Charles Francis Adams to Right Hon. Earl Russell, January 11, 1864

Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.

My Lord: I have the honor to submit to your consideration the copies of a letter from Mr. Dudley, consul of the United States at Liverpool, and of the deposition of Thomas Matthews, going most clearly to establish the proof of the agency of Messrs. Jones & Co. in enlisting and paying British subjects in this kingdom to carry on war against the United States.

I pray your lordship, &c., &c.

Mr. Dudley to Mr. Adams.

Sir: Referring to despatches from myself to you, one dated December 1, 1863, and the other on the 6th instant, and the connexion of Jones & Co. of 28 Chapel street, Liverpool, in fitting out the pirate Georgia and enlisting men in Liverpool for this vessel, I have now to inform you that this same firm, in connexion with one Charles Mattman, of Eustace street, in Liverpool, an Englishman, belonging to the naval reserve, on the 29th of December last, enlisted in Liverpool for the said steamer Georgia, now at Cherbourg, and the steamer Florida, now at Brest, some twenty-one British seamen, and on the same day conveyed them from Liverpool in a steamer bound for Havre. I enclose you a copy of Thomas Matthews’s affidavit, one of the men that shipped and went to Havre, establishing the above facts. You will see that two of the men so shipped, named George King and Thomas Smith, belong to the naval reserve. The affidavit also discloses the facts that the firm of Jones & Co, paid half the wages earned by the witness, while on board of the Georgia, to his wife here in Liverpool, the last payment of which was made to her on the 13th of December last, while her husband was at his home in Liverpool; and that they have been boarding the men from this vessel, or at least one of them, here in Liverpool since the ship has been at Cherbourg.

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

Deposition of Thomas Matthews.

I, Thomas Matthews, of No. 37 Gloucester street, Liverpool, painter, make oath and say: In the month of March, 1863, I was lodging with Mr. Charles Mattman, of Eustace street, Liverpool, and was informed by him that there was a chance for me to go to China in the Japan, for a two years’ voyage. I understood that the vessel was not going to China, although she would be entered out for that place. He also told me that there was a good chance for me to make plenty of money. I agreed to go in her, and Mr. Mattman and myself left Liverpool for Greenock, where the Japan was lying. About the 28th or 29th of March last I signed articles for two years, at £4 10s. a month, and joined the Japan on the 1st of April. We left Greenock on the 2d of April, and after we had been at sea about eight or nine days we fell in with a small steamer called the Alar, which followed us to Ushant bay, where we took in cases of arms and ammunition from her. Mr. Jones, of Chapel street, Liverpool, came on board the Japan from the Alar, with several men who agreed to join us. We signed articles again, to serve on the Japan in the confederate service, and were each paid £10 bounty upon signing articles. Mr. Jones brought the bounty money with him, which was paid to us by Mr. Curtis, the purser. I asked Mr. Jones if I could have half pay for my wife, when he said I could, and that he would arrange that when he arrived home. Mr. Mattman, who is a naval reserve man, also joined the Japan as boatswain. After we had signed articles I was ordered to paint over the name of Japan, and the vessel was then called the Georgia. Mr. Jones returned in the small steamer, and we then commenced our cruise, during which we captured and destroyed several United States vessels and ransomed several others. We returned to Cherbourg, in France, for repairs, and about the 6th or 7th of December last I got leave of absence for eight days, and was paid £1 5s. Before leaving, I asked the purser to whom I was to apply in Liverpool for money to pay my passage back to Havre, when he directed me to call at Mr. Jones’s office, Chapel street Liverpool, for the money, and that he would write Mr. Jones to that effect. At the expiration of the term of my leave of absence I called at Mr. Jones’s office, where I saw Mr. Mattman, the boatswain. I saw one of the clerks in Jones’s office who told me that they had received a letter for my passage money to be paid to Havre, and that Mr. Jones and Mr. Hyatt were both from home, and that I must call again in a day or two. I called several times without being able to see either Mr. Jones or Mr. Hyatt until Saturday, the 27th of December last, when I called and saw both Mr. Jones and Mr. Hyatt. Mr. Hyatt asked me what I wanted. I told him that I had come to join the ship. He said, “What ship?” I told him the confederate steamer Georgia, now lying at Cherbourg. He then asked me what was my name, and upon my telling him, he said they had a letter directing them to pay my fare round to Havre, and he read the letter over to me; in substance, the purport of the letter was that they should pay my fare round to Cherbourg, but were not to give me any money. Whilst the letter was being read over to me, Robert Broadway, one of the Georgia’s crew, was in their office along with Mr. Thomson, of Pitt street, Liverpool, publican and boarding-house keeper. Mr. Jones then told me that he was supposed to know nothing about either me or the ship, so that I knew how to act, and that there were people in the town ready to pick up any information about us. Mr. Hyatt then told me to be at the Havre steamer on the following Monday morning at 11 o’clock, and that either he himself or some one else would be there to pay my fare and see me off.

I went to the Havre steamer, as directed, on the Monday morning, and there saw Mr. Mattman, the boatswain. I had a friend with me who had come to see me off, when Mr. Mattman called me aside and asked me if he was not a detective. I told him that he was not, when he said, “All right, I must take care what I am doing.” I then asked Mr. Mattman whether he was going to pay my passage round to Cherbourg, when he said, “Yes, I am going round to the ship myself.” I then went on board the steamer with him and he arranged about my passage money, and we left Liverpool the same day for Havre When I got on board I saw Robert Broadway and about nineteen or twenty other men. All these men were in Mr. Mattman’s charge, but part of them were brought down by Mr. Edward Campbell of Regent street, boarding-house keeper. Mr. Mattman paid their fares to Havre. Mr. Mattman told me that part of these men were for the confederate steamer Florida and part for the Georgia. We arrived at Havre on the 31st of December, where I left the party, but the rest proceeded to the Albion Hotel there, and staid the night, and on the 1st of January, instant, started for Cherbourg. I left Havre on the 4th of January and arrived in Liverpool on the 7th. During my last visit to Jones’s office, whilst Broadway and Thomson were there, Thomson said to Mr. Hyatt, this man (meaning Broadway) owes me £1 12s. for two weeks’ board Hyatt asked if this was right, when Broadway said, “Yes.” Hyatt then said to one of the clerks at the desk, pay this man £1 12s. and take a receipt. He then said no, we will not pay it him now; make out a bill and bring it on Monday, after the man has gone, and we will then pay it. My wife has called regularly every month, whilst I was serving on the Georgia, at Jones’s office and received my half pay there; and she received the last payment on the 13th of December last, £2 10s., whilst I was at home. Two of the men who went round with us to Havre, named George King and Thomas Smith, were naval reserve men, belonging to the Eagle, now lying at Liverpool. On the 4th or 5th of November last, whilst we were lying at Cherbourg, I asked Captain Maury for some money, when he said he would write to the agents in Liverpool to pay my wife £10. And I wrote to my wife to call at Jones’s office for it, which she did, and Mr. Hyatt paid her the money.

THOMAS MATTHEWS.