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Mr. Fish, Secretary of State, to Mr. Robeson, Secretary of the Navy.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, November 11, 1869.

SIR: I have the honor to inclose herewith a transcript of a communication from the United States marshal for the southern district of New York, of yesterday's date, and will thank you to inform me if a vessel subject to the orders of the Navy Department can, without detriment to the public service, be directed to assist the marshal in preventing the departure from New York, or that vicinity, of any unlawful expeditions in aid of the Cuban insurgents, to which the marshal refers, as believed to be in course of preparation.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

Hon. GEO. M. ROBESON,

Secretary of the Navy.

HAMILTON FISH.

[125] *Mr. Robeson, Secretary of the Navy, to Mr. Fish, Secretary of State.

NAVY DEPARTMENT,

Washington, November 13, 1869. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 11th instant, inclosing a transcript of a communication from the United States marshal for the southern district of New York. Copies of said communication have been transmitted to Rear-Admiral Stringham, port-admiral at New York, and he has been directed to render the marshal every assistance in his power in preventing the departure from New York, or that vicinity, of any unlawful expeditions in aid of the Cuban insurgents.

Very respectfully,

Hon. HAMILTON FISH,
Secretary of State.

GEO. M. ROBESON,
Secretary of the Navy.

Mr. Robeson, Secretary of the Navy, to Mr. Fish, Secretary of State.

NAVY DEPARTMENT,

Washington, November 15, 1869.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th instant, with its inclosures, and to inform you that the United States steamer Frolic, at New York, will be held in readiness to [126] assist the marshal in thwarting the departure of any unlawful expedition in aid of the Cuban insurgents.

*

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. HAMILTON FISH,

Secretary of State.

GEO. M. ROBESON,

Secretary of the Navy.

Mr. Richardson, Acting Secretary of the Treasury, to Mr. Fish, Secretary of State.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
November 16, 1869.

SIR: I have the honor to inform you, in reply to your letter of the 13th instant, relative to the assignment of a revenue vessel (in place of the Seward, ordered away from New York) to the order of the United States marshal, that Collector Grinnell has been instructed to place the steamer Bronx at command of that officer, &c., and in the enforcement of the neutrality laws.

I am, very respectfully,

Hon. HAMILTON FISH,
Secretary of State.

WM. A. RICHARDSON,

Acting Secretary of the Treasury.

[127] *Mr. Hoar, Attorney-General, to Mr. Fish, Secretary of State.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Washington, November 15, 1869.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith (with request for its return after perusal) a letter from the United States district attorney at Philadelphia, inclosing a report of the United States marshal there, relating to the steamer General Dulce.

Very respectfully, yours, &c.,

Hon. HAMILTON FISH,

E. R. HOAR,
Attorney General.

Secretary of State.

[Inclosure No. 1.]

Mr. Smith, United States attorney, to Mr. Hoar, Attorney-General.

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY,
EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA,

Philadelphia, November 13, 1869.

SIR: The marshal of the district, in accordance with instructions to him, contained in a letter to him from the Assistant Attorney-General, bearing date the 5th of November, 1869, visited and examined the steamer General Dulce, now lying in this port. He took with him Captain John H. Young, who is an old and experienced ship-master, well

acquainted with such matters, and received from him a state[128] ment in writing, relating to the character and condition of the vessel, a copy of which he has lodged with me. I have the honor to inclose you a copy of this, and of a memorandum annexed, signed by the marshal, showing his concurrence with it.

Very respectfully, yours, &c.,

Hon. E. R. HOAR,

AUBREY H. SMITH,
United States Attorney.

Attorney-General.

[Inclosure No. 2.]

Mr. Young to Mr. Gregory, United States marshal.

PHILADELPHIA, November 10, 1869.

SIR: The undersigned, at your request, visited the steamer General Dulce, now about ready for sea, and, after a careful examination, respectfully reports the said steamer is in good order, of small capacity and power, say about 150 horse-power, with large deck accommodations for passengers. The coal-bunkers are full of coal, and contain 87 tons, with the intention of putting 50 tons more in the fore hold, for the purpose of bringing her in trim; as her coal consumption does not exceed 10 tons per day, it will be observed that the above quantity will give her about thirteen days' steaming.

The quantities of stores on board are, perhaps, not more than [129] sufficient for twenty days' consumption *for her ordinary crew. In fact, the outfit (excepting coal) is under rather than over the usual necessities for such a vessel.

Being entirely unsuited for anything else than passengers and a very small amount of cargo, I respectfully submit that there is nothing whatever of a suspicious character either in the vessel or her outfit.

Respectfully,

E. M. GREGORY,

United States Marshal.

JOHN H. YOUNG.

UNITED STATES MARSHAL'S OFFICE,
EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA,
Philadelphia, November 11, 1869.

I fully unite and agree with Captain Young in the foregoing report, having accompanied him in the examination of the ship.

E. M. GREGORY,
United States Marshal.

Mr. Harlow, United States marshal, to Mr. Fish, Secretary of State.

[Extract.]

UNITED STATES MARSHAL'S OFFICE,

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK,
New York, November 20, 1869.

SIR According to instructions contained in your letter under date of November 15, I have the honor to report—

[130]

*That I have now engaged one superintendent and eight detectives. Two men are kept employed in watching the movements of steamers in this harbor; two men in the confidence of the Junta to report their movements; one man to keep in with the parties who fitted out the Hornet, as it is likely that if any other vessels be fitted out, these same parties will have control of her; two men to keep track of straggling Cubans throughout the city, and watch their boarding-houses

and haunts, and gather general information; one man to watch the shipment of arms and ammunition.

This force will be increased or decreased as circumstances may seem to require.

I am, sir, very respectfully, yours, &c.,

Hon. HAMILTON FISH,

Secretary of State.

S. R. HARLOW,

United States Marshal.

Mr. Harlow, United States marshal, to Mr. Fish, Secretary of State.

UNITED STATES MARSHAL'S OFFICE,

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK,

New York, December 7, 1869.

SIR: The Sun of this morning states that an expedition, numbering four hundred and fifty men, sailed from this port for Cuba on Saturday last.

[131] This report is without foundation. Mr. Davies, superintendent of detectives, informs me that no men could have left without his knowledge, as the closest watch is kept on all the movements of the Junta, and on the straggling parties of Cubans who are scattered throughout the city.

From information, based upon the best authority, however, I believe that an effort will soon be made to get off an expedition, and I have enjoined the strictest vigilance upon Mr. Davies and his subordinates. We have thrown such a net-work around the Cubans and their sympathizers, that I am positive that no expedition can be fitted out without the knowledge of this office.

I have the honor to be, sir, yours, &c., &c.,

Hon. HAMILTON FISH,

S. R. HARLOW,

United States Marshal.

Secretary of State.

Mr. Harlow, United States marshal, to Mr. Fish, Secretary of State.

[Extract.]

NEW YORK, April 27, 1870. SIR: I have the honor to report that, on the 26th of February last, Señor Balbino Cortez, the Spanish consul at this port, called at my

office, (then marshal for the southern district of New York,) and [132] informed me that he had reliable information that an unlawful

expedition of Cubans would attempt to leave this city the same evening. He left with me a memorandum of the steamers in which the expedition would leave, (as he supposed,) with the number of Cubans that would take passage in said steamers. I immediately called upon Mr. Davies, of Pinkerton's detective agency, and also employed two of my most expert deputies to investigate the matter, and, if possible, to thwart the schemes of the filibusters.

Mr. Davies and his detectives, as also my deputies, labored vigorously to discover such an expedition, but, after a watch of three or four days, found that the Spanish consul had either been mistaken, or our watchfulness had become known to the filibusters, who abandoned their intended expedition.

Very respectfully, yours, &c.,

[blocks in formation]

S. R. HARLOW, (late) United States Marshal.

Mr. Fish, Secretary of State, to Mr. Pierrepont, district attorney.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, July 7, 1870.

SIR: The President has been informed that the Spanish minister is in possession of evidence tending to show that some parties in [133] your district have been guilty of a violation of the neutrality laws of the United States.

A portion of this evidence has been laid before me by Mr. Lopez Roberts, in affidavits, of which copies are inclosed. Mr. Roberts has been informed that all witnesses within your reach who may be pointed out to you by him, or by the counsel who may be employed by him, will be examined by you, and that you will thereupon institute such proceedings, civil or criminal, as the case may justify.

You will, therefore, please act in the spirit of the communication to Mr. Lopez Roberts should occasion require.

I am, sir, yours, &c.,

EDWARDS PIERREPONT, Esq.,

HAMILTON FISH.

United States District Attorney, New York.

[135] *CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE HORNET. Mr. Field, Acting Attorney-General, to Mr. Davis, Acting Secretary of

State.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, August 16, 1869.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith copies of a telegram, received Saturday evening last, from the United States marshal at New York, and a telegram sent the same evening to the United States district attorney at Philadelphia, relative to the steamer Hornet; also a telegram just received from the assistant district attorney at Philadelphia, relating to the same vessel.

Very respectfully, yours, &c.,

Hon. J. C. B. DAVIS,

W. A. FIELD, Acting Attorney-General.

Acting Secretary of State.

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