Charles Francis Adams to John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, October 1, 1861

Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.

My Lord: It is with much regret that I find myself receiving, at every fresh arrival from the United States, instructions from my government to make representations to your lordship concerning alleged violations of her Majesty’s proclamation of neutrality, committed by British subjects through the channel of the colonies situated near the United States. I have the honor now to submit to your lordship’s consideration the copy of an intercepted letter from a person named John P. Baldwin, living at Richmond, in Virginia, in the service of the insurgents, addressed to Henry Adderley, esquire, of Nassau, New Providence. It appears by this letter that Nassau has been made, to some extent, an entrepôt for the transmission of articles contraband of war from Great Britain to the ports held by the insurgents. It would be a great source of satisfaction to the government of the United States to learn that her Majesty’s government felt itself clothed with the necessary power to prevent the exportation of such contraband from the colonies for the use of the insurgents, and that it would furnish the necessary instructions to the local authorities to attain that end.

I pray your lordship to accept the assurances of the highest consideration, with which I have the honor to be your lordship’s most obedient servant,