Governor Ord, in his report to the Duke of Newcastle, says: "I have the honor to acquaint your Excellency "that these Islands were visited, on the 30th ultimo, by "the Confederate States paddle-wheel steamer Nashville, "commanded by Lieut. Peagram."1 The Duke of Newcastle, in sending this report to the Foreign office, describes her as the "Confederate States steam vessel "Nashville." In point of fact her character as a ship of war is conceded in the British Case, as on page 20 it is stated that she was commissioned as a ship of war, and that "her commander applied for leave to draw a supply of coals, " etc. And in the letter of Earl Russell to Mr. Adams, replying to the claim by Mr. Adams, that she was not a vessel of war, found on page 21, it is said, "the undersigned has to state that the Nashville appears "to be a Confederate vessel of war: her commander and "officers have commissions in the so-styled Confederate "navy. "

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She was allowed to coal at Bermuda, and it was known to Governor Ord, when he saw her taking on coal, as he did, that, when she left Charleston, "it was intended to coal at Bermuda.' He also knew that she was a vessel of war, and that she was on her way to England, for he says, "she has every chance of reaching England un"molested by the United States vessels of war."

She could not run the blockade with a full supply of coal, as she had been compelled to diminish her draught for that purpose; therefore, she was short of effective power as a vessel of war when she left her home port.

1 Brit. App., vol. II, p. 87.

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid., p. 88.

An increase of her supply of coal, beyond what she had originally on leaving Charleston, would augment her naval force, and if she left her home port with the intention of thus augmenting her power when she arrived at Bermuda, and the Governor, with a knowledge of that intention, allowed it to be done, he did suffer the insurgents to make use of that port of Her Majesty's dominions, as a base of naval operations against the United States. The run from Charleston to Bermuda, as has been seen, occupied but little more than three days. On arrival, her supply of coal was exhausted. Her voyage from Bermuda to Southampton lasted from the 4th to the 21st of November, or between seventeen and eighteen days. To enable her to make that voyage, she had permission to take on board six hundred tons of coal.1 It now appears she only took four hundred and forty two and a half, or four hundred and seventy two and a half tons; but it matters little whether this was the true amount, or that which was originally supposed and reported by the Governor. Either was sufficient to enable her to reach and destroy the Harvey Birch on the 19th, within two days run of Southampton. Without this supply that capture could not have been made.

3

In the British Counter Case it is said, "no act appears "to have been done by the Governor, and no permission "asked or granted." Therefore, it is claimed there was no permission given to coal, At the same time, it is admitted the Governor suffered the taking on of an unlimited supply.

After leaving Nassau, and after the destruction of the

1 Gov. Ord to Duke of Newca tle, Brit. App., vol II. p. 87.

2 Brit. App. C.-Case, vol, V. p. 13.

3 Page 70.

Harvey Birch, she arrived at Southampton, and was permitted to repair and coal. On her way from Southampton to a port of the insurgents, she stopped again at Bermuda from the 20th to the 24th of February, and took on coal from the British ship Mohawk.'

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This was only a few days after the Governor had informed the Consul of the United States, that it had been "decided not to allow the formation, in any British colony, of a coal depot for the use of" the vessels of war of the insurgents or the United States. After leaving Bermuda, and before attempting to enter any port of the insurgents, she destroyed one vessel.

From this it will be seen, that the Nashville received her entire supplies, during her career as a vessel of war, from the ports of Great Britain.

THE RETRIBUTION.

This was a sailing vessel of about one hundred tons measurement, and one small gun on deck, which, early in the year 1863, cruised for a short time about the Bahama Banks. Her first officer was Vernon Locke, who either had been, or afterwards became, a clerk for Adderley and Co. at Nassau."

1 Brit. App., vol. II, p. 128.

2 Am. App., vol. VI, p 213.

3 Brit. App., C.-Case, Vol V, p. 193.

Ibid. p. 190.

Ibid, p. 196.

It does not appear from the evidence furnished by either of the Governments, when or where she was armed or commissioned. She was originally a steam tug, and employed at Buffalo, in the State of New York, upon Lake Erie. Just before the outbreak of the rebellion, she was taken into the service of the United States and brought to the Atlantic coast. Being driven by stress of weather into Cape Fear River, she was, just previous to the attack on Fort Sumter, seized by the insurgents.' The United States have no knowledge of the use made of her after that time, until she appeared upon her cruise.

About the 28th of January, 1863, she captured the schooner Hanover, which was taken by Locke, the first officer of the Retribution (as is supposed) to Long Cay, a small island of the Bahamas. She was accompanied to that island by the schooner Brothers, owned by the Messrs. Farrington, doing business at that place. Locke, on his arrival, assumed the name of the master of the Hanover, as it appeared upon her papers, and "consigned to Mr Richard Farrington.' His object was to sell the cargo, and he made a statement of the reasons which induced him to come into port, which Farrington said he doubted, "but " did not see any impropriety in "his acting as the Captain's agent," "inasmuch as the Captain came to him properly documented." A part of the cargo was sold at Long Cay, and a part was shipped on the schooner Brothers to Nassau, and there placed in charge of James T. Farrington, Esq., sen., one of the magistrates of Fortune Island (Long Cay). The Hanover

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1 Am. App., vol. VI, p. 736.

2 Brit. App., C.-Case, vol. V, p. 168.

3 Ibid., 168.

Ibid., 165, 189.

3

was at the same time loaded with salt and sailed for one of the ports of the insurgents. 1

Complaint as to these transactions was made to the Governor of the Bahamas on the 11th of March, and he requested the advice of the Attorney General as to "what steps ought to be taken." The Attorney General replied, on the 16th, "that the Collector of the Revenue, "if he had any cause to suspect the character of the "vessel and cargo, should at once have arrested both." On the 20th of April, a Mr. Burnside, a magistrate of Inagua, made a statement of facts, as he had ascertained them upon an enquiry instituted for that purpose. This statement was laid before Mr. Seward by Lord Lyons, and, on the 24th of June, Mr. Seward took occasion to say to his lordship, that "the information thus com"municated is acceptable, so far as it goes, but is not "deemed altogether conclusive. There still remains a "painful doubt on the mind of this Government, whether "the authorities and others at Long Cay were, as Mr. "Burnside thinks, ignorant that the Hanover was a

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prize to the Retribution. I shall be happy if the enquiry "shall be prosecuted so far as may be necessary to "show that the undoubted just intentions of Her Majesty's "Government have been obeyed." Lord Lyons, on the 30th of June, informed Mr. Seward that he should "lose. "no time in communicating this request to Her Majesty's "Government and to the Governor of the Bahamas." " The enquiry does not, however, seem to have been prose

1 Brit. App., C.-Case, vol. V, p. 165.

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid., p. 166.

Ibid., p. 167.

Ibid., p. 170.

Ibid.