Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State.
Admiral Bell to Mr. Welles.
United States Flag-Ship
Lancaster,
Callao,
September 26,
1864.
Sir: I have the honor to enclose to you
the copy of a letter from Acting Master Charles A. Crocker,
executive officer of the United States ship St, Mary’s, to
Captain Edward Middleton, of the same ship, respecting the
detention of two apprentices belonging to the British ship
Cuzco, and made the subject of a letter dated July 30,
1864..
It appears that these boys did not enter on board the St. Mary’s
until after the sailing of the Cuzco from Valparaiso, and every
facility was given to the commander of the Cuzco by the officers
to recover his men, which would have succeeded had they been on
board the St. Mary’s when the search was made.
Arthur Cox has since been condemned by medical survey and sent
(August 31) to the naval hospital at New York. John Williamson
was transferred, with a number of others, to this ship, and is
now on board. He will be given up to any one authorized to
receive him.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, yours,
CHARLES H. BELL, Acting Bear-Admiral,
Com’dg Pacific Squadron.
Hon. Gideon Welles,
Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.
C.
[Page 780]
Mr. Crocker to Captain Middleton.
United States Ship St.
Mary’s,
Bay of Panama,
September 7,
1864.
Sir: In obedience to your order of
the 5th instant, requesting me to make a detailed statement
of the facts relating to the claims of the master of the
English ship Ouzco upon this vessel for two boys alleged to
be deserters from his ship and supposed to be secreted on
board the St. Mary’s, I beg leave to report as follows:
On or about the 20th day of February, 1864, while lying in
the harbor of Valparaiso, Chili, the master of the English
ship Cuzco came on board and stated that two apprentice boys
had deserted from his ship, and he had reason to believe
were stowed away on board this vessel, and requested that
search should be made for them. In your absence I called all
hands to quarters, and made an examination of the holds,
store-rooms, &c., &c., but without finding the boys.
I told the master that the boys had, no doubt, if they were
on board, seen his approach, and. the better plan would be
for him to come on board the next day while we were at
quarters, as a better opportunity would then be afforded to
detect them; he did so, and returned the next morning just
as we were in the act of going to quarters. I reported the
circumstance to you, and you ordered me to search for them,
and, if found, to deliver them to him.
A most thorough search was then instituted in every part of
the vessel capable of holding a human being, which search
was superintended by the sailingmaster and gunner of this
ship, but which, after keeping all hands at quarters for
nearly an hour, resulted unsuccessfully.
On the 25th February, subsequently to the sailing of the
Cuzco, John Williamson and Arthur Cox made their appearance
on board and shipped, whom, I afterwards learned, were the
boys who deserted from the Cuzco.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
CHARLES A. CROCKER, Acting Master
and Executive Officer.
Captain Edward Middleton,
Com’dg United States Ship St.
Mary’s.
Approved:
EDWARD MIDDLETON, Captain, U.
S. N.
