IX. THE SHENANDOAH. Open hostilities were commenced by the insurgents against the Government of the United States, on the 12th of April 1861, by an attack on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston and State of South Carolina. Previous to that time, W. L. Yancey, P. A. Rost and A. Dudley Mann had been appointed by the insurgent President" a commission" to the Government of her Britannic Majesty. They proceeded to London and on the Saturday previous to the 11th day of May (being the 4th) were admitted by Earl Russell to an informal interview.1 On the 30th of April, Fraser, Trenholm and Co., a branch at Liverpool of the commercial house of John Fraser and Co. at Charleston, became the "financial agents and depositaries" of the insurgent government 1 Russell to Lyons, Am. App., vol. I. p. 37. through whom "contracts required abroad " were to be carried out.1 66 On the 10th of May the insurgent Congress authorised the Presidc.t "to cause to be purchased, if possible, "otherwise to be constructed, with the least possible delay, in France or England, one or two war steamers "of the most modern and improved description, with a powerful armament and fully equipped for service.' On the same day another act was passed making an appropriation" to enable the Navy Department to send 66 66 an agent abroad to purchase six steam propellers, in " addition to those before authorized." Of the sums appropriated by these acts and others which had preceded them, "six hundred thousand dollars" were placed at once in England and agents dispatched abroad to purchase gunboats.* On the first of July the insurgent Secretary of War, in a letter of instruction to a Mr. Charles Green, who had been appointed to go to London and act with Captain Huse and Major Anderson in the purchase of arms, etc., desired him to give or cause to be given special attention to the shipments. It is then said, "in this "connection it is proper to remark that Captain North, of "the Confederate States Navy, is now in Europe to pur"chase vessels for this government, and it is probable that, being a British subject, you might secure the ship“ments under British colors." About the same time James D. Bullock was appointed 1 Am. App., vol. VI, pp. 29 an 1 182. 2 Am. App., vol. VI, p. 29. 3 Ibid. p. 30. Ibid, p. 31. 5 Ibid, p. 30. 'Head Agent of the Confederate Navy in England. He at once went to England and established his "headquarters" at Liverpool, in one of the rooms of the office of Fraser, Trenholm and Co., the "financial agents and depositaries." 2 As early as the 4th of July the Consul of the United States at that port (Liverpool) informed the Head Constable of the city and the Collector of Customs of the port that he had reason to believe Bullock had "come to England for the purpose of procuring vessels to be "fitted as privateers to cruise against the commerce of "the United States, and that he will make Liverpool the scene of his operations." " 66 66 On the 14th of August, the above named commissioners, having on "two different occasions " before "verbally and unofficially informed " Earl Russell of their appointment, took occasion to address to him a formal communication in writing, and in that communication, among other things, said "this Government [that of the 66 66 66 66 66 insurgents] commenced its career entirely without a Navy..... The people of the Confederate States are an agricultural, not a manufacturing or a commercial people. They own but few ships.... But it is far otherwise with the people of the present United States.... They do a large part of the carrying trade of the "world. Their ships and commerce afford them the sinews of war, and keep their industry afloat. To cripple this industry and commerce, to destroy their ships or cause them to be dismantled and tied up to their 66 66 66 1 Testimony of Prioleau, Am. App., vol. VI, p. 186. 2 Ibid. 3 Am. App., vol. VII, p. 72. 66 rotting wharves, are legitimate objects and means of "warfare." 1 On the next day (the 15th) Mr. Adams addressed Earl Russell as follows: "From information furnished from "sources which appear to me entitled to credit, I feel it 66 my duty to apprise Her Majesty's Government that a "violation of the act prohibiting the fitting out of vessels "for warlike purposes is on the point of being committed "in one of the ports of Great Britain, whereby an armed "steamer is believed to be about to be dispatched with "the view of making war against the people of the United "States. It is stated to me that a new screw steamer, "called the Bermuda, ostensibly owned by the commer"cial house of Fraser, Trenholm and Levy, of Liverpool, "well known to consist in part of Americans in sym 66 pathy with the insurgents in the United States, is now lying at West Hartlepool, ready for sea. She is stated "to carry English colors, but to be commanded by a "Frenchman." 1 To this Earl Russell replied on the 22d of the same month that he had been advised by the Law Officers of the Crown "there is not sufficient "evidence to warrant any interference with the clear"ance or the sailing of the vessel. " 66 This vessel turned out to be only a "transport," and not an armed vessel of war," and the United States admit that the evidence, then in the possession of the two Governments, might not have been sufficient to justify her condemnation by the courts upon the proper proceed ngs instituted for such purpose, but they insist that the com 1 Am. App., vol. I, p. 336. plaint of Mr. Adams, following so closely as it did upon the remarkable communication of the insurgents already quoted, was worthy of being kept in the remembrance of Her Majesty's Secretary of Foreign Affairs. As has been seen, Bullock contracted in Liverpool shortly after his arrival for the construction of the Florida; not long after a contract was made for the Alabama; and later still others for the Alexandra and the Laird ironclads at Liverpool, and for the Georgia and Pampero (or Canton), at Glasgow. A purchase was also made of one of Her Majesty's cast off gun boats, the Victor, afterwards known as the Rappahannock. 1 The Florida, Alabama, and Georgia (the first two, after having been made the subject of special complaint by the United States to Her Majesty's Government) escaped from the ports of Great Britain, and their ravages upon the commerce of the United States formed the subject of much correspondence between the two governments. As early as the 20th November, 1862, Mr. Adams called the attention of Earl Russell to this subject by letter, and in so doing said: "I have the honor to inform your lordship of the "directions which I have received from my government "to solicit redress for the national and private injuries already thus sustained, as well as a more effective pre"vention of any repetition of such lawless and injurious proceedings in Her Majesty's ports hereafter." 66 66 The Alexandra was made the subject of judicial proceedings, and Her Majesty's Government, through the inefficiency of its laws as actually administered, was compelled to pay to the insurgents damages and costs for the detention. 1 Am. App., vol. VI, p. 174. 2 Adams to Russell, Nov. 20, 1862, Am. App., vol. I. p. 666. |