Cridland to By the President: J. P. Benjamin, June 13, 1863
Acting Consul Cridland to Mr. Benjamin.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 8th instant, stating that you have been informed, through Admiral Buchanan, that I had been introduced to him as acting English consul at Mobile, and had shown him an official document, signed by Lord Lyons, appointing me to that office, and informing me that I cannot be permitted to exercise the functions of that office under that appointment.
Stating further, that as I had informed your department that I was going to Mobile to look after British interests unofficially, and had failed to communicate the fact that I was the bearer of an appointment from Lord Lyons, it is deemed best to avoid any misunderstanding on the subject, by requesting me to select some other residence within the confederacy than the State of Alabama.
In reply to the above I beg to state that, according to the request of Lord Lyons, I did on my arrival here deliver a letter to M. Portz, French vice-consul and late acting British consul, stating that her Majesty’s government had directed me to take charge of her Majesty’s consulate at Mobile, with the character of acting consul, and asking M. Portz to be so kind as to present me to the local authorities, and to assist me in entering upon my functions as her Majesty’s acting consul at Mobile.
With regard to the last paragraph of your communication, I am under the impression and belief that at the interview with yourself on the 18th of May, I informed you that as the Richmond papers had stated that I was going “to Mobile with a full consul’s commission in my pocket, and an exequatur from the United States government,” I came to deny that statement, and to inform you that I was going to Mobile to do what Mr. Magee had previously done as acting consul, and that I had a letter to M. Portz from Lord Lyons, asking that gentleman to deliver the archives of the consulate to me. As the letter of Lord Lyons was not addressed to me I did not call it a commission.
Your request for me to select some other residence within the confederacy than the State of Alabama will of course be duly attended to.
I am, &c.,