William H. Seward to Charles Francis Adams, September 13, 1862

Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams.

Sir: Mr. Morse, our indefatigable consul at London, has transmitted to this department an intercepted letter written by S. H. Mallory, who is the pretended secretary of the navy to the insurrectionary party in the south, and addressed to James H. North, who is called a commander in that navy. The letter shows that at least two steamers, the Oreto and the Florida, have been actually built, fitted up in England for the insurgents, and despatched with armaments and military stores from British ports to make war upon the United States. Mr. Morse has informed me that he intended to submit the letter to you, and it is probable that you will have taken a copy of it. For greater certainty, however, a copy is sent you with this despatch. It is thought expedient that you give a copy of it to Earl Russell. Hitherto the British authorities have failed to prevent such transactions, assigning as the reason a want of authentic evidence of the illegal character and purposes of the vessels which you have denounced. It will perhaps be useful to give the government this unquestionable evidence of the infraction of the neutrality laws, in the very two cases of which you have already complained without success. Although these two vessels are now beyond the reach of British authority, the evidence which shows that they ought to have been detained may possibly lend some probability to new complaints in regard to other vessels of a similar character now being built in England. I am, sir, your obedient servant,