Affidavit of William A. Temple.The blanks in this statement were not filled up in the copy forwarded by Mr. Dudley., this 6th day of December, 1865

Affidavit of William A. Temple.

I, William A. Temple, of London, now residing in Liverpool, No. 108 St. James street, say I was born in Madras, and am a British subject. In October, 1864, I was in want of a ship, and stopping at Green’s Sailors’ Home in London, and I heard of the Sea King. I was called in the office by one of the officials. Captain Corbett of the Sea King steamer, afterwards called the Shenandoah, was there. I was asked for my discharge by Captain Corbett. I tendered him my papers; he told me he would ship me as an ordinary seaman; he told me he would give 35s. per month. This was on Wednesday. He told me to be down on the next Friday morning. I signed the articles of the Sea King for a voyage to Bombay, not to exceed two years, Captain Corbett giving me a note for one month’s advance wages. I signed in the name of W. J. Jones, and I continued by that name, William John Jones, during all the cruise of the Shenandoah. I went down on Friday; was told she would not go out until next morning, and that I must be on board by four o’clock. I went at the time mentioned, and found her going out of dock. I got on board; she was in command of Captain Corbett. We proceeded down the river at half speed. At the time we left London we had two 18-pounder guns mounted on the decks. These were the guns we generally used while on our cruise in bringing vessels to. I found on board Lieutenant Whittle, who was afterwards first lieutenant; he was on her as a cabin passenger under the assumed name of McDonald. There were several parties on board; some of them, left us at Deal. Richard Wright, a merchant of Liverpool, who owned the vessel at the time, was one of them. The captain was on very intimate terms with Lieutenant Whittle, treating him with every deference. I became steward to the steerage officers, and remained in this capacity after I enlisted on the Shenandoah until a month after we left Melbourne, and I then went on -deck and did duty as an ordinary seaman. We kept down the channel under easy sail and steam, and made the island of Madeira on the following Monday week. At the time we left London the name Sea King was on the stern of the vessel, on each bow, on all the boats, buckets, life-buoys, and other fixtures and furniture. The day before we reached the island of Madeira the name Sea King was either painted over or else scratched off. During that night we kept on and off. Next morning we ran into the harbor, signalled a small steamer lying there, which afterwards proved to be the Laurel. We went out of the harbor again; the steamer Laurel followed us. In two hours we reached a small island lying in an easterly direction from Madeira. The steamer Laurel anchored close into the shore, and we came alongside and dropped our anchor. She (the Laurel) soon came alongside and made fast to us. It was now for the first time that I learned what was up, and that she was going a privateering. The steamer Laurel was in command of Captain Ramsay, a British subject, who held a commission as first lieutenant in the confederate navy. The first mate, by name of Heasman, came to us and told us about it. He stated that the gentleman Whittle, who came with us, was to be first lieutenant, and told us that any of us who desired to join would get 4l 10s. a month. As soon as the two vessels were fastened together they commenced transferring the guns, shot, shells, ammunition, clothing, &c., from the Laurel to the Sea King. We worked from about 2 o’clock that day until 3 o’clock next morning; during this time grog was served out to the men about every two hours. Captain Corbett. Lieutenant Whittle, and the officers and men of both ships, were busy engaged in making the transfer. After we finished we lay down and took a sleep and turned out again about nine o’clock. As soon as the men were out we were all called aft by the boatswain of the Sea King; the men from the Laurel were also called on board. As soon as we got aft Captain Corbett came out with the ship’s articles in his hands, and made a speech to us something to this effect: Men of the Sea King, you signed these articles with me to go to Bombay or any intermediate port, and if the ship should be sold on the voyage, you were to sign clear of her. Some one said we did not hear anything about that in London; he replied, Here it is, and read it to them. He then went on to say that he had sold the ship, and that those who wished to join the ship could do so; that they would be paid, on their signing a paper clearing from the Sea King, two months’ wages, whilst those who did not want to join her were to take their clothes and go on the steamer alongside, which would take them to Liverpool, where they would be paid two months’ wages upon signing a similar paper. Some of the Men demanded that they should be paid immediately. Captain Waddell was standing close to Captain Corbett at the time, in full confederate uniform, and as soon as Captain Corbett had finished, stepped forward and took his place by the side of Captain Corbett, and said, Men, I am an officer in the confederate navy, authorized to take command of this ship. He offered to read his commission, but the men said, no, never mind. He then said, Any of you that feel inclined to serve under the confederate flag will get good wages and good treatment. I do not intend to fight; any one can see that this vessel was not made to fight; I intend to run away rather than fight, unless in a very urgent case. My orders are simply to destroy the federal commerce by burning and destroying all ships that I can find sailing under the federal flag. He said, as each vessel was taken they would be valued, and half of the value of each would be divided among the ship’s company, and paid to them at the end of the war. Some one asked what bounty he would give; he replied, he would give £15 bounty, in gold; to able seamen he would give £7 per month, and those that were married could have their wages paid to their wives in Liverpool during the cruise. Notes were given to the married men for the half of their wages, payable in Liverpool at Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co.’s office. These notes have been paid, as I have been informed, up to three weeks of our reaching Liverpool, in last month. He told the men as the wages were high, they would only sign for six months, at the end of which time he would land them in some British port, if it lay in his power; if he could not do this, he would endeavor to place them on board a British vessel bound for the United Kingdom. He expected to make up his crew from the prizes he would take. He said her name was the Shenandoah, and that he was to command her. No confederate flag had up to this time been shown. The only flags used had been the English. Myself, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. John Clark, and John Martin signed cleared of the Sea King, receiving each two months’ wages from Captain Corbett, and then were sworn to the effect that we were to serve the Confederate States to the best of our ability, and never betray them; we signed this at the bottom. Efforts were made to get the other men to join; many from the Laurel did join; those who would not, returned to Liverpool, or started for there, in the Laurel. Mr. Smith, the purser of the Shenandoah, paid me the two months’ wages for serving on the Sea King, also the bounty money for enlisting on her. It was about 12 o’clock when the Laurel left us; she steered towards Madeira, and we took a southwest course. On parting company with the Laurel we hoisted for the first time on the Shenandoah the confederate flag. It was up but for a few minutes; another vessel hove in sight, and we hoisted an English flag to her; she replied with the same flag. This was the 19th day of October, 1864, when we parted with the Laurel. Captain Corbett, and all the men who did not join the Shenandoah, went on the Laurel. We were ten or twelve days in stowing things away and mounting the guns. We had two guns mounted at the time we left London, each eighteen-pounder; we mounted four sixty-eight-pounders smooth bore shell guns, and two long thirty-two-pounder Whitworth rifle guns. These were all English guns. There were also rifles, revolvers, cutlasses, &c., in abundance. Each man at his quarters during our cruise was armed with a rifle, a cutlass, and a revolver. This was continued until the 3d of August last. There were but nineteen men, besides the officers, at the time we left the Laurel. All these men were British subjects. All the guns, small arms, and ammunition, as well as supplies, were from England; had been brought out either from London in the Sea King, or in the English steamer Laurel, from Liverpool. Our bounty money was paid us in English gold. Indeed, Captain Waddell told us at the time we joined that our wages would be paid us in English gold. We were paid, at least myself, £2 in English money, at Melbourne, and since my arrival at Liverpool I have been paid by Mr. Lewis Wiggins, who held the post of signal quartermaster on the Shenandoah, about one-half part of my wages. This payment was made at the Sailors’ Home, Liverpool, on the 13th of November, (last month, 1865,) in English money. This last payment was made by Wiggins and Charles H. Morton, one of the seamen; they told us we need not be afraid, we would get the rest of it.

About the 29th day of October, 1864, we captured our first prize in the bark Alina, of Searsport, from Newport, bound to Bahia. When we got within signalling distance of her we hoisted the English flag. She replied by hoisting the American, and as soon as we got up near her, we fired a blank shot across her bows, and hoisted the confederate flag. She hove to, and an armed boat was sent to her. The vessel was condemned, and sunk. The captain and men were brought on board the Shenandoah, and all the men and officers, except the captain, were put in irons.

The next prize was the schooner Charter Oak. She was bound from Boston to San Francisco. She was condemned and burnt. The captain had his wife and wife’s sister on board. They were brought to the Shenandoah. The captain had about two hundred dollars. This, Captain Waddell took from the captain, but gave it to his wife on leaving the Shenandoah. The captain of the Charter Öak represented that this was all he had in the world, now that his vessel was burnt. This vessel was loaded with furniture, provisions, preserved fruits, preserved vegetables, meats, &c. We took out sofas, furniture, preserved fruits, meats, &c., and transferred them to the Shenandoah; indeed, we almost unloaded her, and transferred her cargo to our vessel. We spoke a Danish brig, bound to Rio Janeiro; all the prisoners were placed on this vessel. Our captain made a bargain with the Danish captain to convey them there.

A week or ten days afterwards we took our third prize, the bark D. Godfrey, of Boston, and bound from that port to——. We condemned and burnt her.

We then captured the schooner L. N. Stacey, of Boston, and from that port to Honolulu. She was condemned and burnt.

The next vessel we captured was the Kate Prince. She was a ship from Cardiff to Bahia. Her cargo proved to be neutral. She was ransomed, and all our prisoners transferred to her.

Our next prize was the bark Adelaide. She was condemned to be burnt; but while they were breaking up her cabin, a letter from her owners in Baltimore was discovered. It was brought on board, and the order to bum her was revoked, because she belonged to southern owners. She was released on giving a ransom bond for a small amount. She was under a Buenos Ayres flag.

The next prize was a brigantine, the Susan, from Newport to Rio Janeiro, loaded with coal. She was condemned and sunk.

The bark Edward was next captured west of the Cape of Good Hope. She was from Nantucket, and bound on a whaling voyage. We lay aside her for two days, transferring stores from her to our vessel. She was then condemned and burnt.

The next day we made the island of Tristan d’Acuna, where there is a British settlement. We landed all our prisoners there, to the number of about forty.

The next prize was east of the Cape. It was the bark Delphine; she belonged to Ports mouth, New Hampshire; was in ballast. She was condemned and burnt. The captain had his wife with him. She and the rest were transferred to the Shenandoah.

From this time until we arrived in Melbourne, on the 26th of January, we took no more prizes. We were well received by all the authorities and people at Melbourne. All the officials and most of the leading inhabitants of the place visited the Shenandoah, and were very warm in their congratulations and well-wishes to us. The governor of Melbourne visited captain Waddell, and was privately entertained by Captain Waddell, on board the Shenandoah. There were 8,000 visitors came on board to see us, in one day. All the government officials were on board to see us, and most of them were entertained on board, either by the captain or his officers. The government officials in Melbourne gave an elegant entertainment to Captain Waddell and his officers during his stay there; it was given at their club-room in Melbourne. Every facility was afforded to us, both by the officials and people of Melbourne, to make our repairs and to procure our supplies; indeed, everything we wanted. One very warm friend was a man by the name of——, formerly the United States consul there.

A dinner was given to the officers of the Shenandoah, at a place called Ballarat, in the country. Mr. Smith, Mr. Grimball, Mr. Scales, Mr. Mason, Dr. Lenning, and Mr. Brown went. They were received at the station by some two thousand people, who cheered them as they passed.

The English government engineer was on board our ship while we were undergoing our repairs three or four times a day, and certainly assisted them with his opinions and advice, if he did not superintend our repairs.

We left Melbourne on the 18th day of February. When we left we had from fifty to sixty persons on board as stowaways; among them was Captain Robert Blackar, who commanded the English steamer Saxonia. It was known to the officers on board at the time we sailed that most of these men were on board. All these persons so stowed away on board were British subjects, and were enlisted or enrolled upon the ship’s books as officers or men within twelve hours from the time we left our anchorage, and while we were within sight of land. Their names are mentioned in the list annexed hereto, and comprise all those set down in said list as shipping at Melbourne.

Before we left Melbourne we were coaled by the ship John Fraser, from Liverpool, which I have since learned was sent out with coal expressly for us. It was some six weeks after we left Melbourne before we took another prize, during which time we were organizing a company of marines and drilling the crew.

About the 2d of March we spoke the schooner Honolulu, under the Honolulu flag; the captain of the schooner told us there were six American whalers anchored in the harbor of the island of Ascension. Remade all haste, steered directly to this island, and entered the harbor two days after. We found there four vessels, all whalers: the ship Hector, of New Bedford; ship Edward Carey, of San Francisco; the bark Pearl, of New London; and the bark Harvest, of Honolulu. This last vessel was from Honolulu, under the Honolulu flag, and in command of a citizen of Honolulu. These vessels were all lying at anchor in the harbor. The Honolulu bark was brought alongside, and all her supplies were removed to the Shenandoah; her captain was brought on board and placed in double irons, and kept in this condition for three or four days. The captains of the three American vessels were visiting the missionary on the other side of the island at the time we arrived, but most of them returned in time to see their vessels burned. We took possession of all the vessels, the three that were under the American flag as well as the one under the Honolulu flag. Within an hour after we arrived we took possession, and the savages of the island were told they might go and plunder the vessels and take whatever they desired. They took the boats belonging to the vessels, sails, furniture, supplies, &c. They almost stripped the vessels. We fired and burned the Pearl on the day we arrived; the next Monday, the 6th of March, we gave the Edward Carey and the Hector to the flames; the Honolulu bark was burned about two days after. The vessels were all in the harbor at the time they were burned. The crews from all these vessels were turned on shore among the savages as soon as we took possession. All the captains upon their return, which was not until after we had seized their vessels, with their officers, were brought on board the Shenandoah, placed in irons, and kept there until we were ready to sail, when they were paroled and sent to the shore with their men among the savages. We left them there. The King of the island came on board while we were there. Waddell and his officers received him in full uniform, wearing their swords. He was brought aboard in the ship’s gig, and entertained by the captain in his cabin, and shown round the ship.

We left the island of Ascension about the 14th day of March last, and cruised for about a month off the coast of Japan, hoping to fall in with some of the United States traders with that country.

The last part of May we entered the Okhotsk sea; we there captured the whaling bark Abigail, of New Bedford, We lay alongside two days transferring the spirits, potatoes, and supplies from her to our vessel. There were on the vessel some twenty or thirty silk dresses which the captain and officers had purchased in Japan, and a quantity of fancy Japan workboxes and fancy articles. All these were taken by the officers and men of our ship. The vessel was then burned. A part of the time we were lying by her our crew had reached the liquors, and were in a frightful state of intoxication. The second mate of this vessel, F. Manning, an American belonging to Baltimore, on coming on board, told our captain that he was well acquainted with the seas in the neighborhood, and would pilot the vessel Shenandoah to a place where we would find fourteen or fifteen United States whaling vessels together. He was placed upon the articles as ship’s corporal, and gave the information to the captain. We afterwards, under his piloting, found eleven American vessels all together, nine of which were burnt as hereafter mentioned. Manning was at once, for this service, rewarded by being made a master’s mate. He is now in London. After cruising for more than a week we made for Behring’s straits.

In the month of —— we sighted two vessels within about nine miles from the land; they proved to be the ship William Thompson and ship Euphrates, both from New Bedford. They were both burned. While they were burning, another ship hove in sight; we gave chase under the Russian flag; she proved to be the English bark Robert Downs, of Sydney. We gave them our name as the Russian ship of war Prince Petropaulovski, bound on a cruise; she saluted us, and we parted.

In two or three days, near the entrance of Behring’s straits, we sighted three more vessels; they proved to be the ship Milo, the bark Sophia Thornton, and bark Jerry Swift; they were all captured. The Milo was bonded on condition of her receiving the crews of the others and the prisoners we had on board; the others were burned. This was in the month of June. The next vessel we took was the brigantine Susan Abigail, of San Francisco; she was twenty-eight days from San Francisco, and bound on a general trading voyage in the Arctic sea. She had many fancy articles on board, but we took nothing from her, but burned her immediately, as the captain and crew had told us that General Lee had surrendered and the war was over. It was on the —— day of June last when we captured and burned this vessel. This was the first news we had that the war was over. This news depressed us. On the following night, about 12 o’clock, we took three other vessels: the bark J. C. Nye, of San Francisco; bark Nimrod, of New Bedford; and bark Catherine, of New Bedford, all whalers. These three last vessels were captured and burned on the night of——.

The next vessels taken were the bark Isabella, of New Bedford; the bark General Pike, of New Bedford; and the bark Gypsie, of New Bedford. They were captured on the ———.

The General Pike was ransomed; the Isabella and a bark called the Gypsie, of New Bedford, were burned. The Isabella was brought alongside the Shenandoah, and her stores taken out and placed on our vessel before she was burned. The crews from these vessels were all placed on the General Pike. Another vessel was in sight, but the captains from the prize vessels told us she had the small-pox on board, and we let her pass, although she showed the American flag.

Early in the morning of—— ——, the weather being foggy, we were very nearly being run into by the bark Waverley, of New Bedford. We took her and burned her. On the same day the fog cleared off, and we saw several vessels anchored in a bay or roadstead; they were about eight or twelve miles from land. Most were at anchor; some were with their sails furled up; there were eleven all together. We were at this time under the pilotage, of Mr. Manning. It was through him that we had reached this point. They all hoisted the American flag. On our nearing them we too hoisted the American flag. The first vessel proved to be the bark Martha, of New Bedford; she was under canvas, and was just going to anchor; she was boarded by us and taken possession of. We then came up to a lot of them: they were the bark Congress, of New Bedford; bark Nassau, of New Bedford; bark Corington, of New Bedford; the ship James Murray, of New Bedford; the ship Brunswick, of New Bedford; ship Hilman, of New Bedford; the bark Nile, of New Bedford; the ship Isaac Howland, of Warren, Rhode Island; and the bark Favorite, of Fair Haven. This last vessel, on our boat going to board her, made resistance. Her captain pointed a bomb gun at us, and threatened to fire at us if we approached his ship. All his crew were armed with handspikes. At this time nearly all the vessels above mentioned were in our possession, and several of them were in flames, and the United States flag was still flying at our gaff or mizzen-peak; we had not had any other up to this time flying. On receiving this hostile reception we returned to the Shenandoah, and informed the lieutenant what had happened. He hauled down the United States flag and hoisted the confederate flag on the Shenandoah, and approached with his vessel to within speaking distance, hailed the captain, and told him that every person must leave her within five minutes, or he would fire into and sink them. Captain Waddell ordered one of the Whitworth guns to be loaded, and repeated the order to point the gun to hit that ship. Before the five minutes had expired all the crew had left her d in their boats; the captain refused to do so, and remained on board. First Lieutenant Whittle, on seeing that the crew had left the ship, hailed the bark again, and told the captain to haul down his flag. The captain replied that he would not. The first lieutenant then ordered our boat to be hauled up, and in great excitement snatched a loaded rifle from one of the marines, jumped into the boat, and told us to give way and pull with all our might. On approaching the vessel Lieutenant Whittle pointed the rifle at him, and told him if he did not within five minutes go and stand in the port gangway, leaving his arms on the poop, he would shoot him dead on the deck where he stood. The captain appeared to be intoxicated. We went round and boarded the vessel, took possession, and burned her.

We bonded the two ships James Murray and Brunswick, and burned all the rest. The crews from the burnt vessels were placed on the Murray and Brunswick.

After firing these vessels, we steered to the northward for a day and a night, but meeting with heavy sea we turned about and steered for the south. Manning protested against our turning about, saying in a few more days he could find as many more vessels as we had already taken.

Three or four days after, about the——, we spoke a Honolulu brig; hailed and asked her what news she had. He replied that General Lee had surrendered, and the northern President had been assassinated.

After this, on the 6th day of July, we left Behring straits for the Pacific ocean. When in the latitude of San Francisco, on the 2d of August, 1865, we spoke the bark Barracouta, of Liverpool, from San Francisco to Swansea, fourteen days out. We sent a boat on board, and he told us that the war was over, confirming the news we had heard before.

On the following day all hands were called aft, and Captain Waddell told them it was indeed true that the South had been suppressed, and the war over. He told the men all they had to do was to obey him; that he intended to take them to a British port, and that however much trouble they might be put to, he and his officers would be in a much worse condition; but that if they would stand by him he would stand by them. He alluded to a letter which had been sent aft by the crew, requesting him to go into a British port. He told them he would go into a British port. Some wanted to go to Australia; but they all seemed well content with his ultimate decision to come to Liverpool.

We rounded the Horn on the 13th September and made direct for Liverpool. When in latitude of the Cape of Good Hope the officers called a meeting, and signed a petition requesting the captain to run in and land them at Cape Town. Captain Waddell refused to accede to this.

The next day Liéutenant Whittle waited on the captain, at the request of the officers, and renewed the matter. The captain still refused.

On the following day the men held a meeting, and signed a petition to the effect that they were willing to go wherever the captain took them. He then continued on his course for Liverpool, where we arrived on the 6th November, 1865.

Our general practice while cruising was, when we captured a vessel, to bring the men and officers to the Shenandoah and put them in irons. In some cases the officers were not put in irons. In approaching vessels our general practice was to hoist the English flag. This was done in most cases when we captured a prize or spoke a vessel. In a few instances we hoisted the Russian and American flags; but the English flag was the one we generally used.

The only inducement held out for men from vessels captured to join our ship was this: After they were put in irons the officers would approach them and say: How you are in irons, and will probably be kept there for a month, and you are earning nothing; now, if you will join us you will be set at liberty, treated well, and earn good wages; you had therefore better consent and do it. Many agreed to do this.

F. Manning, the mate from the Abigail, was not put in irons at all. He became an active man among us as soon as he got on board, and volunteered his services to conduct us to the whaling fleet, and was thanked and complimented by the captain, and promoted for his services.

When we captured a vessel we always took all the money, jewelry, chronometers, and other valuables that were in the ship, and all the money and jewelry that the captain and officers had in their pockets or about them, except their watches and what they were wearing. In one or two instances their watches were taken from them by our men. Complaint was made by the captains of this to our officers, but they never got any redress.

After a vessel was condemned, and we had taken everything we wanted from her, we would proceed to breakup her cabins and furniture with our axes, and then set her on fire. That is the way we did whenever we burned them. There were two cases where we sunk them.

A day or two before we arrived at Liverpool, Captain Waddell had all the men called aft. He commenced to address them, and said when the ship first started she had $22,000 on board of her. Out of that he took $18,000 to defray the expenses in Melbourne; consequently, when he came to consider the large amount that was due to each one of us, the small amount of money left would go but a little way among us; but what there was should be equally divided among the officers and men, and on our arrival in Liverpool he would endeavor to see where the rest of our money was to come from. He said he had no doubt but that among the southern population of Liverpool, who had been so interested and concerned in the war, there would be some who would be willing to contribute to pay us, who had done so much. He then went on to say what satisfaction the good conduct of the crew during the cruise had given him, and he only hoped up to the last moment of their stopping in the ship they would behave in the same orderly manner. He added, “You have gained a name by serving in this vessel that will never be forgotten. Your acts will be talked of all over Europe.” He said that when he got on shore it would be very annoying to him to have the men following him about Liverpool to the offices; he would therefore appoint Lewis Wiggins and James Brossman, to whom he would communicate, and who would communicate his wishes to the men. He promised to give ns each a certificate of the exact amount due us.

The day before we arrived in Liverpool we were paid the money that was promised on the ship—that is, the cash in hand was divided. My share was £5, which was paid me in English gold. A part of the crew were paid partly in English and partly in American coin.

We came on shore at Liverpool on Wednesday evening, the 8th of November, 1865. We heard nothing more about the payment until the following Friday. I had gone to and was stopping at the Sailors’ Home, in Liverpool. A majority of the men from the Shenandoah were stopping at the Sailors’ Home, in Liverpool. No objection was made to our stopping in the Sailors’ Home, in Liverpool. They admitted all who applied, but would not take the name of our ship. They put us down under the name of another vessel.

On Friday Wiggins, who was stopping at the Sailors’ Home with us, came and collected all the certificates that had been given us before we left the Shenandoah, showing the amount due to us, telling us that he would most likely pay us the following day.

About ten o’clock on Saturday, the 11th of Novomber, 1865, he commenced to pay off the crew upstairs in his own room at the Sailors’ Home. Morton acted as clerk. He called them in one by one, and commenced paying them in full in English gold. He paid off about one-half of the crew in full. The following day I went down to the Home and asked him to give me a few shillings, as I had not been paid, and he then told me there would not be enough money to go round and pay all.

The next morning he commenced paying the crew one-half their wages, and retaining their certificates. There was due me £49 14s. I got only £22. This was paid me in English gold. That same evening Wiggins went to London in disguise. Morton took a second class ticket to Bristol.

On Friday, the 17th November, I went to the Waterloo Hotel, and there saw Captain Waddell. He took me up to his room. I asked him what prospect there was of our being paid. He told me he had given Wiggins enough money to pay all the men all that was due them, and he had no doubt but that Wiggins was acting for the best. This is the last time I have seen him; but several of the crew have seen him subsequently.

We arrived at Liverpool on the afternoon of the 6th of November, as above stated, and anchored in the river Mersey, near her Majesty’s ship Donegal. We came up with the confederate flag flying.

Just as we anchored a lieutenant from the Donegal came on board. After conversing with Captain Waddell he left, and soon after Captain Paynter, of the Donegal, came. He remained about an hour, and as he passed over the side of the ship said he would telegraph Earl Russell and let Captain Waddell know the answer as soon as he got it. That night a company of marines, with two officers, from the Donegal, came on board and took possession of the vessel. These men from the Donegal would not permit any of the officers or men to leave the vessel. That night Captain Whitehead, of Liverpool, sent off to the ship two barrels of ale, one of porter, a lot of fresh beef, fresh mutton, a large supply of vegetables, eggs, and cheese, enough for all hands, and two or three tubs of butter, with plenty of fresh bread. This was received on the vessel, and all hands partook of it. The next night Jones & Co. (or Jones, Highat &Co.) sent us off a boatload of provisions, &c.; but the custom-house officers would not permit it to come on board. Captain Paynter visited the ship frequently. On the morning of the day we were released he came, and as he was going he said, “Men, you need not be impatient; you will soon be released; probably this evening. I am doing all in my power to obtain it for you. As soon as the formalities are got through with, and I receive the proper instructions, I will do it.” That evening, the 8th of November, he came on board in a tug-boat. As he came on board he said, “I have come to release you, my men.” He was cheered by the men. He went immediately aft. The men were all mustered. While we were mustering and making preparations to go aft, Captain Waddell sent some of the marines among the men to tell them they were all to be southerners when their names were called. I was myself told this by a marine by the name of John Ivors, who told me that the captain had sent him to tell all the crew. On being mustered aft in the presence of Captain Paynter and Lieutenant Whittle, in consequence of this information, we all stated that we were southerners when our names were called out. The mode was this: We were all mustered one side of the vessel. Lieutenant Whittle called our names and number, and as each man was called he passed in front of Captain Paynter, who addressed to each, “What countryman are you?” All the Englishmen, Scotch, or Irish answered that they were southerners. The other foreigners answered according to their nation. As soon as this was done we were told to get into the steamer as quick as possible, which we did, and were then landed at Liverpool. No parole was asked or taken from any of us. We were told we were at liberty. Mr. Lynch, the carpenter, married an English woman some time before our cruise commenced, and was living before, and is now living, in Liverpool. On Thursday or Friday after we were landed, James Baines, a merchant of Liverpool, sent for all the officers of the Shenandoah to come to his office.

The annexed list contains the names of all the officers, petty officers, and men of the Shenandoah after we left Melbourne up to the time we arrived in Liverpool. There were some men who left the ship at Melbourne, whose names I do not know. With two or three exceptions, the men and officers in the list are those that were landed at Liverpool. The list gives the nationality of each person, when he enlisted, and when he left the vessel.