On landing, Captain Corbett, late master of the Sea King, declared that he intended to maintain his crew at his own expense, and to pay their passage to England, and should require no assistance from the British consul. He accordingly placed them at an hotel, at double the ordinary expense for keeping seamen, and the money to defray the cost was advanced by the house of Bruce, Hamilton & Co., to whom it was said Corbett brought letters. He did not note a protest, which excited Mr. Dabney's suspicion. That gentleman at once set about trying to discover the truth, but failed to elicit anything from either her Majesty's consul or Captain Corbett's consignees. He then called on the commandante de la marina, stated his suspicions, and asked that officer to investigate the circumstances attending the alleged loss of the Sea King. He wrote an official letter which was answered at the expiration of two days. This letter was remarkable; the consul stated that the Sea King had not foundered, but had been sold at sea; that the transfer was there made to the purchasers, and the price paid down, and that that was why the captain paid all the expenses of the men. Mr. Dabney being satisfied that the transfer had been made to the rebels, and that the ship would be armed in that vicinity, as the No. 290 had been, went to her Majesty's consul to see the register. This was shown to him reluctantly, and he was not permitted to copy it. He, however, carried off in his memory that she is about 1,070 tons, was built on the Clyde in 1863, is of two hundred horse-power, and was lately owned by William Wallace, banker, London. She is three-masted, square rigged round stern, and has a bust head and a poop. She cleared from London for Bombay. The forty-two men were at Teneriffe still on the 29th October, (the date of Mr. Dabney's letter,) but were about to proceed to Liverpool in the steamer Calabar. This is Mr. Dabney's report. I have already communicated the facts to Messrs. Morse and Dudley, so as to be transmitted to the Niagara and Sacramento. The Sea King went from London on the 9th of October, and Mr. Morse has no doubt reported her to you. That she is now in the hands of Semmes I have no hesitation in believing. The Laurel took that pirate out from Liverpool clearly to meet her at sea, and provided her with arms; but I hope the Sacramento will catch both the Sea King and Semmes. I am, my dear sir, your obedient servant, BENJ'N MORAN. No. 815.] Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: During my absence from town my secretary, Mr. Moran, received from Mr. Dabney information relating to the fitting out of the Sea King at Teneriffe, which he transmitted to you by the last steamer. Since then Mr. Dudley, the consul at Liverpool, has obtained depositions from two of the seamen of that vessel, who refused to enlist under Captain Semmes, and has furnished copies to me. I have concluded, in advance of the instructions which I shall doubtless receive, to send copies at once to Lord Russell with a brief note, merely re-enforcing the position. already taken in mine of the 10th instant; a copy of which also goes to you by this steamer. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS. Secretary of State. [For note of the 10th, referred to, see dispatch No. 814 of Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward, under subdivision "The Alabama," ante.] Mr. Adams to Earl Russell. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, London, November 18, 1864. MY LORD: I now have the honor to submit to your consideration a copy of a letter from the consul of the United States at Liverpool, T. H. Dudley, esq., covering the depositions of two seamen on board of the steamer Sea King, who have returned to that place. It will be seen from these that the statement which I had the honor to make to your lordship in my note of the 10th instant, on the subject of Captain Semmes, is sustained in every particular. I pray your lordship to accept the assurance 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. Mr. Dudley to Mr. Adams. UNITED STATES CONSULATE, SIR: I have now to inform you that the English steamer Laurel, which sailed from this port, as was at the time supposed, on a piratical cruise against the United States, on the 9th of October last, with confederate officers and English seamen, (many of whom had belonged to the pirate Alabama,) and the English steamer Sea King, that sailed from London on the 8th of the same month, met at the island of Madeira on the 18th of October. The Sea King on her arrival signaled the Laurel to come out; the Laurel then steered for the island of Porto Santo, which is within sight of Madeira and some twenty-six miles distant, where she anchored within a quarter of a mile from the shore. The Sea King followed and also anchored within a quarter of a mile from the shore, when the Laurel came alongside, made fast, and immediately began to transfer the guns, six in number, gun-carriages, shot and shell, powder, &c., and the officers and men she brought from England, to the Sea King. Captain Corbett of the Sea King then called all the men aft, told them he had sold the vessel to the confederates, and that she was to become a confederate cruiser to burn and destroy merchantmen like the Alabama, and advised them all to join her. After great efforts, some of the crew of the Sea King and some of the crew of the Laurel, after having been supplied with liquor, and under its influ ence, were induced to enlist on her. The commander, dressed in a gray uniform, supposed to be Captain Semmes, was then introduced to the men by Captain Corbett. He told them that the Sea King was now the confederate steamer Shenandoah. The men who refused to enlist in the Shenandoah were taken on the Laurel and conveyed to Teneriffe, from where they, with Captain Corbett and his officers, were brought to this port on the 13th instant in the steamer Calabar. When they left the Sea King (now called the Shenandoah) she had the confederate flag flying, and had entered no doubt upon her cruise of burning and destruction. The men who refused to enlist on board were told when they reached Teneriffe that they must say they were destitute British seamen, and that their vessel was lost. Those who returned to this port were paid off on Saturday and yesterday at the Sailors' Home in Liverpool. Three months' extra wages were given to each man in addition to what was due him, the clerk of Mr. Wright, the owner of the vessel when she sailed, paying the money. The owner of the Sea King, Richard Wright, is a British subject and merchant, residing in Liverpool. He was in the vessel when she sailed, and accompanied her as far as Deal. Captain Peter S. Corbett and his officers, who took her out, were also British subjects. Henry Lafone, the owner of the Laurel, is also a British subject and merchant, residing in Liverpool. Captain Ramsey, who commanded the Laurel, is likewise a British subject. Both vessels, the Sea King and Laurel, are British, and were built on the Clyde and sailed under the English flag. The men from the Laurel and Sea King who enlisted are also British subjects. The armament, shot, shell, gunpowder, and everything down to the coal in the hold, are English-all the produce or manufacture of Great Britain. Even the bounty money paid for enlisting the men was English sovereigns; and the wages to be paid for the cruise is contracted for, and to be paid, in English coin-pounds, shillings, and pence. It seems to me that nothing is wanting to stamp this as an English transaction from beginning to end--and the vessel now called the Shenandoah is an English piratical craft, without regard to the colors she may display or show when in chase of a peaceful merchantman or whaler, or when she lights up the ocean with her fire. Captain Corbett and his officers and Richard Wright and Henry Lafone no doubt are now in Liverpool rejoicing over the successful exploit in setting afloat another vessel to destroy and burn peaceful ships belonging to the people of the United States. I inclose you copies of the affidavits of John Hercus and John Wilson, two of the crew of the Sea King, now in Liverpool, establishing the above facts. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, &c., &c., &c. Deposition of John Wilson. John Wilson, a carpenter, residing in London, but a native of Scotland, being duly sworn, says: I am a ship-carpenter, and in the month of September last, I and John Hercus were looking for a ship in London, and went on board the steamer Sea King, then lying in the East India dock, and spoke to the mate. He told me they wanted a carpenter. The captain was not on board at the time; he soon came; I stopped until he came. I then asked him if he wanted a carpenter. He said yes, and asked me if I was married or single, and said he wanted all single men-that there would be no monthly money. This was Captain Corbett. We agreed upon wages at £6 68. per month, and I went to work next day. I signed articles on the 5th of October, at Mr. Green's Sailors' Home, in London, for a voyage to Bombay; thence to any port or ports in the Indian Ocean or China Seas, Japan, Australian colonies, Pacific or Atlantic Oceans, and back to a port of discharge in the United Kingdom, voyage not to exceed two years. I received a note at the time I signed for one month's wages in advance. I got this note cashed by a man by name of Thompson. I think his name is James. He is a tool merchant. His place of business is St. George's street, East London. I missed the vessel when she sailed from London on the morning of the 8th of October. I went to Deal and there took a small boat from the shore, and with the cook, who was with me, went on board the Sea King the same day. When I got on board the Sea King I found her under the command of Peter S. Corbett, the captain who engaged me. Mr. Esemond was first officer. Mr. Wright, the owner of the vessel, was also on board at the time, but left soon after I reached the vessel. We then made steam and sail and went as fast as they would carry us until we got out of the channel. We then shortened sail, and put her under double-reefed topsail, and hoisted up the screw, and put the fires out in the furnaces, and made towards the island of Madeira under easy sail. We remained in this way for five days, until Monday morning, the 17th of October, when the fires were again lighted in the furnaces, the screw lowered, and vessel put under steam. That evening we were off Madeira. We beat on and off during the night; in the morning we went up off the town and signaled a small steamer lying at anchor with her steam up. I could see this at the time. She answered the signal and came immediately out to us, and proved to be the Laurel. She took the lead, and we followed her to the island of Porto Santo. The Laurel anchored within a quarter of a mile from the shore, in seventeen fathoms water. We came up to her. She immediately gave us the soundings, and told us to let go our anchor and she would draw up to us. We did so, and she came up alongside and made fast to us fore and aft. This was about two o'clock on Tuesday the 18th of October, 1864. We were then ordered by Captain Corbett to get tacking aloft and to prepare for hoisting in large cases from the steamer Laurel. I, with all hands, assisted in this. We then commenced taking in from the Laurel guns, gun-carriages, shot, shell, powder, clothing, goods, &c. We took in six guns, four 68-pounders and two 32-pounders, with carriages to mount them on the deck of the Sea King. There was a very large quantity of shot and shell, and some fifty or sixty barrels of gunpowder. There were also three or four small brass swivel guns, I should say three or four pounders, and a great many cases marked "glass, with care." I do not know what they contained. The last thing we took in was a safe, very heavy. Captain Corbett of the Sea King, and his officers, and Captain Ramsey of the steamer Laurel, superintended and assisted in the transfer of the armament from one vessel to the other. We continued working until two o'clock on Wednesday morning, when we were knocked off for two hours' rest. We went at it again, and continued until about ten o'clock, when we finished. During the whole of this time the Sea King remained at anchor within a quarter of a mile from the shore. The fires were kept up in the furnaces, and steam up on both vessels from the time we arrived at Porto Santo until we left. About one hour after we came to anchor, Esemond, the first officer of the Sea King, came to me and told me to have one of the shackle pins started and ready to slip the cable at a moment's notice. I did so, and I had it all in readiness during the whole of the time we were there. The Sea King had two guns on board, mounted on her decks, when she left London; they were about 12-pounders. She had also a very large quantity of provisions, and about seven hundred tons of coal. After we had finished taking in the things from the Laurel, the mate came and called all hands aft, and said the captain wanted to see us. We all went and gathered round the cabin doors, and Captain Corbett came out and said, "Well, men, I have sold the ship to the confederates; she is to belong to their navy, to be a cruiser to burn and destroy merchant vessels, and whalers in particular; she is not to fight but merely to take prizes, and there will be a first-rate chance for any of you young men who will stop by the vessel, and I should advise you to do it." The general reply made by the men was that we did not want anything to do with her. The new captain then came out of the cabin and asked if we would not join. He was dressed in a gray uniform. Captain Corbett introduced the man when he came out as the American officer who was to have command of the ship, but did not mention his name; said he would pay the seamen £4 per month and £10 bounty. One of the engineers, one of the firemen, and two of the seamen consented to join, and took the money and signed the articles. The officer in uniform, when he came out to us, announced that the Sea King was now the Shenandoah, of the confederate navy. Liquor had been served among the men, during the time we were making the transfer, in profusion-some were under its influence. It was brought round twice after we got through, and offered to the men. They made great efforts to induce the men to join. They raised the wages to £7 and £15 bounty for able seamen. They offered me £16 a month and £15 bounty. I declined to accept it or to stop with them on any terms. A bucket of sovereigns was brought out on the deck to tempt the men to join. A portion of the crew of the Laurel joined. The person whom Captain Corbett introduced to us as the commander of the Shenandoah came out on the Laurel. There were a number of others who also came out on the Laurel—I should say about forty. We left them on board the Shenandoah. Some were acting as officers. One of them, pointing at the commander, who was standing on the deck, said he was Captain Semmes. The chief engineer of the Laurel, who came to Liverpool with us, also told me while we were coming home that it was Captain Semmes who had taken the command, and that they had taken him out with them in the Laurel. Captain Corbett came out of the cabin and told us he was off, and bid us follow him. We took our things and went on the Laurel with him. They were then unfastened. A bark at the time was running down the island. We steamed out and met her with the Laurel, leaving the Sea King where she was. The bark raised the English ensign. When we saw this, we took a sweep round her, and went back to the Sea King, or Shenandoah, and told her it was all right. We remained for about three hours after this, waiting for the dispatches from the Shenandoah. They were brought to us in the Laurel's boat about twenty minutes before we left; and after the bark had gone round the corner of the island the Shenandoah hoisted the confederate flag and the Laurel hoisted the English. These flags remained flying until the vessels got out of sight. She seemed to be going to the west when we last saw her, and we stood for Teneriffe. The steamer Laurel was in command during the time of Captain Ramsey. We arrived at Teneriffe on Friday, the 21st of October. We were not permitted to go on shore, or any |