GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy to William H. Seward, July 2, 1864

Mr. Welles to Mr. Seward

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date, enclosing a copy of a despatch from Mr. Dayton, United States minister at Paris, on the subject of the insurgent steamer Alabama, and desiring to be informed whether it is the intention of the Navy Department to order to Europe the additional naval force to which Mr. Dayton refers.

In reply, I would state that the United States steamer Niagara, Commodore T. T. Craven, sailed from New York early in June for Antwerp, and orders have to-day been issued for the United States steamer Iroquois, Commander C. R. P. Rodgers, to proceed immediately to Brest.

In advising you of the movements of these steamers, I must be permitted to state, with due deference to the opinions of others, that I cannot see of what advantage their presence in European waters will be. They will be denied access, except at stated periods, to European ports; they can commit no hostile act in them, nor are they allowed to blockade them. Thus they will be of but little service in arresting the course of the rebel privateers; which have every advantage in their favor. Even were it advisable to attempt a blockade of any of the ports, a large force would be required. From actual experience on our own coast we know the difficulty of maintaining a blockade—fifteen or twenty vessels being required in some instances to make it effective. If I mistake not, Mr. Adams, our minister at London, has frequently intimated that the presence of our men-of-war in European waters was only a cause of irritation, and of but little practical benefit.

Very respectfully, &c.,