Charles Francis Adams to William H. Seward, September 9, 1861
Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.
London, September 9, 1861.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the reception at the hands of your messenger, Captain Schultz, of a bag purporting to contain public despatches from Mr. Robert Bunch, the consul at Charleston, to Lord Russell, the head of the foreign office in London. In conformity with the instructions contained in your No. 63, dated the 17th of August, I immediately addressed a note to Lord Russull, explanatory of the reasons why such a bag was received through this channel, a copy of which is herewith transmitted. In it you will perceive that I have endeavored to adhere as closely as possible to the language of your communication to me. At the same time, in obedience to the directions contained in your No. 64, dated the 17th of August, I addressed another note to his lordship stating the grounds of dissatisfaction felt by the President with the conduct of Mr. Bunch, and requesting his removal. A copy of this note is likewise appended to the present despatch. These two notes, together with the bag in exactly the same condition in which I received it from Captain Schultz, I directed my assistant secretary, Mr. Benjamin Moran, to take with him to the foreign office, and there to deliver into the hands of his lordship if present, or, if absent from town, into those of one of her Majesty’s under secretaries of state for foreign affairs. Accordingly, on the afternoon of Tuesday, the 4th instant, at about quarter past three o’clock, as Mr. Moran reports to me, he went to the foreign office, and finding Lord Russell to be absent from town, he delivered the bag and the notes into the hands of Mr. Layard, one of the under secretaries. Since that time I have had no reply from his lordship, although I received on Saturday last two notes from him on matters of minor consequence. I had hoped to send something by Captain Schultz, who returns in the Great Eastern, and I shall yet do so if it should come before the bag closes. I have consented to the departure of Captain Schultz, mainly because Mr. Dayton has expressed a great desire that he should take charge of his despatches as soon as possible.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
P. S.—I have just learned from Mr. Davy that the Bermuda put into Falmouth for coals. Her cargo in arms, ammunition, and clothing, is valued at £80,000 sterling. The importance of intercepting her cannot be overestimated.