Charles Francis Adams to William H. Seward, April 24, 1863

Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.

Sir: Her Majesty’s government does not seem yet to be quite satisfied of the sincerity of my denials of the enlistment of men in this kingdom under the authority of the United States. I transmit a copy of two more notes which have passed on the subject.

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

Lord Russell to Mr. Adams.

Sir: With reference to your letter of the 10th instant, in which you repeated the denial you had formerly made of the truth of the report that men were being recruited in this country for the United States army, I think it right to communicate to you the substance of a report which has just been made to her Majesty’s government with regard to the number of persons who are now being shipped as emigrants from Queenstown for New York.

It is stated that within the last fortnight 1,278 emigrants have sailed, the greater number being strong, active young men; that it cannot be doubted that they are intended for the United States army, and that, in fact, many of them do not deny it.

A certain number of these men were militiamen from Cork and its vicinity, and they informed the emigration officer that they would get from $250 to $300 bounty. It also, appears that the prospect of this large bounty has been held out to young men, by general rumor, throughout the country.

It is further stated that the friends of these persons in America are paid so much for obtaining and bringing them out to New York.

I do not think it necessary to encumber this letter with further statements of a more or less trustworthy character which have reached her Majesty’s government corroborative of this asserted recruiting of her Majesty’s subjects for service in the United States army, and I shall therefore merely add that I am informed that about 800 young men were booked to sail from Queenstown by the steamer of the 9th instant, it being freely spoken of that all the young men were going to join the northern army, and that although the Inman Company have put on additional steamers, the number of applicants for passage is so great that they cannot all be accommodated, and that several hundreds are consequently left behind each week.

I have the honor to be. with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

Mr. Adams to Lord Russell.

My Lord: I am very much obliged to you for the courtesy extended to me in the communication of the substance of a report which has been made to her Majesty’s government with regard to the number of persons who are now being shipped as emigrants from Queenstown.

The fact that a great many people, especially in Ireland, have been anxious for some time past to find their way to the United States, has been made known to me by the frequent applications to this legation for free passage. A considerable proportion of these contain offers to enlist in the service of the government. No doubt they are more or less influenced by the high bounties offered in America, accounts of which have been from time to time published in the newspapers here. To all such solicitations the answer given from here has been uniformly to the effect that no authority has been given by the government to listen to any proposals of the kind, or to make any engagements whatever. Instructions have likewise been sent to the respective consuls who have reported similar proposals to me to make the same answer. I have no reason to believe that any American citizen in England clothed with authority has ventured to act in any other way.

It is proper for me to add, in explanation of the emigration that is taking place, that a gentleman of influence in America now in London, who is in a situation to know, has lately informed me that some of the great corporations for the extension of railways in the western part of the United States having experienced inconvenience from the liability of the laborers in their employ to be drafted for the war, and apprehending more, are making efforts to procure large supplies from other countries of aliens who are, from that circumstance, exempted from the risk of being called into service. It may well be that some of those who desire to get across the ocean for the purpose of enlisting expect to take advantage of the opportunity thus placed before them.

In addition to this, there is no doubt of the fact of a scarcity of laborers in the United States. I learn from private sources that the rate of wages is very much advanced.

I am led to believe that these causes, in addition to the alleged distress of the population of Ireland, may explain the phenomena of emigration to which your lordship has been pleased to draw my attention.

I pray your lordship to accept the assurances, &c., &c.,