Office of the Historian

No. 210.
Mr. Bassett to Mr. Fish.

[Extract.]
Legation of the United States,
Fort au Prince, Hayti, Jan, 17, 1872. (Received Feb. 5.)
No. 107.]

Sir: Captain H. K. Davenport, of the United States war steamer Congress, came into this port on Sunday, the 14th instant, and on the following morning, having exchanged the customary national salutes with the authorities of the port, he called at the legation office and handed me your dispatch, No. 90, of the 3d instant. (Your Nos. 86, 87, 88, and 89 not yet received.) From this dispatch and its several incisures I learned the nature of Captain Davenport’s mission here. We had free and full conversation in relation to the Hornet, and during the day we called together to pay our respects to the President. His excellency adjourned his cabinet meeting to receive us, and was very cordial toward us in all respects. Both he and his ministers, who were all present, appeared greatly satisfied with Captain Davenport’s information to them that he had come here expressly to convoy the Hornet to the waters of the United States.

On the following day Captain Davenport handed me a dispatch, (Inclosure A,) in which, covering some of the points that we had freely discussed at our interview, he solicited certain information, and unfolded the plan which he thought to adopt in fulfilling his instructions in regard to the Hornet. Inclosure B is my reply, in which the required information is stated, and in which I take occasion to express my approval of his purpose to place on board of the Hornet an officer to represent him in case of need during her voyage, and to convoy her to Baltimore rather than to New York.* * * * *

It happened also, yesterday, while Captain Davenport and myself were in conference at the legation, Her Britannic Majesty’s chargé d’affaires called on me, partly to return a visit of Captain Davenport and [Page 263] myself at his legation, and partly to introduce to me Señor Pedrorena, the Spanish consul and chargé d’affaires, who has just arrived here from Madrid to fill the vacancy occasioned by the recall of Señor Oliveira. Señor Pedrorena manifested neither surprise nor interest in Captain Davenport’s statement that he was on the point of convoying the Hornet to the United States.

In your No. 90 you express the hope that the whole mission of the Congress here may be transacted smoothly, and without obstacle from any quarter. I am happy to be able to state that all the details of this mission, up to this moment of the departure of the Hornet and the Congress, have been, under the judicious discretion of Captain Davenport, worked in such a manner as to be entirely acceptable to every one here.

I am, &c,

EBENEZER D. BASSETT.
[Inclosure A in No. 107.]

Captain Davenport to Mr. Bassett.

United States Steamer Congress, (2d rate,)
Port au Prince, January 16, 1872.

Sir: As you are aware of the cause of my presence here, having seen my orders, as well as being in possession of a copy of them furnished by the State Department, I will thank you to give me all the information in your power touching the movements of the Spanish vessels of war which have maintained a “quasi” state of blockade of the steamer Hornet at this port.

When did they raise the blockade, and what were the circumstances?

In view of the changed state of affairs, the withdrawal of the Spanish cruisers from this harbor since my instructions were issued, I think it would be well to guard against the contingency of the Hornet falling in with a Spanish cruiser after leaving this port, to convoy her to Baltimore, and thence notify the Department of my action.

If you have any suggestions or counsel to give me in the premises, I will thank you to do so, as suggested by Mr. Robeson in my letter of instructions.

I propose to sail on Thursday morning, the 18th, at early daylight, and will be happy to take charge of any letters, &c, which you may desire to send.

I am, &c,

H. K. DAVENPORT,
Captain Commanding Congress.
[Inclosure B in No. 107.]

Mr. Bassett to Captain Davenport.

Legation of the United States,
Port au Prince, January 16, 1872.

Sir: In acknowledging the receipt of your communication of this date, in which> referring to the steamer Hornet, you do me the honor to ask information as to the departure of the Spanish men-of-war that have so long maintained a quasi state of blockade of that steamer here, defining your purpose to convoy her to Baltimore, and ask me also for any suggestion which I may have to make in this regard, I have the honor to state that during the night of the 1st instant a Spanish man-of-war came into this harbor, and, after having communicated with the Churruca, the Spanish gun-boat then and for some months previously here watching the Hornet, immediately put to sea. The Churruca herself left these waters abruptly on the morning of the 2d instant, thus freeing us from the presence of Spanish men-of-war in this harbor for the first time in more than eleven months.* * * *

I am, &c,

EBENEZER D. BASSETT.