BLOCKADE. 



193 



after some months' residence at Florence, died 

 from an attack of apoplexy. Dr. Bethune was 

 profoundly versed in the earlier and later Eng- 

 lish literature, and had achieved distinction as 

 a writer by his careful editing of the " British 

 Female Poets with Biographical and Critical 

 Notices," and his admirable edition of Izaak 

 Walton's "Complete Angler," for which his 

 own fondness for piscatorial sports also quali- 

 fied him. His original works also possessed 

 great merits. Among these were "Lays of 

 Love and Faith," a volume of poems remark- 

 able for their beauty of sentiment and their 

 mellifluous rhythm; ""Fruits of the Spirit," a 

 volume of sermons; and two smaller works, 

 "Early Lost Early Saved" and "The History 

 of a Penitent." One of his latest public efforts 

 before leaving his native city for his last voy- 

 age to Europe, was a speech delivered at the 

 great mass meeting at Union Park, April 20, 



1861, in which with more than his ordinary 

 fire and eloquence he gave utterance to his 

 patriotic emotions. 



BLOCKADE. The Federal blockade of the 

 Confederate ports continued unchanged during 



1862. Some questions of interest arose in Eng- 

 land during the year as to its efficiency. But 

 being the great commercial nation of Europe, 

 the views adopted by her were readily acqui- 

 esced in by other governments, whose com- 

 merce was less obstructed. 



The first question relative to the effectiveness 

 of the blockade was raised by the commissioner 

 from the Confederate States to London, John 

 M. Mason, of Virginia. It was presented in 

 the following letter to Earl Kussell, the British 

 Minister for Foreign Affairs : 



109 PICCADILLY, Feb. 17, 1862. 



I have the honor to transmit to your lordship here- 

 with (by permission) returns of vessels entered and 

 cleared at the blockaded ports of the Confederate 

 States of America at the respective dates to which 

 they refer. Your lordship will observe that the returns 

 from the ports of Charleston and Savannah are only 

 up to the 31st of October last ; from New Orleans, Mo- 

 bile, Pensacola, and Lavada, to the dates given in 

 August ; and from Wilmington till 10th September. 

 Your lordship will further observe, that in the list 

 from New Orleans a large number were inland by the 

 river Mississippi, and therefore involved no question 

 of a breach of blockade. Wishing to be perfectly 

 frank, it may be proper to remark also, that others 

 from some of the ports may have been quari inland ; 

 that is to say, through the estuaries and sounds along 

 the coast. I state as an example, from New Orleans to 

 Mobile, where the route for small vessels may or may 

 not have been through the inland sounds. But in re- 

 gard to the latter, I do not see why the obligations of 

 a blockade do not extend as fully to them as by access 

 to the port from the open sea. These estuaries or 

 sounds are accessible by inlets from the sea, and, if 

 not guarded, the port to which they lead may be reach- 

 ed as successfully by sea going vessels of light draft 

 through those channels as by a direct sea route. That 

 the Government of the United States so considered, is 

 proved by the fact thdt the inland sea communication 

 between New Orleans and Mobile, Charleston and Sa- 

 vannah, and perhaps other places, is claimed to be 

 blockaded by naval forces of that Government. The 

 transcripts herewith were furnished me by my Govern- 

 ment, to be communicated to vour lordship. Although 

 VOL. II. 18 



purporting to be copies of the original returns, they 

 were copies made at the proper department at Rich- 

 mond from those returns, and are therefore authentic. 

 I ask permission also to include herewith a printed list 

 of vessels entered and cleared at ports in Cuba from 

 and to the blockaded ports of the Confederate States. 

 These, for the most part, are enumerated in September ; 

 and all for the months of November and December are, 

 of course, not included in the transcripts from my 

 Government. This paper, sent to me from Havana, 

 was taken from official documents there by a gentle- 

 man of intelligence and integrity, well known to me, 

 and worthy of entire reliance. The marginal notes 

 are, of course, unofficial. The fact (assumed) of the 

 arrival of the vessels cleared (at their ports of destina- 

 tion) was matter of notoriety, from me almost daily 

 intercourse between Havana and these ports. I have 

 no official returns from my Government for the months 

 of November, December, and January, to be accounted 

 for in the fact that until very recently it could not be 

 known when I might reach London. But, as your 

 lordship is doubtless aware, breaches of the blockade 

 at most if not all of these ports by vessels of large as 

 well as of small tonnage, both inward and outward 

 bound, have been, during the last three months, and 

 yet are, constantly reported. J. M. MASON. 



Previous to this communication various re- 

 ports had been sent in by the British naval offi- 

 cers and consuls respecting the blockade. 



Consul Bunch, in a series of letters from 

 Charleston, extending from the 15th of May to 

 the 4th of September, 1861, frequently alluded 

 to the inefficiency of the blockade of that port, 

 as shown by the facility with which vessels 

 continued to enter and leave the port. 



Commander Hickley, of H. M. ship Gladia- 

 tor, represented, under date of July 23, that 

 the blockade of the Southern coast was merely 

 nominal. 



Commander Lyons, of the Kacer, writing in 

 July, represented that Savannah and Charleston 

 were effectually blockaded, but many other 

 harbors and inlets along the coast were per- 

 fectly free from blockade. The same officer, 

 on the 19th of December, reported some in- 

 stances of breaking the blockade at Charleston 

 and Wilmington, and inferred therefrom that 

 the blockade, either intentionally or through 

 want of ordinary vigilance, was not effective. 



Captain Eoss, of the Desperate, reports the 

 result of a visit to Galveston in December. 

 The blockading ships were visible, and he was 

 of opinion that vessels might easily escape from 

 Galveston or St. Louis Pass. At the other 

 ports which he visited the blockade was gener- 

 ally actively maintained. 



The views entertained by the Government 

 from these and other representations, were ex- 

 pressed in a letter from Earl Kussell to Lord 

 Lyons, dated Feb. 15, 1862, two days earlier 

 than the date of Mr. Mason's note above. 

 They were as follows : 



FOREIGN OFFICE, Feb. 15, 1862. 



MY LORD: Her Majesty's Government have had 

 under their consideration the state of the blockade of 

 the ports of Charleston and Wilmington. It appears 

 from the reports received from her Majesty's naval 

 officers that, although a sufficient blockading force is 

 stationed off those ports, various ships have success- 

 fully eluded the blockade. A question might, there- 

 fore, be raised as to whether such a blockade should be 

 considered as effective. Her Majesty's Government, 



