said by some of their leading men here. Edwin Haigh, the same man who pretends to own the Bermuda, pretends to own the Bahama. The register is in his name, but the vessel belongs to Fraser, Trenholm & Co. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SIR: Your dispatch of August 7, No. 203, has been received, and I have laid a copy of it before the Secretary of the Navy. It is to be hoped that Captain Craven will be able to obtain the approval of his proceedings by that department. The escape of the 290 is especially vexatious, in view of all the judicious and almost successful efforts you had made to prevent it.

SIR: The steamer Bahama returned to this port yesterday. You will see by the inclosed slip from the newspapers of this day, that my information that she was taking out a part of the armament and crew for the gunboat 290 was correct. The 290 is now called the Alabama, and has entered upon her cruise with Captain Semmes, late of the Sumter, as commander. There is much rejoicing over this news among those who sympathize with the rebels.

This steamer Bahama is owned or held by Edwin Haigh, the same man who is now before the prize court in Philadelphia, claiming as owner the steamer Bermuda, and who is so anxious to use this consulate to certify his papers.

The Bahama took out eight guns, which were placed on board of the gunboat.

[From Liverpool Journal of Commerce, September 2, 1862.]

The Bahama steamship, hence for Nassau, has put back from Angra, Terceira, which port she left on the 24th August, in company with the

confederate gunboat Alabama, Semmes, commander, formerly 290, on board of which the Bahama had put an armament of heavy guns. The Bahama also brings back forty of the crew of the Alabama, one of whom reports that she proceeded on a cruise with a view to the destruction of American shipping. About one hundred and forty hands were shipped at Terceira.

The Bahama took out from here to the gunboat 290, now Alabama, four Savannah pilots, who are now on her. Their names are, two Kings, one Bormenstein, the other Hardy. This would look as if she intended to run into Savannah. The men who were brought back from the gunboat were all paid off, after they arrived, in M. G. Klingender's office, the same man who owns, or pretends to own, the steamers Gladiator and Bonita.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

THOMAS H. DUDLEY.

Secretary of State.

I presume that Mr. Dudley keeps the government fully informed of the change of the chrysalis 290 into the butterfly Alabama, on a piratical cruise against American shipping. It turned out, as I expected, that she did not go to Nassau. Her difficulty will be to keep supplied with coals.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Secretary of State.

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

No. 340.]

Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, September 13, 1862. SIR: Mr. Morse, our indefatigable consul at London, has transmitted to this department an intercepted letter written by S. R. 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 com

mander in that navy. The letter shows that at least two steamers, the Oreto [the Alabama?] and the Florida, have been actually built, fitted up in England for the insurgents, and dispatched 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 dispatch. 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,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

[For inclosure see Mr. Adams's dispatch to Mr. Seward, No. 238, of October 10, 1862, post.]

No. 227.]

Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

London, September 26, 1862.

SIR: I have not been quite satisfied with the way in which my remonstrances respecting the outfit of the gunboat No. 290 had been left. In consequence I seized the first opportunity in my power to remind Lord Russell that no written answer had been given to me. This has had the desired effect. I have the honor to transmit copies of the two notes which have passed between us. In former days it was a favorite object of Great Britain to obtain from the United States an admission of the validity of claims for damage done by vessels fitted out in their ports against her commerce. This was finally conceded to her in the seventh article of the treaty of 1794. The reasoning which led to that agreement may not be without its value at some future time, should the escape of the gunboat 290, and of her companion, the Oreto, prove to be of any serious injury to our commerce.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Secretary of State.

Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

London, September 4, 1862.

MY LORD: I have the honor to transmit the copy of a letter received from the consul of the United States at Liverpool, together with a depo

sition, in addition to the others already submitted with my notes of the 22d and 24th of July, going to show the further prosecution of the illegal and hostile measures against the United States in connection with the outfit of the gunboat No. 290 from the port of Liverpool. It now appears that supplies are in process of transmission from here to a vessel fitted out from England, and now sailing on the high seas, with the piratical intent to burn and destroy the property of the people of a country with which her Majesty is in alliance and friendship. I pray your lordship's pardon if I call your attention to the fact that I have not yet received any reply in writing to the several notes and representations I have had the honor to submit to her Majesty's government touching this flagrant case.

I beg to renew to your lordship 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,

Liverpool, September 3, 1862.

SIR: I have just obtained the affidavit of the boatswain's mate who shipped in and went out on the No. 290, now called the Alabama. I inclose it to you, with bill for his services, signed by Captain Butcher. He returned on the Bahama. He states that the Alabama is to cruise on the line of packets from Liverpool to New York; that Semmes told them so. This may have been said for the purpose of misleading us. The bark that took out the guns and coal is to carry out another cargo of coal to her; is to take it on either at Cardiff or Troon, near Greenock, in Scotland; the bark to meet the Alabama near the same island where the armament was put on board, or at least in that neighborhood. There will be no difficulty to get other testimony, if it is required.

I am, &c.,

THOS. H. DUDLEY.

P. S.-There were two American vessels in sight when they parted with the Alabama, which Captain Semmes said he would take. They, no doubt, were taken and destroyed, the first fruits from this vessel.

T. H. D.

NOTE. It was the bark Agrippina, Captain McQueen, from London.-T. H. D.

Deposition of Henry Redden.

Henry Redden says: I reside at 16 Hook street, Vauxhall Road, and am a seaman. In April last I shipped as boatswain's mate of a vessel lying in Laird's Dock at Birkenhead, known as 290, and worked on board until she sailed. We sailed from Liverpool about 28th July; Captain Butcher was master; Mr. Law, a southerner, was mate; Mr. Lawrence Young was purser. A Captain Bullock went out with us, but left with the pilot at Giant's Cove, near Londonderry. There were five ladies and a number of gentlemen went with us as far as the Bell Buoy.

We went first to Malfre Bay, near Point Lynas, when we anchored and remained about thirty hours. The Hercules tug brought down about forty men to us there; nothing else was then taken on board. Her crew then numbered ninety men, of whom thirty-six were sailors. She had no guns on board then, nor powder, nor ammunition. We left Malfre Bay on the Thursday night at 12 o'clock, and steered for the North Channel. We discharged Captain Bullock and the pilot on Saturday afternoon. We first steered down the South Channel as far as Bardsea, when we 'bout ship and steered north. From Derry we cruised about until we arrived at Angra, eleven days after leaving Holyhead. About four days after we arrived an English bark, , Captain Quinn, arrived from London with six guns, two of them 98-pounders (one rifled and the other smooth-bore) pivot guns, and four 38-pounder breech guns, smooth-bore broadside guns, two hundred or three hundred barrels of powder, several cases of shot, a quantity of slops, two hundred tons of coal. She came alongside and made fast. We were anchored in Angra Bay, about a mile and a half or two miles from shore. After being there about a week, and while we were taking the guns and ammunition on board, the authorities ordered us away. We went outside, and returned at night. The bark was kept lashed alongside, ard we took the remainder of the guns, &c., on board as we could. While we were discharging the bark, the steamer Bahama, Captain Tessier, arrived from Liverpool. Captain Bullock, Captain Semmes, and forty men came in her. She also brought two 38-pounder guns, smooth-bore, and two safes full of money in gold. She had a safe on board before, taken on board at Birkenhead. The Bahama was flying the British flag. The Bahama towed the bark to another place in the island, and we followed. The next morning we were ordered away from there, and went to sea until night, when we returned to Angra Bay. The Bahama, after towing the bark away the evening of her arrival, came back to the Alabama, or 290, in Angra Bay, made fast alongside of her, and discharged the guns on board of her and the money. The men struck for wages, and would not then go on board. There were four engineers, a boatswain, and captain's clerk, named Smith, also came in the Bahama, and they were taken on board the same evening. All three vessels continued to fly the British flag the whole time. The guns were mounted as soon as they were taken on board. They were busy at work getting them and the Alabama or 290 ready for fighting while the Bahama and the bark were alongside. On the Sunday afternoon following (last Sunday week) Captain Semmes called all hands aft, and the confederate flag was hoisted, the band playing "Dixie's Land." Captain Semmes addressed the men, and said he was deranged in his mind to see his country going to ruin, and had to steal out of Liverpool like a thief. That instead of them watching him, he was now going after them. He wanted all of us to join him-that he was going to sink, burn, and destroy all his enemy's property, and that any that went with him was entitled to two-twentieths prize money. It did not matter whether the prize was sunk, or burned, or sold, the prize money was to be paid. That there were only four or five northern ships that he was afraid of. He said he did not want any to go that was not willing to fight, and there was a steamer alongside to take them back if they were not willing. The vessel was all this time steaming to sea, with the Bahama at a short distance. Forty-eight men, most of them firemen, refused to go, and an hour afterwards were put on board the Bahama. I refused to go, and came back with the rest in the Bahama. Captain Butcher, Captain Bullock, and all the English engineers came with us, and landed here