602 



NAVY, CONFEDERATE. 



Lafayette was captured, Capt. Small produced 

 his British consular certificate and remarked 

 he supposed that would be sufficient protection. 

 Captain Semmes replied, " The New York peo- 

 ple are getting very smart, but it won't save 

 you ; it's all a hatched up mess." He then gave 

 orders to burn the ship. It was the case that 

 the property of a large circle of merchants 

 known to Capt. Semmes was respected much 

 more scrupulously than that of strangers. It 

 is obvious that, as 290 merchants were subscrib- 

 ers to build the Alabama, any of their names 

 upon a manifest would be a safe passport. 



When the news of these depredations reached 

 New York great excitement was created. The 

 insurance companies advanced the war risks. 

 British consular certificates were in demand, 

 and freights were placed in British bottoms 

 rather than American. The New York Cham- 

 ber of Commerce held a meeting in relation to 

 the matter, on the 21st day of October, and a 

 series of resolutions were adopted. 



Captain C. H. Marshall submitted the follow- 

 ing letter from the Secretary of the Navy : 



NAVY DEPARTMENT, "WASHINGTON, 1862. 



SIR : I received your letter of the 14th instant, also 

 your letter of yesterday, referring to it, inquiring, as 

 the chairman of a special committee of the Chamber 

 of Commerce, what measures have been taken to cap- 

 ture the rebel pirate Alabama, and also whether the 

 Government will grant commissions to private vessels, 

 if fitted out under promise of reward by citizens, for 

 that purpose. An earlier reply to the inquiry of the 

 committee has been unavoidably delayed. The depart- 

 ment has several vessels in search of the Alabama, in 

 addition to the flying squadron of Acting Rear Ad- 

 miral Wilkes in the West Indies, and other ships of 

 war on the European coast. Additional force will be 

 despatched in this service as early as practicable. 

 There is no authority for granting commissions to pri- 

 vate vessels to search for the Alabama or other pirati- 

 cal vessels or privateers. I am, respectfully, your 

 obedient servant, 



GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. 



C. H. MARSHALL, Esq., Chairman. 



The events also produced some excitement 

 in England. The vessels destroyed and threat- 

 ened were those sailing under the Federal 

 flag. But vessels so sailing have hitherto 

 carried more property of British owners than 

 of any others. And as Capt. Semmes burns 

 vessels and cargoes without distinction, and 

 the cargo is commonly much more valuable 

 than the vessel, the English, as a neutral na- 

 tion, have hitherto been, probably, the chief 

 sufferers. Time, of course, soon changed this 

 aspect of the case. Vessels under the Federal 

 flag became by so much less eligible for safe 

 conveyance ; and, though a corresponding pre- 

 mium of insurance will always cover the war 

 risk, it in this case so enhanced the ordinary 

 charges as to put Federal vessels to a very 

 serious disadvantage in the market of freight ; 

 thus affording some compensation to English 

 interests. 



An attempt was made to obtain redress from 

 the Confederate Government for British losses 

 in the manner indicated in the following cor- 

 respondence : 



To his Excellency the JBritish Minister, Washington : 

 PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 1 1862. 



EXCELLENCY : As a British subject and a shipper 

 of merchandise upon the ship Tonawanda, lately 

 overhauled by the Confederate war steamer Alabama, 

 I beg most respectfully to call your attention to this 

 matter. 



The Tonawanda, as you are no doubt aware, was re- 

 leased from capture, and allowed to proceed on her 

 voyage under a bond of $60,000, as a ransom, and this 

 sum will be rated upon ship and cargo by the average 

 staters, on her arrival in Liverpool. 



I respectfully suggest that your Excellency make 

 application to the Government of the Confederate 

 States that consent be given that all sums so rated 

 upon property belonging bona fide to British subjects 

 be remitted, and that the same shall be deducted from 

 amount of said bond of $60,000, with similar proceed- 

 ings in all such cases as may arise. 



I have also merchandise on board the ship Lancas- 

 ter, American, now in this port, and advertised to sail 

 on Tuesday next. To my bills of lading, which the 

 captain takes with him, I have attached the British 

 consul's certificate that the property belongs to British 

 subjects ; but, as it is feared that this may not be suffi- 

 cient to save from destruction, in the event of capture, 

 I beg that your Excellency will be so good as to fur- 

 nish me with a letter protesting, as the highest British 

 authority in this countrv, against the destruction of 

 British merchandise, to be used by the captain of the 

 Lancaster, if necessary. Any cost attending such let- 

 ter I will gratefully pay, and trust your Excellency 

 will think that I only do right in seeking to protect 

 my friends in England from loss, for whom I have 

 shipped these goods, by appealing thus to our own 

 Government. 



It will mitigate the horrors of this war if your Ex- 

 cellency shall succeed in preventing the destruction of 

 ships holding certificates of British property, and it 

 will be but just that British merchants should be ex- 

 empt from contributing to the ransom of ships and 

 merchandise belonging to belligerents. I cannot but 

 think that your Excellency's protest, which I ask for, 

 will be respected on the seas, and also that the Con- 

 federate Government will readily grant the exemption 

 desired. 



Your immediate action in these matters will, I feel 

 certain, be satisfactory to yourself, and will be hailed 

 with much gratitude by British merchants every- 

 where, and meet with the approval of the home Gov- 

 ernment. 



I have the honor to be your Excellency's most obe- 

 dient servant, W. H. TR'ENWITH. 



WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 1868. 

 W. II. TEENWITH, Esq., Philadelphia: 



SIR : I have received your letter of the 7th instant, 

 in which you suggest that I should make an applica- 

 tion to the Government of the so-styled Confederate 

 States with reference to the ransom of British prop- 

 erty on board American vessels, in consequence of the 

 recent proceedings of the war steamer Alabama ; and 

 that I should furnish you with a letter of protest, 

 for the purpose of protecting some merchandise which 

 you have shipped on board the American ship Lan- 

 caster. 



While greatly regretting the risk to which British 

 property is exposea by being shipped in belligerent 

 vessels, it is not in my power to accede to either of 

 your suggestions. 



You are aware that the so-styled Confederate States 

 have not been recognized by her Majesty the Queen, 

 and for that reason I shall not be justified in entering 

 into communication with the Government of those 

 States, except under special instructions from her Maj- 

 esty's Government. Neither do I feel at liberty to sup- 

 ply you antecedently with the protest which you desire, 

 having no authority to issue such a document, and 

 seeing no reason to believe that it would insure a more 

 effective protection to your goods upon the high seas 



