THORNTON, Lieutenant Commander and Executive Officer to Jno. A. Winslow, December 7, 1863

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Sir: I beg leave to state, in accordance with your request, that on or about the 3d of November, 1863, several men from Queenstown came on board of this ship as applicants for enlistment in the naval service. In the absence of yourself and of any definite instructions in regard to such applications, I told the men that if they were physically qualified for enlistment they might remain on board until your return, when you would decide. Upon your return, your instructions were not to enlist them. These men were accordingly sent out of the ship. Many applications of a similar nature were made, but their enlistment was, in every case, refused, in accordance with your instructions. During the time we were at anchor the ship was surrounded by boats filled with men desiring to enlist. Orders were given and executed not to allow them alongside. On the evening of the 5th this was the case until after dark and until the ship was under way.

The ship went to sea on the 5th November. It was stormy and blowing hard. In accordance with the usual custom of the ship, and with the necessities of the case, (as I thought,) before tripping the anchor, all strangers were ordered out of the ship. The master-at-arms, with the ship’s corporal and others of the police force, executed the order, finding men stowed away in the hold, in the carpenter’s locker, and elsewhere. These men were put out of the ship, in some cases by force. As soon as the ship was reported cleared, the anchor was tripped and the ship went to sea.

On the next day several men were discovered who were strangers in the ship. These men, probably with the connivance of some of the crew, had been so secretly concealed as to elude the vigilance of the police force. Upon receiving this information you decided to land these men at Brest, whither you were bound.

These men were sent out of the ship at Brest in accordance with this determination, but pleading destitution, they returned and were permitted to remain on board until this morning, when they were returned at Queenstown by the pilot-boat Petrel.

I would add that the names of these men, upon their return to the ship while in Brest, were placed upon the ship’s books for the purpose of their support and comfort, they being otherwise entirely destitute.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,