GEORGE COPPELL, Acting Consul to Mr. Stuart, September 30, 1863

Mr. Coppell to Mr. Stuart.

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a protest made before me by the master and two of the crew of the British steamship Sir William Peel against seizure, &c., by the United States gunboat Seminole.

From the protest it will be seen that the Sir William Peel at the time of capture was at anchor in Mexican waters, off the mouth of the Rio Grande, taking in cargo of cotton from Matamoras, and seized on suspicion of having an unusually large crew, and of having 11-inch guns on board.

With regard to the crew, it consists of between forty and fifty officers and men—a proper complement for a steamship the size of the Sir William Peel. As to the guns, the master of the steamship informs me, and it is stated in the protest, that he offered to take out the cotton, then on board, in order to convince the commander of the Seminole of his mistake, but to no purpose, the vessel being kept possession of without search having been made.

As to any other probable causes that would tend to the capture of the steamship Sir William Peel, I beg to state that, from information derived from the master, I learn that the cargo taken into Matamoras was shipped by Messrs. A. & T. Henry & Co., of Manchester; that there was not shipped a package that could be considered contraband, legal opinion having been taken previous to its shipment on the Peel at Liverpool, and the master has handed me receipts for the cargo, being delivered at Matamoras. The cotton that was on board at the time of seizure had been shipped from Matamoras by Messrs. Milleno & Co., merchants of that place, and they had taken the precaution to have certificates from the United States consul there to the effect that the cotton was shipped from Matamoras.

Some time before the Sir William Peel was seized by the Seminole, the master having been informed by parties on shore that the commander of the United States gunboat Princess Royal was making inquiry about his vessel, and intended taking the bearings of the Sir William Peal to ascertain if she was in Texas waters, and as his vessel was then in shallow water he thought it prudent to move the Peel into deeper, and consequently further into Mexican waters. The position of the vessel at the time of seizure is shown by the chart which I have the honor to enclose herewith.

By the first opportunity it is my intention to write to her Majesty’s vice-consul at Matamoras for the ship’s papers, and to request him to obtain from the Mexican authorities documents in corroboration of the statement of the master of the Sir William Peel.

The acting Mexican consul here communicates with the minister in Washington on this subject, and also of the seizure of another vessel, The Flying Scud, which was taken under circumstances of a similar nature.

I have the honor to transmit herewith an original letter written at my request by Mr. Mirrieles, which gives the purport of a conversation between him and Captain Woolsey, of the United States navy, on the subject of the seizure of this vessel.

Commander Martin, of her Majesty’s ship Buzzard, now in this port, will inform Vice-Admiral Sir A. Milne of the particulars of the seizure as he learned them at Matamoras and from the master here, and I transmit another copy of the protest in order that it may reach Sir A. Milne, with such remarks as you deem proper.

I have the honor, &c.