ten days. I have been unable to ascertain anything definite about her movements. She has a crew of about fifty men. She has not been registered, neither has she cleared at the custom-house. After she left I sent down to inquire. The collector, or those who answered for him, stated that it was not necessary that she should do either, and that she could go anywhere. I think she will go to Nassau to receive her armament. Several of the men have been told this by the officers on board. There are many things which would seem to indicate this, among them: The Minnie, a small sailing vessel which cleared from here for Nassau on the 23d instant, just before she left, took on fifty tons of coal for W. & H. Laird. I think that coal is intended for this vessel. Thus another resse! is permitted by this government to be built and fitted out at Liverpool to cruise against the United States. I am, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, United States Minister, &c. THOMAS H. DUDLEY. Affidavit of Frederick Morrison. J, Frederick Morrison, of Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, merchant's clerk, make oath and say as follows: 1. I was for the period of five years a clerk in the employ of Messrs. Laird Brothers, ship-builders, Birkenhead, and was with them during the whole of the time when the vessel originally known as vessel No. 290, and afterward as the confederate cruiser Alabama, was being built. 2. In my capacity as clerk, I was in the habit of almost daily going round the ship-building yard, and saw the said vessel during the whole time of her construction, and the progress which was made from time to time in her construction. 3. It was reported among the employés of Messrs. Laird Brothers that the said vessel was being built for the Brazilian government. 4. I frequently saw the persons who came to the yard as visitors. There were some who came often, and who always whenever they came went to see the said vessel. These persons were not Englishmen, and, from their appearance and conversation, I believe they were Americans. There was in particular one American gentleman who came nearly every day to see the said vessel. 5. From this fact it was commonly supposed among those about the yard that the said vessel was being built for America, and the idea that she was for the Brazilian government was sneered at. 6. I saw her after she was launched and while she was being rigged and fitted with engines and boilers, and it was then still always supposed that she was intended for some foreign government. FREDERICK MORRISON. Sworn at Liverpool aforesaid the 16th day of August, 1871, before me. THOMAS C. RYLEY, Notary Public, Liverpool. Affidavit of Joseph Lamphier. I, Joseph Lamphier, of Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, deputy consul there of the United States of America, make oath and say as follows: 1. In the year 1862 I knew and was on intimate terms with Edward Morgan, at that time surveyor of customs at Liverpool, and I was in the habit of meeting with him and conversing with him on matters connected with his official duties. 2. The said Edward Morgan was to my knowledge in the habit of seeing the confederate cruiser Alabama, then called vessel No. 290, during the time when she was in course of building at Messrs. Lairds' yard, at Birkenhead, in the early part of the year 1862, almost every day in his official capacity, and it was he who made the official report to the English government respecting her which was afterward published in the 66 copy of or extracts from correspondence between the customs and the custom-house authorities of Liverpool, relating to the building, fitting out, and sailing of the vessel No. 290, since known as the confederate cruiser Alabama," and published in pursuance of an order of the House of Commons, dated 30th of March, 1863. 3. In the course of conversation with me in the early part of the year 1862, during the time when the said confederate cruiser Alabama was in course of building as aforesaid, the said Edward Morgan informed me that he believed and had no doubt that the said vessel was being built for a war ship, and that although he could not prove it, he had no doubt in his own mind that she was intended for the Confederate States of America. He also mentioned to me a report which was being circulated that she was being built for the Chinese government, but said that he believed that such report was a pure fabrication. JOSEPH LAMPHIER. Sworn at Liverpool aforesaid the 15th day of August, before me. JAS. THOMELY, Notary Public, Liverpool. Mr. Dudley to Mr. Adams. [Telegram.] LIVERPOOL, August 11, 1862. Shipping fifty men to go to her on tug to-morrow night. Have written to you; will find out her whereabouts if possible. Mr. Dudley to Mr. Adams. [Telegram.] LIVERPOOL, August 12, 1862. Somewhere in channel. Do not know where. Shipping fifty men. Go out on a tug to-night. Mr. Dudley to Mr. Adams. [Telegram.] LIVERPOOL, August 13, 1862. The men were shipped on the steamer Bahama, which sailed with cannon and ammunition at 3 this morning. Mr. Dudley to Mr. Adams. UNITED STATES CONSULATE, SIR: Your dispatch of the 18th instant has been duly received. My understanding was, that it was Captain Sinclair and seven officers and men belonging to the rebel navy, and not Pegram, who came from Bermuda here, via Halifax. I will make inquiry, and find out the facts if possible. The officers on the Alabama are: R. Semmes, commander; John Kell, of Georgia, first lieutenant; Armstrong, second; Wilson, third; and Law, an Englishman, fourth lieutenant. Sinclair, master; Evans, a Charleston pilot, and Fullam, an Englishman, (was second mate when she went from Liverpool,) master's mates. I. S. Bullock, (son of Captain Bullock,) E. M. Maffitt, (son of Captain Maffitt,) W. B. Sinclair, and Anderson, midshipmen. A man by name of Howell, brother-in-law of Jeff. Davis, is lieutenant of marines, (but he has none as yet on board.) The chief engineer is named Freeman. There are four assistant engineers, all of whom were on the Sumter; a surgeon and assistant surgeon, the last an Englishman. I have not the names of either. They have two Charleston and two Savannah pilots on board. The men are all Englishmen, with two or three exceptions. Those who are married have given what are called half-pay orders in favor of their families, which are paid every week in Liverpool by Melchor G. Klingender, and Fraser, Trenholm & Co. It is generally understood that the Lairds, who built the Alabama, still have an interest in her, but as she went to sea without papers or a register, there is no record of her owners, or way of ascertaining who they are. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Deposition of Clarence Randolph Yonge. Clarence Randolph Yonge, of the State of Georgia, in the United States of America, late paymaster on board the steamer Alabama, formerly called the 290, built by William and John Laird & Co., at Birkenhead, makes oath and says: I know Captain James D. Bullock, of the State of Georgia, in the United States, now residing at Waterloo, near Liverpool, in England. He is a commander in the navy of the so-called Confederate States of America; his business in England is superintending the building of iron-clads and other war vessels for the Confederate States. In the autumn of 1861, Captain Bullock came from England to Savannah, Georgia, in the English steamer Fingal. At that time I was in the naval paymaster's office, in Savannah, Georgia, under the confederate government. Previous to Captain Bullock leaving England, as I afterward learned, he had contracted for two steamers for the confederate government; one the Oreto, now called the Florida, built by William C. Miller & Sons, of Liverpool; the other the 290, afterward called the Eureka, and now called the Alabama, built by the Messrs. Laird, at Birkenhead. Captain Bullock was about to return to England to look after the completion of these steamers, and to assume command of the Alabama, and wanted some one to accompany him; I was recommended by the paymaster at Savannah to Captain Bullock; I was then released by the paymaster from my engagement, and was subsequently appointed by Captain Bullock, under the written approval of S. R. Mallory, the secretary of the navy of the Confederate States, as paymaster in the confederate navy, and assigned to the steamer Alabama. We sailed for England in the steamer Annie Childs, commanded by Captain William Hammer, from Wilmington, North Carolina, about the 5th day of February, 1862. Captain James D. Bullock, Lieutenant Johnson, Midshipman Eugene Maffitt, and C. M. Anderson, and myself, came over in the Childs; Law, Maffitt, and Anderson are now in the Alabama. We arrived at Liverpool about the 11th of March, 1862. I continued as paymaster in the confederate navy from the time of my appointment in Savannah, Georgia, up to the time of my leaving the steamer Alabama at Port Royal, in January, 1863. I went out in the Alabama when she sailed from England, on the 29th of July, 1862, as paymaster, and acted as such on said vessel up to the time of my leav ing her as aforesaid. Previous to our leaving Wilmington, in February, I acted as a clerk to Captain Bullock, and attended to his correspondence with the confederate government and others; and from this correspondence and other circumstances I know that he is a commander in the confederate navy; that he had contracted for building the two ves sels now called the Florida and Alabama for the confederate government aforesaid, and was and is their acknowledged agent for building and fitting out naval or war vessels for the so-called confederate govern'ment, to cruise against and make war upon the Government and people of the United States. I wrote letters for Captain Bullock (which he signed) to Mr. Mallory, the secretary of the confederate navy, and saw letters from the secretary to Captain Bullock. There was much corre spondence about building the two above named and other war vessel in England for the confederate government, and about the money to pay for the same, and those thereafter to be built in England. From this correspondence, and my transactions afterward with the firm of Fraser, Trenholm & Co., of Liverpool, I learned that Lieutenant James H. North had been sent over to England by the confederate government to make contracts in England for building and fitting out iron-clad vessels for said confederate government, for the purpose of committing acts of hostility against, and making war upon, the Government and people of the United States. Captain Bullock was directed by Mr. Mallory, the secretary of the confederate navy, in the correspondence to which I have referred, to aid Lieutenant North, and assist him in getting up and making contracts for building and fitting out these iron-clad vessels in England. When we came over to England, it was understood by myself and the other officers who accompanied us that Captain Bullock was to have the command of the Alabama, which was then building by the Lairds at Birkenhead, and I was to go in her as paymaster; I came over for this express purpose. From the time of my coming to England, in March, 1862, until I sailed in the Alabama, on the 29th of July, 1862, my principal business was to pay the officers of the confederate navy who were over here in England and attached to the Alabama, sent here to join and sail in her when finished. I used to pay them monthly, about the first of the month, at the office of Fraser, Trenholm & Co., in Liverpool. I drew the money for that purpose from this firm. Captain Bullock kept all his papers at Fraser, Trenholm & Co., and transacted his business in one of the private offices of this firm. I was in the habit, during my stay in Liverpool, of visiting this office very frequently, almost every day, and saw, heard, and knew what was being done and going on. I also made visits to Lairds' yard in Birkenhead, where the Alabama was building. Saw Captain Bullock there at times in the yard with the Lairds. I also saw the Lairds at Fraser, Trenholm & Co.'s office with Captain Bullock. On one of the occasions of my visit to Captain Bullock at Fraser, Trenholm & Co.'s office in Liverpool, I made for him a copy of an original contract between himself and the firm of William and John Laird & Co., at Birkenhead, for building the Alabama. This copy I had with me while I was acting as paymaster on that ship, and it was left on that vessel by me. I also frequently made copies of other papers, letters, &c., for Captain Bullock. Before we sailed in the Alabama, I saw the plans, drawings, and specifications made and furnished by the firm of William and John Laird & Co., for building the iron-clad rams for the so-called confederate government. I think it was in the month of June, 1862; it was in the office of Fraser, Trenholm & Co., in Liverpool, Captain Bullock had them. Mr. Freeman, the chief engineer on the Alabama, and several other officers, were there, with myself and Captain Bullock, examining them. A set of plans and specifications for building these iron-clad rams had been previously sent over to Richmond for the approval of the confederate government. The Messrs. Laird had some doubts whether the British government would permit them to build and fit out the vessels with towers or turrets on them, and were going to ascertain through the Mr. Laird who was a member of Parliament, whether they would be permitted to do so. After we left Liverpool, Mr. Low told me the keel for one of these iron-clad rams had been laid by the Lairds at their yard before we sailed, which was afterward corroborated by Mr. Freeman, the chief engineer of the Alabama, who stated to me that he had been over to the yard and seen it. Captain, Bullock had made himself so useful and efficient in building war vessels in England that the confederate government was not willing for him to take command of the Alabama, but required him to remain and superintend the building and fitting out of the iron-clads to be built by the Lairds and others in England. I learned this from himself. He told me that he had been ordered by the navy department to remain to look after and superintend the building of these very iron-clads. He was very anxious to have command of a vessel, and expected in the first place to have the Oreto, then to have the Alabama. He told me, just before I left, he would not let all of these iron-clads slip through his hands, as the Oreto and Alabama had. On the 5th day of April, 1863, I went to the ship-yard of William and John Laird & Co. at Birkenhead. In the southerly part of their yard, under the shed, side by side, I saw two iron-clad ram steamers, which they are building there. I believe them to be the same that I saw on the plans and drawings made by the Messrs. Laird, and in possession of 6 A C-VII |