for the departure of such ship of war or privateer shall be extended so far as may be necessary to secure an interval of not less than twentyfour hours between such departure and that of any ship of war, privateer, or merchant ship of the other belligerent which may have previously quit the same port, harbor, roadstead, or waters. No ship of war or privateer of either belligerent shall be detained in any port, harbor, roadstead, or waters of the United States more than twenty-four hours, by reason of the successive departures from such port, harbor, roadstead, or waters of more than one vessel of the other belligerent. But if there be several vessels of each or either of the two belligerents in the same port, harbor, roadstead, or waters, the order of their departure therefrom shall be so arranged as to afford the opportunity of leaving alternately to the vessels of the respective belligerents, and to cause the least detention consistent with the objects of this proclamation. No ship of war or privateer of either belligerent shall be permitted, while in any port, harbor, roadstead, or waters within the jurisdiction of the United States, to take in any supplies except provisions and such other things as may be requisite for the subsistence of her crew, and except so much coal only as may be sufficient to carry such vessel, if without sail power, to the nearest European port of her own country; or in case the vessel is rigged to go under sail, and may also be propelled by steampower, then with half the quantity of coal which she would be entitled to receive, if dependent upon steam alone, and no coal shall be again supplied to any such ship of war or privateer in the same or any other port, harbor, roadstead, or waters of the United States, without special permission, until after the expiration of three months from the time when such coal may have been last supplied to her within the waters of the United States, unless such ship of war or privateer shall, since last thus supplied, have entered a European port of the government to which she belongs. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy, and of the Independence of the United States of America the ninety-fifth. [SEAL.] By the President: U. S. GRANT. HAMILTON FISHI, GREAT BRITAIN THE ARSENAL, THE NAVY YARD, AND THE TREASURY OF THE INSURGENTS. NOTE. The following letters are printed as an addition to the corre spondence printed in volume VI, pp. 29-187. Major Gorgas to Major Huse. [Extract.] ORDNANCE BUREAU, Richmond, January 1, 1863. MAJOR: Captain Stiles goes back with the Cornubia, which will return with cotton to Bermuda, and will proceed to consult you about the purchase of another steamer, to run between Bermuda, Nassau, and the ports of the Confederate States. The G., it seems, belongs to a private party; the secretary of war will, however, try to retain her in our service for a time. The purchase of an additional steamer will somewhat depend on the funds at your disposal. Very truly, your obedient servant, J. GORGAS. Colonel Gorgas to Major Huse. [Extract.] RICHMOND, February 26, 1863. MAJOR: We have retained the Giraffe for running the blockade, and the G. and C. will now run regularly to B. and N. One or two more are highly desirable. Has Stiles made any purchases? If we can get two more like the Cornubia and G., we shall be beyond casualty, or we can then afford to lose one occasionally. In haste, very truly yours, Colonel Gorgas to Major Huse. [Extract.] J. GORGAS. MAJOR: Would it not be well to send most of the supplies to B. by sail vessels? There is enough there to employ our three steamers for some time to come. As soon as you are in funds, two more good, swift steamers may be added to this fleet, as we must provide for casualties. The Merrimac is said to be too low in the water, and too frail to run during the tempestuous weather of the winter season. She will not leave Bermuda until later in the season. I trust you have purchased the guns and powder in the Phoebe. I have sent instructions to Major Walker to purchase and ship, in case you should not have secured them, leaving the price to be fixed by you. A The purchase of Cornubia and the Merrimac are both approved. Very few of the arms at Bermuda have as yet come forward—not over five thousand, I suppose; so that we must have there nearly sixty thousand small arms. These will now be run in as rapidly as possible. steamer may possibly be added to run from Charleston to Bermuda. The dictatorship created at the North will no doubt indefinitely prolong the war, and we must make arrangements accordingly. Our army will be kept up to about four hundred thousand men, and many of the supplies must come from abroad. If we can get about forty thousand arms in addition to those lying at Bermuda, making about one hundred thousand in all, we shall be abundantly supplied. After that, a supply of about three thousand per month, in addition to what we make here, of London armory guns, will be all we shall want in the way of infantry arms. Of cavalry arms I should like to get, say, ten thousand carbines, caliber 57.7, and about ten thousand revolvers. This would, equip our cavalry very well. It seems to me that, while the navy is copiously supplied, we are defrauded of our share of money abroad. Now that the matter is left to ourselves, I have but little doubt that we can keep you supplied at the rate of at least one thousand five hundred bales per month, to be increased as we get more steamers. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. GORGAS. Colonel Gorgas to Major Huse. [Extract.] ORDNANCE BUREAU, Richmond, March 9, 1863. MAJOR: Fearing that there might have been some misunderstanding in reference to the ownership of the cotton shipped out via Bermuda and Nassau, I have caused a requisition for three millions currency, over £200,000 sterling, to be made in your favor, on F., T. & Co., Liverpool. I repeat that all the cotton shipped via Nassau and Bermuda is purchased out of the funds of the ordnance department, and is to be placed to your credit. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 4 A C-VII J. GORGAS. Major Walker to Major Huse. [Extract.] ST. GEORGE'S, BERMUDA, MAJOR: I had hoped by this mail to have been able to announce the return of the Cornubia. I am anxiously expecting her arrival every day. No opportunity has yet presented itself of shipping her last cargo, but I hope in a few days to secure a sailing vessel which is now in this port with a cargo of coals, and from which the Cornubia was supplied on her last trip. If Captain Burroughs gives a favorable report of the quality of the coals, I will purchase the cargo and charter the ship. I am authorized by the war department to use any portion of the cotton which may be brought here to defray incidental expenses. I will, therefore, attach to the bills of lading drafts for such amounts as I may deem necessary. Knowing your necessities, I will make them as small as possible. You can very well understand, however, that the payment of officers and crew, the expenses of coaling and supplies, and the necessary expenditures for getting the Merrimac ready for sea, require a large outlay. Captain Porter will, I presume, write to you with regard to the Merrimac. Her bottom is now being thoroughly cleaned by a submarine diver, and she will be ready for sea as soon as her officers and engineers arrive. I sent in six hundred barrels of her gunpowder in the last trip of Cornubia. The balance of it has been put in the powder-house; about sixty barrels of it is in a very damaged condition, entirely unserviceable. As soon as I can get a certificate from the proper person here, I will send it to you, in order that you may make reclamation. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major CALEB HUSE, 38 Notting Hill, London. N. S. WALKER. Major Walker to Major Huse. ST. GEORGE'S, BERMUDA, March 29, 1863. MAJOR: I merely write to inform you that I have purchased the cargo of coals to which I referred in my last letter, and have chartered the vessel for Liverpool-the bark Oden. As advised by the department at Richmond, I will ship the cotton to Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co., Liverpool, with instructions that the proceeds be placed to the credit of the ordnance bureau, war department, subject to the draft of Major Caleb Huse, London. I will pursue the same course with all shipments from this port, unless I receive instructions to the contrary. The Cornubia returned to the coast on Saturday morning, with a valuable cargo. I expect her back on the 15th of April. As there are indications that the government steamers may run reg. ularly to this port, would it not be well to purchase a cargo or two of coals and send them out? The Daffrym and Fothergill coals I hear highly spoken of. I have to pay here now about 35s. per tou. A cargo ought to be laid down here for much less than that, especially when there is a strong probability of the vessel getting a return cargo of cotton. I respectfully commend this subject to your attention. I hope to see the Merrimac at sea by the 15th of April. The day after the arrival of the Cornubia, the steamer General Beauregard (Havelock) came into port with one thousand and sixty bales of cotton. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, N. S. WALKER, Major Confederate States Army. Major CALEB HUSE, Notting Hill, London. Colonel Gorges to Major Huse. [Telegram.] RICHMOND, April 14, 1863. Send as soon as possible twenty thousand Enfield rifles bayonets. J. GORGAS. Colonel Gorgas to Major Huse. [Extract.] ORDNANCE BUREAU, Richmond, May 6, 1863. MAJOR: Your letter of March 20 came duly to hand. The purchase of a vessel by Captain S. noted. His arrival is daily looked for. The cargo of the H. P. is, I hope, at Bermuda by this. The want of invoices is very much felt. There is no information here as to what is lying at Bermuda, except the arms. Lead and saltpeter should be shipped there in large quantities. We want now nearly one hundred and fifty thousand bayonets. Very little can come amiss that you send— what is not needed by the war department will be needed for general supplies. The stock of arms at Bermuda is now sufficient, and our fabrications, with a contract for the arms of the London Armory Company, would keep up the supply. I have ordered Major Smith Stansbury, Confederate States artillery, to Bermuda, to take charge of stores in depot there, as Major Walker will be occupied with the shipping and financial business, and the depot promises to be a large one. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major CALEB HUSE, 38 Clarendon Road, Notting Hill, London, W. Eng. J. GORGAS. |