The facts of the case are so fully stated in this despatch, that I have
little to add to its contents.
I wish, however, to draw your attention at the present moment to two
points. In the first place, although these men own that they served on
board of a ship which did indeed convey arms and ammunition to a vessel
under Danish colors, which appears to have been fitted out for hostile
acts against the United States, they declare that they shipped for an
ordinary voyage to the West Indies; that they were ignorant of the
intention to employ the City of Richmond in the manner above mentioned;
and that when, on passing the island of Ushant, they first became aware
of the change of destination of the vessel, they could not, without
being guilty of mutiny, resist the orders of the captain.
In the second place, with regard to the alleged conduct of the United
States consul at Nassau, the men declare that this gentleman, instead of
granting passports to them, indorsed on the back of their discharges
from the City of Richmond, certificates which he assured them would
serve as passports, and would entitle them to return to England through
the United States, and that it was I upon the faith of the assurance of
this United States official that they were induced to come to New York
on their way to England.
I have the honor to request that you will have the goodness to inform me
of the precise grounds upon which Pratt and Green are detained as
prisoners, and of the nature of the evidence against them.
At the same time I beg that, if there is no reasonable ground for
detaining them, they may now be discharged, on condition of their
pursuing their voyage to England without delay.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most
obedient, humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
&c., &c., &c.
Mr. Archibald to Mr. Burnley
British Consulate,
New York,
March 27, 1865.
Sir: I have the honor to report to you that
Ernest W. Pratt and Robert Green, two British subjects, who arrived
at this port from Nassau by the Corsica, were arrested on board that
vessel on the morning of the 18th instant, by the revenue officers,
for not having sufficient passports, and were brought to General
Dix’s headquarters, and from thence sent to the county jail, where
they are now detained.
On Monday, the 20th, I received a communication from Mr. Pratt,
requesting an interview; and after communicating with the United
States marshal, and subsequently with General Dix, who applied by
telegraph to Washington for instructions, I was finally permitted to
have an interview with the prisoners this morning at General Dix’s
headquarters, in the presence of Major Ludlow, in compliance with
instructions from the Secretary of State, that any such interview
should take place in the presence of an officer of the United
States.
General Dix had communicated to me on Wednesday last that the
examination of the prisoners presented an aggravated case of
violation of neutrality; and Major Ludlow this morning showed me a
copy of his report on the case, from which, and from questions put
by me to the prisoners, I elicited the following facts:
Ernest W. Pratt, a native of London, aged 25 years, and Robert Green,
a native of Northampton, aged 29 years, both British subjects, were,
the former chief officer and the latter chief steward of the
steamship City of Richmond, of London, which vessel cleared from
London on the 3d of January last, with provisions and coals, dropped
down the river to Greenhithe, and there took on board between sixty
and seventy passengers, and a number of cases believed to have
contained small-arms, together with about 150 barrels of gunpowder.
The steamer then proceeded to a place about five miles distant from
Belle Isle, where she fell in with the ram Olinde, then under Danish
colors; the passengers taken on board at Green-hithe, who are said
to have been officers and seamen, were transferred to the Olinde,
with the cases and ammunition taken on board at Greenhithe.
The City of Richmond then proceeded to Bermuda, remained a week there
for some refitting, and went to Nassau, where the officers and crew
were discharged and paid off—the vessel being placed, as it is
asserted, under the command of a fresh master appointed to her by
one Cranshaw, a citizen of the United States, belonging to one of
the insurrectionary States, who, it is said, was the real owner of
the City of Richmond all the while, although she was nominally
registered as a British vessel.
[Page 117]
The officers and crew of the City of Richmond were regularly shipped
in London for a voyage to Bermuda and West Indies, or any port of
British North America—the voyage not to exceed four months. On being
discharged at Nassau they insisted on, and after some difficulty and
dispute with theagents of the owners succeeded in obtaining, payment
for the stipulated time of four months. Regular written discharges
were issued to them, and Pratt, the chief officer, and Green, the
steward, having determined to return to England by way of New York,
went to the United States consul at Nassau to obtain passports. The
consul, in stead of granting passports, indorsed on the back of
their discharges from the City of Richmond a certificate which he
assured them would serve for a passport, and would entitle them to
pass through the United States to England. They relied on this
assurance and came on to New York.
The case of these prisoners is peculiar. That they served on board a
vessel which conveyed arms and ammunition, as well as men, to a
vessel which is reported to have been fitted out and intended to be
used hostilely towards the United States, is admitted by themselves.
All that is known of their connexion with the transaction has been
gathered from their exanimation, unless, indeed, the United States
consul at Nassau may have communicated to his government information
on the subject.
The answer which both Pratt and Green make to the charge of a breach
of neutrality is, that they shipped for an ordinary voyage to the
West Indies; that they were ignorant of theintention to employ the
City of Richmond in any illegal voyage; that they believed they were
to bring to Bermuda and Nassau the passengers and effects shipped at
Greenhitbe, and that it was not until after the City of Richmond had
passed the island of Ushalt that they were aware of the change of
destination; and that it was not in their power to resist or prevent
the commander from navigating the ship in whatever direction he
thought fit, and trans-shipping the men and munitions of war on
board the Olinde.
They complain also, and with some reason, that a passport, or what
was intended to serve as a passport, should have been granted to
them by the United States consul at Nassau, apparently only to serve
as the means of entrapping them on their arrival here, and allege
that had they felt they were liable for the acts of others over whom
they had no control, they would never have presumed to return to
England by way of the United States. In Major Ludlow’s report it is
stated (as reported to him) that Pratt and Green secreted themselves
on the Corsica’s arrival here. They both most positively deny the
truth of this statement. Pratt states that he was arrested at 6
o’clock in the morning, while he was in his berth in the captain’s
cabin, where he had slept all the way from Nassau; and Green denies
that he was in any manner secreted, or that he intended to secrete
himself.
I have the honor to submit the foregoing statement of circumstances
for your consideration, and for such action thereon as you may think
proper. Her Majesty’s government, I am well assured, would in no
manner afford its protection to parties who had committed a willful
breach of neutrality. In this case, however, the evidence, so far as
I am aware, consists of the statements of the prisoners themselves,
who assert that, so far as they are considered to be implicated,
they were involuntary agents; that they were engaged for and sailed
on a lawful voyage, and were unable, without being guilty of mutiny,
to resist the orders of the commander of the ship.
I have, &c.
J. H. B>urnley, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
