CANBY, Brigadier General, A to William H. Seward, December 23, 1863

General Canby to Mr. Seward.

Sir: In reply to your letter of the 19th ultimo, requesting to be advised,for the information of the British minister, of the reasons for the detention by the United States military authorities, at Fort Jackson, of the British vessel H. G. Berry, the Secretary of War instructs me to state that Major General Banks, commanding the department of the Gulf, to whom the same was referred, has made the following report:

“There was being assembled in the Mississippi river, at the time referred to, a large fleet of transports laden with troops, intended for a descent on the coast of Texas, near the mouth of the Rio Grande. That, in order to prevent information from being conveyed to that region that such a fleet was in the river and preparing for sea, I deemed it proper to detain, for a few days, all vessels bound to that vicinity. All vessels, national or foreign, were therefore detained until after the sailing of the transport fleet.”

For your further information as to the measure adopted in the detention of the H. G. Berry, a copy of the report made by Major General Banks to the general-in-chief relative thereto is herewith transmitted.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,