MILNE, Vice-Admiral, and Commander-in-Chief to Lyons, December 16, 1862

Vice-Admiral Milne to Lord Lyons.

My Lord: I forward to your lordship the following extracts of a despatch, from Commander Malcolm, dated November 24, 1862, respecting the proceedings of the United States cruisers on the coasts of the Bahama islands.

A letter dated November 10, written by J. Brown, a police magistrate at Green Turtle cay, to the governor, Mr. Bayley, states “the schooner Elias Reed, from Georgia, loaded with turpentine, had been captured by the United States cruiser Octorora, Commander Collins, in some position not clearly defined, to the eastward of a line drawn from Fish cay and the nearest point of Little Abaco, and to the westward of Turtle cay.

“It appears that the United States vessels Octorora, Commander Collins, and Sonoma, Commander Stevens, came on the Little Bahama bank, and were seen on the 5th November by the Mary Mankin, John Roberts, master, between Seal cay and Stranger’s cay. The schooner Elias Reed was seen on the same day near Fish cay, going to the eastward. On the 6th November the Octorora was seen near Seal cay, with the Elias Reed as a prize. Mr. J. Nibbs Brown had an interview, at Green Turtle cay, with the United States commanders, Collins and Stevens. The former said the Elias Reed had been captured out of British waters, and said he was going to the eastward, through the narrow channel, in order to see the remains of the wreck of the Adirondack, on Elbow reefs.

“I believe it is the intention of his excellency the governor to report the proceedings of Rear-Admiral Wilkes and Commander Collins to the home government.”

And on the same subject I transmit the copy of. a representation addressed to his excellency C. J. Bayley, the governor of the Bahamas, from the police magistrate of Abaco. It is, no doubt, a well-established fact, from information that has been conveyed to me, that the vessels-of-war of the United States are in the habit of disregarding the instructions of her Majesty’s government, and make use of, and anchor in, the ports, roadsteads, and waters of the Bahama islands without the leave of the governor, and not from stress of weather; and, as will be seen by Mr. Brown’s statement, they have even illegally exercised belligerent rights within the limits of her Majesty’s dominions, by the capture of the schooner Elias Reed. This case appears to be so clear a violation of neutral territory that I submit for your excellency’s consideration, should you see fit to put forth any claim on behalf of her owner, or to bring to the notice of the United States government the irregularities on the part of the United States cruisers, in using the cays within her Majesty’s territories, in contravention of Earl Russell’s letter of instructions of the 31st of January, 1862, of which it would, however, appear that the United States cruisers have not been officially informed by their own government.

Further, I enclose copies of two notes on the subject, which have been just handed to me by Governor Bayley.