manders of the different ships to report to me in writing, whether any officer under their command had acted contrary to my order. I find from the reports that four officers of the Challenger, four officers of the Cygnet, and one of the Greyhound had gone on board the confederate gun-vessel before my order was made known. 7. I regret that the captains and commanders of these ships should have given permission to their officers previous to communicating with me on the subject, though it was done entirely from thoughtlessness, forgetting that there could be any objection to it. The commander of the Cygnet was in hospital, and therefore is not responsible for the officers of that ship going on board the Alabama. 8. I annex a copy of a report from Commander Hickley relative to the tune of "Dixie's Land" having been played on board the Greyhound shortly after the Alabama anchored, and copy of a correspondence between him and Lieutenant Commander Blake, of the United States Navy, relative to the same. After the explanation that took place, Lieutenant Commander Blake expressed himself to Commander Hickley as perfectly satisfied that no British officer or gentleman would have been guilty of insulting gallant men suffering from a misfortune to which the chances of war render all liable. I severely reprimanded the lieutenant of the Greyhound who ordered the confederate air to be played, and he expressed his regret for having done so. 9. The fractures made by six large shot or shell near the water-line of the Alabama required extensive repairs, which could not be completed by the unAlabama sailed skillful workmen hired here before late in the afternoon of the 25th, and the Alabama sailed at 8.30 p. m. of the same evening. January 25. 10. In conclusion I have only to state that the confederate vessel was treated strictly in accordance with the instructions contained in Earl Russell's letter of the 31st January, 1862, and exactly as I shall act toward any United States man-of-war that may hereafter call here. 11. Two United States ships of war, the Richmond and Powhatan, arrived here in 1861, coaled and provisioned, and remained in port, the Richmond four days, and the Powhatan three days; the San Jacinto was also here, and remained four hours. I am, &c., HUGH DUNLOP. P. S.-I shall transmit a copy of this letter to the secretary of the admiralty. [Inclosure 2 in No. 6.] Commander Hickley to Commodore Dunlop. GREYHOUND, Port Royal, January 21, 1863. SIR: I have to acquaint you that, on the arrival of the Confederate States steamer 290, or Alabama, last evening, and while I was on board the Aboukir, dining with Captain Cracroft, I heard the well-known air of "Dixie's Land" being played by the drums and fifes of Her Majesty's ship Greyhound. I repaired on board immediately, and ordered several other national tunes to be played in succession; and, on making inquiry how such an error had been committed, I discovered that Lieutenant Cardale had directed the tune to be played in the hearing of the first lieutenant, who was on deck and in charge of the ship at the time. I have the honor to inclose a copy of my letter to Lieutenant Cardale on the point, with the answer, for your information, that you may be made aware of such a circumstance happening in presence of your pennant, and for which I have to express my great regret. I have, &c., H. D. HICKLEY. [270] [Inclosure 3 in No 6.] Commander Hickley to Lieutenant Cardale. GREYHOUND, Port Royal, January 21, 1863. SIR: I have to request that you will acquaint me in writing why you caused the well-known air of "Dixie's Land" to be played by the drums and fifes of Her Majesty's ship Greyhound, shortly after the arrival of the Confederate States vessel 290, or Alabama, in this port last evening, and while that vessel was lying close alongside us, that I may make the commodore aware of the fact immediately, inclosing your explanation at the same time with the letter reporting it. I have, &c., (Signed) H. D. HICKLEY. Inclosure 4 in No. 6.] Lieutenant Cardale to Commander Hickley. GREYHOUND, Port Royal, January 21, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date, and, in reply, beg to state that I ordered the drums and fifes of Her Majesty's ship Greyhound to play the tune called "Dixie's Land" during the course of the evening, they being up and playing at the time. I did it partly as a compliment to the confederate manof-war Alabama, partly as a tune we ask the bangee to play every night, simply because it is the ordinary usage and custom among the navies of civilized nations to play complimentary tunes to each other on such occasions. I believe, also, that there is no Federal man-of-war in harbor. I have, &c., CHAS. S. CARDALE. [Inclosure 5 in No. 6.] Lieutenant Gilby to Commander Hickley. GREYHOUND, Port Royal, January 22, 1863. SIR: It having been reported in your letter addressed to Commodore Hugh Dunlop, C. B., relative to the air of "Dixie's Land," played on the arrival of the Alabama, by the drums and fifes of Her Majesty's ship Greyhound, that I was on deek at the time, and in charge of the ship, thus making it appear that it was with my sanction and by my wish that such an air should be played, I think it only due to myself, and for my own justification, that I should explain more fully to you what share I had in this matter, and have to request that you will forward this my explanation to the commodore. On Tuesday evening, the 20th of January, I observed the flag-ship with her colors up after sunset. I asked the signal-man the reason, and he was not able to inform me. I then directed him to go to the mast-head, and report if anything was in sight. He reported a steamer, bark-rigged. I again sent him up, and he reported a French manof-war gunboat. The signal-boy, who came down afterwards, likewise reported the same. This vessel came in shortly after dark, and anchored alongside of us. No communication took place between the two ships. When I went on deck shortly afterward, I heard Mr. Cardale give the order for the drums and fifes to play "Dixie's Land," and believing that the vessel lately arrived was a French man-of-war I saw no reason to prohibit the tune being played. I beg to call to your notice that your arrival on board was the only notice I had that the vessel was any other than her colors naturally led me to believe her to be. While expressing my regret that such a mistake should have occurred while I was commanding officer, I have only to add that had I known, or even suspected, that the vessel was in either Federal or confederate employ, I should not have allowed such an air to be played. I have, &c., JOHN L. GILBY. [271] *[Inclosure 6 in No. 6.] Commander Hickley to Commodore Dunlop. GREYHOUND, Port Royal, January 24, 1863. SIR: Herewith I have the honor to inclose, for your information, a copy of a letter received this day from Lieutanant Commander Blake, United States Navy, together with my reply to the same. I have, &c., (Signed) [Inclosure 7 in No. 6.] H. D. HICKLEY. Lieutenant Commander Blake, U. S. N., to Commander Hickley. Kingston, Jamaica. Lieutenant Commander H. C. Blake, of the United States Navy, presents his com. pliments to the commander of Her Britannic Majesty's ship Greyhound, and desires to learn whether or not he is at liberty to consider the playing of Dixie's Land" by the band of the Greyhound, upon the arrival at Port Royal of the confederate steamer N Alabama on the evening of the 20th instant, as a mark of disrespect to the United States Government or its officers, who were prisoners on board of the Alabama at the period indicated. Lieutenant Commander H. C. Blake respectfully requests an early response. [Inclosure 8 in No. 6.] Commander Hickley to Lieutenant Commander Blake, U. S. N. GREYHOUND, Port Royal, Jamaica, January 24, 1863. Commander Hickley, R. N., presents his compliments to Lieutenant Commander Blake, United States Navy, and has to acquaint him that, on the evening in question, and at the time of the arrival of the Alabama, he was on board the Aboukir dining with Captain Cracroft, and shortly after the time of the officer of the guard reporting the Alabama's arrival he heard the drums and fifes of Her Majesty's ship Greyhound playing, among other tunes, the tune of "Dixie's Land;" that he immediately repaired on board, causing other national tunes to be played, among which was the United States national air; severely reprimanded the inconsiderate young officer who ordered Dixie's Land to be played, calling for his reasons in writing, and forwarding them forthwith with his report to Commodore Hugh Dunlop, who also severely reprimanded this officer. As the officer in question had no idea that any United States officer or man was on board the Alabama, it must be evident to Lieutenant Commander Blake that no insult was intended. No. 7. Sir F. Rogers to Mr. Hammond. DOWNING STREET, March 31, 1863. (Received April 1.) SIR: With reference to my letter of the 14th February, and to your reply of the same date, respecting the Confederate steamer Alabama, I am directed by the Duke of Newcastle to transmit to you, for the information of Earl Russell, the copy of a dispatch from the lieutenant governor of Jamaica reporting that the Alabama had left Port Royal on the 25th January. MY LORD DUKE: In reply to your Grace's dispatch of the 16th ultimo, in reference to the confederate steamer Alabama, I have the honor to report that that vessel left Port Royal on the 25th January last immediately her repairs were completed. I have, &c., (Signed) E. EYRE. No. 8. Consul Lennon-Hunt to Earl Russell. PERNAMBUCO, April 28, 1863. (Received May 22.) MY LORD: I have the honor to report to your lordship that, on the 26th instant, a Brazilian schooner arrived at this port bringing about sixty men, the masters and crews of various United States vessels captured and burnt at sea by the steam-vessel Alabama, of the Confederate States of North At Fernando de Noronha. April, 1864. America, between latitude 1° 20′ north and the island of Fernando de Noronha, a dependency of this province. About forty men more of the crews of the vessels which have been destroyed are expected to arrive here forthwith, and a further number, estimated at twenty-five, are reported to have volunteered for service on board of the Alabama. The president of this province, on learning that the Alabama had touched at the island of Fernando de Noronha, and that the governor had entertained the captain and provided him and his attendants with horses to go about the island, and had returned his official visit in uniform, immediately dispatched an officer in the Brazilian steam-vessel Mamanguape to inquire into these statements, to require Captain Semmes to leave the island within twenty-four hours, and to supersede the governor if what had been asserted should prove to be true. It was stated by some of the masters of the captured vessels that many of the hostile acts of the commander of the Alabama had been committed in Brazilian waters, within a marine league of the island of Noronha; all the evidence, however, which I have been able to collect tends to disprove this assertion. There is not, up to the present time, any ground for believing that the commander of the Alabama has infringed the neutrality of this state. On the other side, I beg to add, for the information of your lordship, a nominal list of the vessels to which the men who have arrived here belonged. I have, &c., G. LENNON-HUNT [Inclosure in No. 8.] List of United States vessels taken and burned by the confederate steamer Alabama. March 23.-Schooner Kingfisher, of Fairhaven, (whaler,) 121 tons; 36 barrels of oil. Burned same day. March 25.-Ship Nora, of Boston, 927 tons, from Liverpool, bound to Calcutta; 1,520 tons of salt. Burned on the following day. March 25.-Ship Charles Hill, 699 tons, from Liverpool to Montevideo, with 999 tons of salt; latitude 1° 23′ north. Burned on the following day. April 4.-Ship Louisa Hatch, of Rockland, 853 tons, 3° 30′ south, with 1,033 tons of coal for the Peninsular and Oriental Company, bound to Point de Galle, (Ceylon.) The Alabama having taken out a supply of coal off Fernando de Noronha, the vessel was burnt on the 19th instant. [273] *April 15.-Bark Lafayette of New Bedford, (whaler,) in 12° 3′ north. Burnt on the same day. April 15.-Schooner Kate Cory of Westport, 125 tons, (whaler.) Burnt on the 19th of April off Fernando de Noronha. No. 9. Extracts from correspondence published in Congress documents, "Papers relating to Foreign Affairs, 1862-63." Mr. Webb to Mr. Seward. [Extract.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: The English steamer brought me dispatches from ing. Before retiring to rest, I addressed to the Marquis our consul at Correspondence be tween United States minister and Brazilian government respecting reception of Alabama at Fernando de Noronha. d'Abrantes the dispatch marked No. 3; and, after it had been copied, on Tuesday morning, I took it in person to the Foreign Office. I saw the under-secretary, who informed me that the president of Pernambuco had reported to the government the proceedings of the Alabama at Fernando de Noronha, and that I would, probably, find the marquis at the Chamber of Deputies. I accordingly drove to the chamber, where, after great delay, I ascertained that he had gone to his residence on Botofoga Bay, some four miles distant, complaining of indisposition. We met at 4 o'clock, and after listening to my representations, in the course of which I pointed out the animus of the English consul in furnishing our consul with a copy of his report from the officers of the Oneida, which was calculated to excite ill blood between the United States and Brazil, he heartily expressed his regret at what had occurred, and his determination to have written me a note in anticipation of receiving one from me; in which note he intended to express the determination of the government to remove and otherwise punish the offending governor of Fernando de Noronha. I expressed my satisfaction at this, and said, I had refused to comply with the request of the undersecretary to leave the dispatch at the Foreign Office, because I antici pated the willingness of the government to act without prompting, in which case I could abstain from giving him the dispatch, and, therefore, had opened it myself, and obtained his consent to read it to him in advance, in order that I might withdraw it in case he was prepared to take the initiative; and I, accordingly, offered to retain my dispatch, and assume that I had not written it. He said, "No; your dispatch makes no claim at present, but leaves the whole question to the justice of Brazil; a compliment which we appreciate, and I will lay it before His Majesty the Emperor." I then informed him that it was my intention to have returned to Petropolis on that day. And as it was not possible to return until I had received an official communication from him on the subject, and forwarded it to you, I indulged the hope that he would give me his reply to my dispatch at his earliest convenience. He assured me it should be in my possession last evening. It failed to arrive, however, and at 9 o'clock this (Thursday) morning I was again at his house on Botofoga Bay, determined to have an interview with him before he went to his office or the senate, or the Chamber of Deputies, where he is in attendance daily, there being a kind of ministerial crisis pending, and it being the right and duty of ministers to speak in both houses in defense of their measures. He laughed at my pertinacity in persisting in having his reply in pos session at once, and promised it for this evening. It was whispered to me that a Brazilian coasting-steamer arrived last evening from Pernambuco, with two days' later news, which was the cause of my not getting a dispatch last night. I know not how [274] this may affect the question; but if the facts, on investigation, turn out as represented, I have not a doubt in regard to the action of the imperial government. THURSDAY, 4 o'clock p.m. and I received the promised dispatch at 1.35 p. m. instead of 11 a. m., immediately came to the city, and had it translated by a consul's clerk, and inclose it herewith, marked No. 4. You will perceive it covers the whole ground, and that the officer in command has been removed in consequence of an investigation into the affair, made by the president |