Clarey to Thomas Tupper, December 17, 1863

Commander Clarey, U. S. N., to Mr. Tupper.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date, and, in reply, I beg to state that I had no intention of not complying with all proprieties required in British ports, and have taken the opportunity of personally so stating to his honor the administrator of the government in an interview held with him this evening.

As to the reason demanded in your note for entering this harbor, I beg to state I have entered the harbor for the purpose of delivering the steamboat Chesapeake into the hands of the British authorities, or to take her to the United States and deliver her to the United States government or the owners, upon the faith, if any difficulty should arise, to make restitution to the British authorities.

With reference to the circumstances under which the steamship Chesapeake was taken out of the harbor of Sambro, I beg to state they are simply these: At 7 o’clock this morning a flag of distress of the United States was seen flying by the crew of the gunboat Ella and Annie, under the command of Acting Lieutenant J. F. Nickels. The Ella and Annie steamed down in order to afford relief, the lieutenant in command feeling it his duty to respond to such a signal from a vessel purporting to belong to the United States. When he reached the distressed he found it was the steamer Chesapeake in the possession and control of five of her original crew, by whom he was informed that the pirates had abandoned her, and the steamer was without coal. Under the circumstances of the case I thought it prudent to put into the port of Halifax, for the placing myself in communication with the British authorities and the United States government.

I have, in conclusion, to state the names of the United States gunboats under my control are United States steamer Dacotah and Ella and Annie.

I have, &c.,