Mr. Seward to Lord Lyons.
Washington, October 24, 1861.
My Lord: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of yesterday, requesting information in regard to a bag supposed to contain despatches from the acting British consul at Richmond, addressed to Mr. Archibald, the British consul at New York, which bag was taken from a man named Cross by the provost marshal of Baltimore.
In reply, I have the honor to inform you that having received information from General Dix that such a bag had been found concealed in the trunk of a man of that name—a spy of the insurgents, who escaped before he could be arrested—I directed the general to forward it hither. On its arrival, although it had a label attached to it, addressed to Mr. Archibald, and the words on her Britannic Majesty’s service, there was nothing to identify it as having been forwarded by the British vice-consul at Richmond. This circumstance, in connexion with those under which the bag was brought through the military lines of the United States, naturally occasioned doubts as to its containing official correspondence. I consequently directed the bag to be opened, when it proved to contain not a single communication for Mr. Archibald, or for any other officer of the British government on this continent. It did contain a few apparently official letters to functionaries of the British government at London. These were promptly forwarded, as received, to Mr. Adams, with directions to cause them to be delivered to their address.
The other contents of the bag are, and will be, retained here. It is unnecessary to specify their character. I will only add that they are such as no consul, or acting consul, of a foreign government has a right to forward in any way from a place in rebellion against this government.
I avail myself of this occasion to offer to your lordship a renewed assurance of my very high consideration.
To Lord Lyons.