his to John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, December 12, 1863

Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.

My Lord: I have the honor to transmit the copy of another deposition, furnished to me by Mr. Morse, the consul of the United States at London, going to show the nature of the proceedings that have taken place at Sheerness, in connexion with the sale of her Majesty’s steamship Victor.

I pray your lordship to accept the assurances of the highest consideration with which I have the honor to be, my lord, your most obedient servant,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Right Hon. Earl Russell, &c., &c., &c.

I, Richard Spendiff, of Brightman’s Court, Mile Town, Sheernes, do hereby truly, sincerely, and solemnly swear that I am a laborer, and on Tuesday, the 24th November last, in company with a man named Maloney, went to see Mr. Rumble, (having previously seen him about going to work on board the Scylla,) and got a note from him (Mr. Rumble) to an officer on board. I went on board the Scylla, late her Majesty’s steamship Victor, in Sheerness harbor, and saw the captain, a person who acted as agent, and Mr. Rumble in the cabin, They offered me and others £6 for the trial trip, which we refused. Mr. Rumble said he thought it was quite enough; but we wanted £8. This they agreed to give each of us, and £1 5s. 6d. cash to pay our fares home. We then signed an agreement to go, I as leading stoker. We did not expect to go for some days, but in consequence of something that occurred we went to sea that night, and arrived at Calais Wednesday night, and went into harbor the next day, Thursday, the 26th November. Soon after we left Sheerness the ship’s name was painted out of her stern.

Her Majesty’s steamship Victor, while in ordinary, used to lie at her moorings on the west shore, Sheerness harbor. After she was sold she went into the basin in the dockyard, and was calked all over except her lower deck. This took about ten days. She then went back to her old moorings, and remained several days; then she went alongside her Majesty’s ship Cumberland, and on Saturday, the 21st November, had her lower masts put in from off that ship, (the Cumberland.) She went to another part of the harbor off a place called Westminister. This was more convenient for the dockyard men to go to and fro. Some of her stores, rigging, provisions, &c., were put on board from sailing barks from London, as well as her coals, 150 tons, or thereabouts, which we stowed in her bunkers. The water (two casks) was put on board from the dockyard sailing tank about one or two o’clock in the afternoon, as we sailed at night. The Victor, or Scylla, had six boilers. Only five of them could be used when we left, and on the run two others broke down, so that we had three useless, viz., the high and low port, and the high starboard boiler. When we left her the only boilers in working order was the fighting ones. The magazine was in good condition, having been repaired since she was sold. The eyebolts to work her broadside guns were in. Her lower masts were not wedged after having been put in from the Cumberland; her standing rigging was on and set up but not rattled down. She had no sails bent when she left the port of Sheerness. She had about eight riggers from the dockyard at work on her rigging. These men continued to work on her rigging during her run to and after her arrival at Calais. Mr. Rees, the master rigger of Sheerness dockyard, was on board when we left Sheerness, but returned in the tug. When she left Sheerness she was prepared to sling hammocks for about 150 men, the hammock hooks being in their places and the hammocks on board. The bedding for the same number of hammocks, with blankets, and remaining part of her stores, was put on board from the tug-boat that towed her to sea, after leaving Sheerness, coming alongside for that purpose. There was no water on board for a voyage, only the two casks before named. When we left Sheerness I consider (with my experience of seventeen years in the navy) she was not in a fit state to go to sea. When we arrived at Calais a new captain came on board, who told us he had been chief mate of the Alabama. He ordered all hands up and asked us if we would enter the confederate service. He said he would give each a bounty of £10, besides £8 per month, if we would sign articles for twelve months. He said the ship was a confederate man-of-war. She was to have eight guns and was to go to the Downs, and then to the north of Ireland, but that we might have to fight the American cruisers, as there were three of them outside the harbor waiting to catch us, and we should have to fight or run. He said his ship, the Rappahannock, was to cruise the same as the Alabama and Florida, and that we were to cruise for prize money. On the first December eight boiler-makers went over to Calais from the dockyard to work on board the ship. There were some men working on board the Scylla as stokers before I joined her. They came from Woolwich. I do not know their names.

Witness to the mark of Richard Spendiff: Joshua Nunn.

Sworn by the deponent, Richard Spendiff, at my office, No. 11 Birchen lane, in the city of London, this 8th day of December, 1863, the witness to the mark of the deponent being first sworn that he had truly, distinctly, and audibly read over the contents of the above affidavit of the said deponent, and that he saw him make his mark thereto. Before me,