promptly to my government, as calculated, in my opinion, to attenuate the importance of the disagreement marked by my protest of the 9th instant. I avail myself of the occasion to renew to your excellency the assurance of my most distinguished consideration. HORATIO J. PERRY. His Excellency the MINISTER OF STATE of her Catholic Majesty. No. 1. [Telegram.-Ferrol, February 15, 9h. 12m. a. m.-Translation.] The Consular Agent of the United States to the Chargé d'Affaires. The Niagara in this port. The Stonewall to-day, they say, will be ready. I received telegram-am informed. FERNANDEZ. No. 2. [Telegram. Ferrol, 13th February.—Madrid, 4h. 25m. p. m.]. Stonewall through with repairs. Niagara getting ready. I am ignorant of the day of departure of the first. FERNANDEZ. No. 3. [Telegram.-Ferroll, 17th February, 4h. 45m. p. m.] Stonewall unable to go out. Much water. Her commander goes to Paris. Her builder is expected from Bordeaux. I think she is abandoned. Niagarajin port. We receive telegrams. FERNANDEZ. No. 4. From the Consular Agent at Corunna to the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States. [Telegram.-Corunna, February 18.] The confederate captain of the Stonewall has gone to Madrid and Paris. FUENTES. No. 1. [With No. 168.-Translation.] [Telegram.-Coruna, February 12, 1865.] To the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States: I have just come back from an absence caused by important matters of duty, which I will communicate to you seasonably. The telegrams from you on yesterday are received. FUENTES, Consular Agent of the United States. No. 2. [Telegram.-Corunna, February 13, 1865.] I have been to the Lisargas islands. There we found fragments of a vessel which I think North American, and that her crew is on board the Stonewall. Particulars by mail. FUENTES. No. 3. [Official despatch.-Telegram.-Corunna, February 12.] Perry, American Chargé d'Affaires : Pledges were given by the French government to our late minister, Dayton, that the ram should not be transferred to the rebels. Cannot Bigelow, at Paris, obtain the intervention of French with that of Spanish government to arrest the ram now fitting out at Ferrol, or to detain her until her case has been thoroughly investigated. CRAVEN, Commanding the Niagara. Memorandum―This was answered immediately to the effect that Mr. Bigelow and myself had already done everything which could be done, and that there was no reliance to be placed on anything except his guns. [Telegram.-Ferrol, February 14, 1865.] To the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States of America: Stonewall will be ready to-day. English steamer came in called the Louisa Ann Fanny. Very suspicious. We watch her. No. 6. [Telegram.-Corunna, February 14, 1865.] FERNANDEZ. Perry, American Chargé d'Affaires : I have this moment received information of the arrival at Ferrol yesterday of an English blockade-runner, named Louisa Ann Fanny, with men, ammunition, and other supplies for the Stonewall. CRAVEN, Niagara. No. 7. [Telegram. Ferrol, February 15, 1865.] To the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States: The Niagara at this port. The Stonewall, they say, will be ready to-day. I received the telegram. No. 8. [Telegram.-Corunna, February 15.] FERNANDEZ. Hon. Horatio Perry, Chargé d'Affaires of the United States of America: Niagara left for Ferrol last night. All your surmises stated in your communication of the 9th are true. FUENTES. 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. No. 10. [Telegram.-February 17, 1865.] FERNANDEZ. 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. 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, CONSUL of the United States, Vigo. [Translation.] 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, Mr. Perry to Mr. Seward. M. BAÑUELOS. No. 169.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, 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 I 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. |