Seward said to me on the 1st instant that perhaps he ought to have told me before that the United States Government had sent agents to England to purchase arms. He added that the agents would go on to France for the same purpose."1 It will be seen that in the report of Captain Huse, who is stated to have been the confederate agent sent to Europe for a similar purpose, he mentions the United States agents and the agents of individual Northern States as his most formidable competitors. "Their orders," he says, "appear to have been unlimited, both as regards price [52] and quantity, and they paid cash in every instance." Further on he mentions that "the United States agent, in this case the minister, Mr. Dayton, has purchased, within a few days, 30,000 old flint-lock muskets, which are to be altered before they are sent to the United States." The purchases of small arms and other military stores in England were partly made by authorized agents acting under the direct orders of the Government of the United States, partly by agents acting under the orders of the governors of particular States, and partly by mercantile firms, acting, however, in some cases under the authority of the Federal or States Government. Colonel Thomas, of the United States Army, was in England during the war, and acknowledged that he had come over to superintend the purchases of military stores. He sought and obtained much information on this subject at the Government establishment at Pimlico. It appears, however, that the agent mentioned in the report of the Secretary of War was a Colonel G. L. Schuyler. He was, in July, 1861, appointed by the President of the United States "a duly authorized agent to purchase arms in Europe for the War Department." He received his instructions from the Secretary of War, with a memorandum from General J. W. Ripley, of the Ordnance Department at Washington, specifying the arms to be purchased, viz: 100,000 riflemuskets with the bayonets, 10,000 cavalry carbines, 10,000 revolvers, and 20,000 sabers. The financial arrangements for these purchases were to be made by the Secretary of the Treasury with Messrs. Baring, financial agents for the United States in London, and a credit of $2,000,000 was, as has been seen, appropriated for the purpose. The money was placed at the order of Colonel Schuyler and the United States ministers in France and Belgium. The arms were to be consigned to the care of Mr. Hiram Barney, collector of the port of New York. Colonel Schuyler proceeded to Birmingham, where, as appears from a report subsequently made by him in April, 1862, to the Secretary of War, he purchased of the Small Arms Association 13,129 long Enfield rifles and 1,880 short Enfield rifles with saber bayonets-in all, 15,000, all of which arrived safely in the United States, consigned as directed in his instructions. He also made arrangements there with the American house of Van Wart, Son & Co., who had zealously cooperated with him to procure arms for delivery early in January, and who, between May, 1861, and February 15, 1862, ordered from the Birmingham Small Arms Company, and forwarded to Messrs. Baring, and Messrs. George Wright & Co., at Liverpool, for shipment to the United States, an aggregate amount of 26,540 rifles. From England he proceeded to the Continent of Europe, where he continued his purchases; and in a letter from the War Department at Washington to General Appendix to British Case, vol. vi, p. 151. 2 Appendix to Case of United States, vol. vi, p. 34. Ripley, of the 18th November, 1861, information is said to have been received from him that the steamer City of Washington would leave Liverpool on the 6th of November, having on board 12,955 Enfield rifles from Dresden, 500 sabers, 800 revolvers, one case of bullet-molds. The steamer Saxonia, leaving Southampton on the 6th, was to bring 7,000 cavalry carbines and 500 sabers; the steamer Fulton, (November 12,) 20,000 percussion rifles; the steamer leaving Hamburg on the 17th of November, 30,000 more.1 The War Department had written repeatedly and pressingly to Colonel Schuyler on the subject of his mission. On the 2d of September the Secretary wrote: "We need arms; secure them at any reasonable price and forward without delay." Again, on the 16th, "I trust that nothing will delay a prompt delivery of the arms which you have purchased. You will please express my acknowledgments to Messrs. Baring, Brothers & Co., for their prompt and patriotic action in facilitating your operations." On the 8th of October, "I notice, with much regret, that there are no guns sent. * * Prompt and early shipments of guns are desirable. We hope to hear by next steamer that you have shipped from 80,000 to 100,000." And, on the 21st of October, "the Department earnestly hopes to receive by the Arago the 12,000 Enfield rifles, and the remainder of the 27,000, which you state you have purchased, by the earliest steamer following. * Could you appreciate the circumstances by which we are surrounded you would readily understand the urgent necessity there is for the immediate delivery of all the arms you are authorized to purchase."3 In the summer or autumn of 1861 Mr. J. R. Schuyler and Mr. Tomes, of the firm of Schuyler, Hartley & Graham, of New York, visited Birmingham, and, after communicating with the principal rifle, bayonet, and sword manufacturers there, gave orders for as many of those articles as their respective manufactories were capable of sup[53] plying, *the goods to be paid for on delivery to them at a place to be subsequently named, or on shipment. Messrs. Schuyler and Tomes made no concealment of the fact that these arms were destined for the American Government, and they intimated their intention of continuing unlimited orders for a period of two years. They took warehouses in Birmingham for the receipt of the arms when completed, and shipped them through the agency of Messrs. Baring Brothers and Messrs. Brown, Shipley & Co., of Liverpool. It appears from the returns made to Congress of arms purchased by the United States War Department up to December, 1861, that 8,650 rifles and 232 revolvers of English manufacture had at that time been supplied by Messrs. Schuyler, Hartley & Graham; but Mr. Schuyler is also believed to have acted as agent for the purchase of arms for the State of New York. Messrs. Schuyler and Tomes were soon followed to Birmingham by a Mr. Lockwood, of New York, who had entered into a contract for the supply of rifles, bayonets, and swords to the War Department at Washington. He also gave unlimited orders for such articles, acting, however, to some extent, in concert with Messrs. Schuyler and Tomes, and shipping the goods through the agency of the same houses at Liverpool. The effect of these orders was to raise the prices in the Birmingham gun-trade to the extent of 20 per cent.; indeed, the price of rifles rose from 52s. to 758. each.4 On the 4th of December, 1861, it was deemed expedient under circumstances then existing, as a temporary measure of precaution to prohibit altogether, by proclamation, the exportation of arms and munitions of war, and Messrs. Schuyler and Tomes countermanded their orders in consequence, the former proceeding to Liege, the latter remaining at Birmingham. The proclamation was practically revoked in the course of January, and formally on the 7th of February, 1862. While it was in force it, of course, operated equally against both belligerents. It appears from the report of the commissioner on contracts for arms that, by the concurrent action of the Secretary of State, Assistaut Secretary of War, and Secretary of the Treasury, M. Laumont Du Pont, of the firm of E. J. Du Pont & Co., of Wilmington, Delaware, had twice visited England, furnished with a credit of £82,700 78. 1d. upon Messrs. Baring Brothers, and purchased and shipped saltpeter at a cost of £79,699 16s. 8d. The large purchases of saltpeter which were made toward the close of November, 1861, drained the whole English market, and it was thought prudent to issue a proclamation prohibiting the exportation of that article, which was subsequently revoked at the same Mr. Adams wrote to Mr. time as that respecting the export of arms. Seward on the 24th of January, 1862-" The only event of any impor tance connected with American affairs that has happened during the last week is the revocation of the orders prohibiting the exportation of arms and munitions of war. This will release the large quantity of saltpeter in the hands of parties here, and will probably renew the activity of the confederate emissaries in forwarding supplies to the insurgents."2 Mr. Seward replied, on the 13th of February-"It affords us pleasure to know that the inhibition against the exportation of saltpeter, which was so unnecessary, has been rescinded." Mr. F. B. Crowninshield is understood to have acted as agent for the States of Massachusetts and Ohio. His address in London was at the office of the United States consulate, No. 67 Gracechurch street. The Birmingham Small-Arms Company forwarded by his order 16,400 rifles to the care of Messrs. Baring Brothers, at Liverpool, for shipment to the United States, between the months of May and December, 1861. Mr. Crowninshield also ordered large quantities of arms and 10,000 sets of military accouterments from firms in London, which were forwarded and shipped from Liverpool and Southampton.* Besides these purchases many were made by private firms, who sold or contracted to supply arms to the Government of the United States. On the 14th of January, 1862, Mr. Donald McCay wrote to Earl Russell, stating that he had lately come to England with the intention of purchasing marine steam-engines and iron armor-plates for men-ofwar ships, but that the manufacturers who could furnish them objected to enter into any contract on account of the possible risks in shipping these articles. He inquired whether Her Majesty's government would allow the shipment of them to the United States. Messrs. James Jack & Co., a manufacturing firm of Liverpool, wrote, on the 16th of the same month, stating that they were offered orders on behalf of the Government of the United States for the construction of gun-boat towers and armor-plates, and asking whether it would be considered improper for them, as British subjects, to undertake the execution of these works at the time. Both applicants were informed that there was not any impediment to their undertaking such works or shipments.1 The Liverpool, New York and Philadelphia Steamship Com[54] pany addressed Lord Russell *on the 31st of January, on the question of the exportation of arms to the United States. They said that, on the issue of the Queen's proclamation of the 13th May, 1861, they had given notice to all their shippers that they could not carry contraband of war. They had subsequently been asked to carry forward the cargo of the steamer Bremen, built in England, but sailing under the Bremen flag, and a competitor with them in the Atlantic trade, which they had engaged to do, but finding on the arrival of the cargo at Hull, en route for Liverpool, that it comprised about 600 cases of rifles, they refused to carry them. A somewhat similar case had occurred with goods from Antwerp. On their refusing to carry these goods they had received information from the Continent that, if they would not do it, the goods would be sent to London, and thence by railway to Southampton, whence there was no difficulty in shipping them by the Hamburg company's steamers, (built in England, but sailing under the Hamburg flag,) and they had reason to believe that this course had been regularly adopted, and that the arms they had refused to carry the day before were being shipped that day by another British steam-conveyance from Liverpool. They found that their own refusal had tended to prejudice them with their customers, and particularly with the United States Government, who had transferred the mail service from them to the German companies. The reply to the company, dated the 12th of February, merely referred them to the Gazette of the 7th of that month, whereby the temporary prohibition of the export of munitions of war had been formally removed.2 A statement made by Lord Russell to Mr. Adams, and the reply of the latter, are recorded in a dispatch to Lord Lyons of the 19th December, 1861, as follows: In regard to the export of arms and ammunition to the Confederate States, I had lately read the opinion of the attorney-general,3 and believed it was in entire couformity with the provisions of the foreign-enlistment act: warlike equipment of a vessel was prohibited; the loading a vessel with arms and ammunition was not prohibited. But in point of fact a much greater amount of arms and ammunition had been sent to the Federal States, where there was no obstacle to the export or the import, than to the ports of the Confederate States, which were blockaded. Mr. Adams admitted this to be the fact, and said he had refrained from pressing a more rigorous compliance with the foreign-enlistment act for this reason.* Lord Russell returned to the subject in a conversation which was reported by Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward on the 22d May, 1862.5 Mr. Adams, in compliance with instructions from his Government, had pressed on Lord Russell the expediency of revoking the recognition of the belligerent status of the confederate government, and had mentioned, in connection with this subject, the irritation produced in the United States by the reports of supplies furnished by private persons in England to the confederates. Lord Russell said "that large supplies of similar materials had been obtained in England on the part of the United States, which had been freely transported and effectively used against the insurgents." "I answered," said Mr. Adams, "by admitting that at one time a quantity of arms and military stores had been Appendix to British Case, vol. vi, pp. 159, 160. Appendix to British Case, vol. vi, pp. 160-162. 3 This was, no doubt, in the case of the Bermuda. See Appendix to British Case, vol. ii, p. 138. 4 Appendix to British Case, vol. vi, p. 159. 5 Appendix to Case of United States, vol. i, p. 536. purchased here as a purely commercial transaction, for the use of the Federal Army, but that I had early objected to this practice for the reason that it prevented me from pressing my remonstrances against a very different class of operations carried on by friends and sympathizers with the rebels in this island, and it had been discontinued. We had, indeed, purchased largely in Austria, but that government had never given any countenance to the insurgents." Lord Russell's views are given in a note to Mr. Adams of the 17th May, inclosed in this dispatch. It may be observed that the agents of the confederate government, if the correspondence presented by the United States is to be believed, had themselves at this time been drawing supplies from Austria, and that Major Huse had been endeavoring to ship ten batteries of Austrian field-guns at Hamburg, and was about to invest in 20,000 Austrian rifles then in the Vienna arsenal.1 Mr. Adams was, however, mistaken in supposing that the practice of buying arms in England for the United States Government had been discontinued. Messrs. Naylor, Vickers & Co., of New York, Liverpool, and London, bought and shipped to the United States large quantities of small-arms. They were supplied from Birmingham alone with 156,000 rifles between June, 1862, and July, 1863. They acted very extensively as agents of the United States Government, and submitted to that Government large proposals from the Birmingham Small-Arms Company. The Assist ant Secretary of War at Washington, in a letter addressed to [55] them on the 20th October, 1862, *directly sanctioned an arrange ment for the supply of 100,000 rifles, and the acceptance of this order was duly notified to the Secretary of War by a letter from Birmingham, dated November 4, 1862. The arms were sent to Liverpool for shipment. In December, 1863, fifty 68-pounder guns were proved at the royal arsenal at Woolwich, at the request of Messrs. T. and C. Hood, and after proof taken away by Messrs. Naylor & Co., and shipped to New York. Mr. Marcellus Hartley, of the firm of Schuyler, Hartley & Graham, already mentioned, was also a large purchaser of smallarms in London during the latter half of the year 1862.2 The general results of these operations may be traced in the official returns of exports from Great Britain to the northern ports of the United States, published by the board of trade. These show that, whereas the average yearly exports of small-arms to those ports for the years 1858, 1859, and 1860, were 18,329, they rose, in 1861, to 44,904; in 1862, to 343,304; and amounted, in 1863, to 124,928. These are the recorded shipments of small-arms; but there is reason to believe that other shipments, to a considerable extent, were made under the denomination of hardware. Of exports of parts of arms there is no record prior to 1862. In that year they were valued at £21,050; in 1863, they rose to £61,589; in 1864, they still amounted to £10,616; and the average for subsequent years has sunk to £4,249. Of percussion-caps, the average export in the years 1858, 1859, and 1860, was 55,620,000; in 1863 it rose to 171,427,000; and, in 1864, was 102,587,000. Of cannon and other ordnance, the exports in the year 1862 alone were valued at £82,920; while the aggregate value of the exports for the other nine years, from 1858 to 1861, and from 1863 to 1867, was but £3,336. The exports of saltpeter for the years 1858 to 1861 had averaged 248 tons yearly. The purchases for the United States Government raised 1 See Appendix to Case of the United States, vol. i, p. 539; vol. vi, p. 69. 2 Appendix to British Case, vol. vi, pp. 1883-193. 18 A-II |