William H. Seward to Charles F. Adams, January 6, 1864

Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams.

Sir: Since the instruction to you of yesterday, No. 801, on the subject of the alleged enlistments for the Kearsarge at Queenstown was prepared, the letter of that date, a copy of which is enclosed, has been received from the Secretary of the Navy. The only two of the accompanying papers, transcripts of which were not already in your possession, are also herewith transmitted. It is presumed that you may now be enabled to present the case to the British government in a shape that may satisfy it that the men found on board the Kearsarge were not enlisted at Queenstown; that they secreted themselves in the vessel without the knowledge of Captain Winslow; and that they were returned to the place whence they came within a reasonable time after their presence was discovered.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

[Untitled]

I certify that the United States steam-sloop Kearsarge arrived in Queenstown on the night of the 2d of November, 1863, and that on the following day I left the ship for Cork. On my return to Queenstown, accompanied by the American consul, I called upon the admiral in command, and in course of conversation reference was made to a paragraph in the papers that the Kearsarge had come for the purpose of enlisting men, when I informed the admiral that I had received notice from the executive officer of the Kearsarge that many persons had applied to be shipped, and in response I had directed him to notify all persons that no enlistments would be made, and instructions were given in accordance.

On the night of the 5th of November, while blowing heavy, and thick weather, we went to sea. On the following day report was made to me that several men had been discovered on board; investigation shows that they had concealed themselves in the ship during the thick and rainy weather of the day and night previous, and disguised in this way had come out in the ship in hopes of enlistment in the service of the United States after the ship got to sea. The Kearsarge was on important duty, watching the Florida at Brest, and it was therefore impracticable to return the men to Queenstown immediately. I directed the men to be held at Brest, in apprehension if they were turned ashore they would join the Florida, resolving as soon as the Kearsarge left Brest again to put them ashore at Cork. The Kearsarge left Brest again on the 5th of December, and, in accordance with my resolution, I have this day, the 7th of December, sent sixteen men ashore in the pilot-boat Petrel, with a list of their names as given to the American consul.