No. 9. [Telegram.-February, 1865.] To the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States: Stonewall repairs finished. Niagara getting ready. I am ignorant of the day of departure of the first. FERNANDEZ. No. 10. [Telegram.-February 17, 1865.] To the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States: Stonewall unable to go out. Much water. Her commander goes to Paris. Builder is expected from Bordeaux. I think she is abandoned. Niagara in port. We receive telegrams. FERNANDEZ. No. 11. [Telegram.-Corunna, February 18.] Mr. Perry, Chargé d'Affaires of the United States: The captain of the confederate Stonewall has gone to Madrid and Paris, it is said, to buy another vessel for the south. No. 12. [Telegram.-Lisbon. February 18.] FUERTES. Horatio Perry, American Legation, Madrid: Has Stonewall been allowed to repair at Ferrol, as alleged in Spanish papers? HARVEY. CONSULAR AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATES, HONORABLE SIR: I beg leave to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram of the 4th instant. Pursuant to your instructions, I have protested with the utmost energy before the proper authorities of Corunna and Ferrol. The captain general of this province informs me that he has forwarded copies of my protest to the minister of war at Madrid and captain general of marine at Ferrol. The Stonewall is now at Ferrol, for which port she left yesterday, with the object of getting her repairs executed at a private arsenal. The above-mentioned privateer is seriously damaged by a leak on her bows, and she has a crew of about eighty men. I shall be happy to act upon your excellency's instructions. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. G. FUENTES. His Excellency the MINISTER of the U. S. of America at Madrid. U. S. Consular Agent. 8 O'CLOCK, p. m. I have received this moment a telegram from the captain general of marine at Ferrol, informing me that, in regard to the repairs of the Stonewall, he will act according to the instructions he has received from his government. FUENTES. [Translation.] CONSULAR AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, I have the honor to inform you that yesterday afternoon there entered this port, with serious damages, the confederate screw steamer Stonewall, arriving from Copenhagen. This is a ship-of-war, iron-clad, and with a ram. She was purchased a few days since at Copenhagen, and has on board the officers and crew of the ship of the same class, the Florida. It is probable she may go on to Ferrol, at which place she will remain some time for the repair of the serious damages. There is also a possibility that her presence on this coast may relate to the burning of a vessel which, arrested by a storm, got aground among the Lisargas islands, and which, according to all the notices that have reached me, combines all probabilities that she is North American. I am engaged in elucidating all that is positive in this respect, and in season, in fulfilment of my duty, will bring to your knowledge the result of my investigation. I salute you, consul, with my most distinguished consideration. ANTO. GRA. FUENTES, CONSULAR AGENCY OF The United STATES OF AMERICA, I have the honor to bring to your knowledge that, on the 14th of January last, a ship grounded on the greater island of Lisargas, which had been burned-apparently of about two thousand tons, coming from the southward. The ship, which had been noticed at some distance, was completely abandoned, and had no crew. Having heard she belonged to the United States of America, I went at once to the scene of the disaster, and, from the fragments picked up by residents on the island, who declared they had seen the North American flag floating among the waves-because of the combination of colors painted on a shield which formed part of the poop of the shipwrecked vessel, by her build, and the cargo of timber she contained-I in fact satisfied myself that the vessel burned was doubtless one of the ships which come periodically to the ports of Cevaca and Ferrol with spars and timber for the Spanish government. The cruiser Stonewall having come to this port a short time afterwards, and which might, perhaps, be the author of the destruction of said vessel, I determined to visit the confederate ship incognito, and gather some data that might, in one case or another, be useful to the government of the republic which I have the honor to represent. This plan I could not successfully carry through; but I satisfied myself, from the surprise and confusion manifested by the crew of the confederate vessel, on listening to well-dissembled interrogatories, that they had been the cause of the disaster anticipated, and that the crew of the vessel fired was then on board in the hold. This was the cause I was not at my post on the arrival at this port of the United States frigate Niagara, Captain Craven. All your telegrams have been received. The confederate cruiser continues at Ferrol, repairing damages. It is supposed she has obtained leave of the government for this purpose. I salute you with the most distinguished consideration. The CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES of the United States at Madrid. A. G. FUENTES. The steam-ram Stonewall was built at Bordeaux, and left the above-named port with a Danish crew; was transferred to the rebels at sea, with her present armament on board. The Danish coat-of-arms is still attached to the stern of said vessel. She was, by avowed intention, looking after the United States frigates Niagara and Sacramento, when a severe leak about her stern obliged her to enter this port for repairs. Forty men from a private ship-yard are doing the repairs, aided by shipwrights from the arsenal at Ferrol. The decks of the Stonewall are of wood, with plating of iron one inch thick beneath. [Enclosure F, with No. 168.] FERROL, February 13, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your kind letter of the 9th instant. In reply to the same I beg you to allow me to manifest to you that, being a faithful servant of the wise government of Washington during twenty-eight years, I am disposed to make all kinds of sacrifices in the present circumstances to fulfil my duties, and assure you I do not rest. I have also to inform you that my worthy friend Mr. Palm, engineer at this dock-yard, (and a true American,) renders me a great service in obtaining many particulars regarding the Stonewall, and in sight of your telegram, I send him to Corunna to see the commander of the Niagara, to give him knowledge of all. The Stonewall, according to the general report of her crew, was built at Bordeaux, and went to Copenhagen; armament and crew were furnished by an English vessel, whose name I have not been able to ascertain; and said vessel will be ready for sea in course of three or four days, and I will be disappointed if she does not fall into the hands of our ships, and with more reason, as it is the intention of the captain to destroy all merchant vessels she may find in her way to America. Sorry you have taken the trouble to send me the letter of credit; the expenses at present are only for telegrams to you. I beg you, sir, to acknowledge my gratitude for your kind attention to my just claim, and hope justice will be made to me by our government, to whom I sincerely wish prosperity and victory, and remain, sir, your most obedient servant, HORATIO J. PERRY, Esq., *United States Chargé d'Affaires, Madrid. ANT. Y. FERNANDEZ. [Enclosure G, with No. 168.] Mr. Banuelos to Mr. Perry. MINISTERIO DE ESTADO, February 16, 1865. DEAR SIR: I have been waiting for you two hours. I wish to see you a moment, and will be en ministère this evening, not being able to go to Rue d'Alcala to present mes homages a Mme. Perry. No transshipment allowed à ce soir. Yours, sincerely, M. BAÑUELOS. Mr. Perry to Mr. Seward. No. 169.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, I SIR: I have the honor to transmit enclosed the translation of Mr. Benavide's note to me of 21st instant, in reply to mine of the 18th instant, which was forwarded as enclosure C of despatch No. 168, of February 20th. This note confirms the result announced to you in that despatch. Last night in company saw Mr. Benavides, and inquired of him if this note was intended to be the end, or whether repairs on the Stonewall would ever be recommenced in this jurisdiction. Mr. Benavides said no; that this was the end of repairs on that ship, and that such was the meaning of his note. He then said, pleasantly, I think you have caught this one, meaning the Stonewall, and asked me what force we had there watching her. I told him we had the Niagara and Sacramento, and that both ships had moved over to Corunna, probably to avoid the operation of this twenty-four hours rule. As he appeared not to be at all chagrined at the announcement of this idea, I then said in the same tone that he must remember there was a point loose in his diplomacy as regarded the enforcement of the twenty-four hours rule in this case. He had officially stated to me that the Spanish government had not power enough at Ferrol to detain the Stonewall if she chose to go. How could he pretend to stop our ships from following the Stonewall if he could not give me the guarantee that they might not be followed for twenty-four hours by the iron-clad, in case ours should wish to leave first? Mr. Benavides laughed, and without answering this question, turned the conversation by saying that he was persuaded the Stonewall would not start. A telegram from the consular agent at Ferrol, on the evening of the 23d, informs me that the Stonewall continued leaking; that nothing happened, and he would advise me of anything new. With sentiments of the highest respect, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington. HORATIO J. PERRY. Received and read at the legation at Paris, March 1, 1865, and posted same day. ⚫BIGELOW. SIR: I have had the honor to receive your note of the 18th instant, in which you are so good as to manifest to me, referring to telegraphic despatches of the consular agent at Ferrol, that, after the termination of the repairs on the iron-clad steamer Stonewall, this vessel is still not in a condition to take the seas because of certain radical defects of construction which you solicit may not be permitted to be remedied in the ship-yard of the said port of Ferrol, nor in any other in Spain. The reasons which you present in support of your wishes have been duly appreciated by the government of the Queen, which, being convinced of its duty not to separate its conduct from the line marked out for it in the royal decree of June 17, 1861, has dictated the proper orders that it be thus done in the case to which you refer. The minister of marine, confirming the orders previously communicated that the repairs which might be made on the Stonewall should not be such as to better her military or seagoing qualities, has instructed the naval authority at Ferrol to strictly comply with those orders, and not to permit any other work on the said vessel than that qualified by the commandant of naval engineers as indispensable to repair the particular damage which obliged her to come into the port where she now is. I take pleasure in believing that you will find this resolution of her Majesty's government in accordance with the suggestions of the note to which I reply, and I avail myself of this occasion to renew to you the assurance of my distinguished consideration. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of January 31, No. 161, which gives me a very clear and succinct account of a recent debate in the Spanish senate upon the ministerial project for the abandonment of the war in San Domingo. Accept my thanks for it. I see that apprehensions of possible future hostility on the part of the United States entered largely into this debate. If I had been near by I would have whispered to the statesmen of Spain that there is one national passion which the United States have not developed, and are not likely to develop as strongly as other states, namely, the passion of conquest. There is another which they cherish more than any nation, that is, the love of national unity. The latter is harmless to foreign powers, while it tends to procure domestic peace and tranquillity, always essential to the public prosperity and happiness. If, at last, Spain has been satisfied that the American Union will survive the fearful revolution by which it has so long been assailed, an official word in acknowledgment of that fact would soothe all existing asperities, and confirm in regard to her the good will and friendship which it has been your duty and mine to preserve through recent trials painful to both countries. I am, sir, your obedient servant, HORATIO J. PERRY, Esq., &c., Madrid. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 171.] Mr. Perry to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF the United States, Madrid, March 5, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to enclose copies of an interesting correspondence with Commodore Craven, which will afford you a better idea of the situation of things at Ferrol than any I could give otherwise. My telegram of this morning refers of course to the gallant commodore's temptation, as related in his letter. The consular telegram from Ferrol, and the commodore's from Corunna, bring the accounts down to the date of My telegram just forwarded to you through our consul at Queenstown, to be put aboard the Cunard steamer of to-day from that port. A copy goes enclosed; and I have the honor to remain, with the highest respect, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, HORATIO J. PERRY. Secretary of State, Washington. [A No. 1, enclosed with despatch No. 170.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAR SIR: The press of business in this legation has prevented me from addressing you in writing till to-day. You will have received various telegrams, however, and I have to ac knowledge receipt of several from you. It is proper to-day for me to give you some information of what has been done in the matter of the steam ram Stonewall now under your supervision at Ferrol; and as there is certainly a moment of quiet, if not a definitive legal detention of that ship, I hasten to trace briefly the history of the case and its present condition. I was informed on the evening of the 3d instant of the arrival of the rebel ship at Corunna. Before daylight on the 4th telegrams were sent to London, Paris, Ferrol, Corunna, Lisbon, Cadiz, and Gibraltar-one of which, I suppose, was the means of your getting notice, and another sent off the Sacramento from Cadiz. On the 4th I saw the Spanish minister, and claimed that no repairs should be allowed to the corsair; a formal note was also addressed to the Spanish government to the same effect. The consuls had been ordered to protest before the local authorities at Corunna and Ferrol, and this delayed the repairs till the resolution of this government should be taken. After this first action you will find the history of the case in press copy of my despatch No. 164 of February 8, addressed to Mr. Seward at Washington. That situation continued until the evening of the 9th, when the Spanish government, under the influence of the counsel they had taken from the representatives of France and England, and in fear of the very powerful opposition of the O'Donnellite party in the chambers, which party had published the royal decree of June 17, 1861, and made a precedent under it in the case of the Sumter at Cadiz in June, 1862, fell back from their verbal arrangement with me not to allow any repairs, and ordered such repairs to be made as were indispensable for the security of the crew of the Stonewall at sea, and that ship to be then ordered to immediately leave the port. My despatches Nos. 165 and 166 to Mr. Seward would give you the details of all this, but the only unregistered copies I have are now in the hands of Mr. Bigelow at Paris for his information. I enclose, however, a copy of my protest delivered to the Spanish government on the evening of the 9th, which again had the effect to bring them up, and limited the repairs which they had decided to permit to so insignificant an amount in point of fact, compared with what the ram really needed to be done, that I trust what was done will prove to be useless. I send also copy of the official letter I wrote on the 8th instant to Mr. Bigelow, at Paris, in order to strengthen his hands with Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys, and see if that government would not aid us to stop the Stonewall. Meantime all this had had the effect to gain time, and the Stonewall was not able to commence her limited repairs till after your welcome arrival at Corunna. I had been greatly chagrined and disappointed at the failure of the Sacramento to appear |