.
Hon. A. E. Borie,
Secretary of the Navy.
[Inclosure No. 2.]
Commodore P. de
Krafft to Rear-Admiral Hoff, commanding North Atlantic
squadron.
Mississippi
River, April 11,
1869.
[38]
Sir: In obedience to your order of the
8th instant, directing me to “proceed to the city of New
Orleans, to communicate with the authorities, civil and
military, for the purpose of obtaining all possible information
in regard to the supposed fitting out of Cuban expeditions in
that vicinity,” I have the honor to report that I arrived in New
Orleans on the 9th, and communicated at once with the following
officials: Mr. Gray, collector of the port of New Orleans; Mr.
Keith, surveyor of the port of New Orleans; Judge Durrell, judge
United States district court; General Mower, military commandant
department;*Señor Charles Pié, consul d’Espagne.
Upon diligent inquiry, it appears that the four first-named
gentlemen neither know nor have they any grounds for believing
that such expeditions are proposed in the vicinity of New
Orleans. Mr. Gray, collector, has specific instructions from
Washington on this subject, and has recently exercised great
vigilance to arrest all infractions of the neutrality laws.
[Page 777]
Señor Charles Pié, the Spanish consul, has no information of a
reliable character, but states that some weeks since there were
movements on foot believed to have in view the formation of an
expedition against Cuba, but that it failed for want of means;
that some negotiations had been commenced for the purchase of a
steamer, but that they had failed, as money could not be raised
to complete the purchase, and the steamer had found other
employment. At this time he has no other or more definite
information than flying rumors, which cannot be traced to any
authentic source.
[39] From the conversation held with
these gentlemen, for the purpose of gaining information on this
subject, I am unable to discover that there is even a
probability of any such expedition being seriously contemplated,
although its *organization has doubtless been discussed, and
perhaps proposed.
I am, very respectfully, yours, &c.,
- J. C. P.
DeKRAFFT,
Commander
United States Navy, Fleet-Captain North Atlantic
Squadron.
- Rear-Admiral H. K.
Hoff,
Commanding North
Atlantic Squadron,
United States Flag-Ship
Contoocook.
