NORTH AMERICA
No. 19 (1864)
FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE
RESPECTING THE
ENLISTMENT
OF
BRITISH SUBJECTS
IN THE
UNITED STATES' ARMY
Presented to both Houses of Parliament
by Command of Her Majesty.
1864.
LONDON
PRINTED BY HARRISON AND SONS.
Further Correspondence respecting the Enlistment of
British Subjects in the United States' Army.
Lord Lyons to Earl Russell.- (Received July 21.)
My Lord, Washington, July 8, 1864
I INCLOSE copies of the correspondence
respecting Thomas Tulley and the six other
Irishmen, enlisted on their arrival at Portland,
in the steam-ship, "Nova Scotian," which has taken
place since I had the honour to address to your
Lordship my despatch of the 20th ultimo.
I have the satisfaction of being able to say
that six of the men appear to be for the present
in safety. The report made to Mr. Consul Murray,
that Michael Moran had been killed has happily proved
to be erroneous. I fear, however. that there can be
little reason to doubt that the seventh man, Thomas
Burke, was in fact killed in action, while serving
in the United States' Army. I have requested the
United States' authorities to communicate to me all
the information which they can obtain respecting
his fate.
I regret to say that three of the men represent
that they were subjected to hardships and
indignities of a most unwarrantable kind, on
their way from the army of the Potomac to Portland.
I have requested that an investigation may be
made, and that if the allegations of the men prove
to be well-founded, no time may be lost in calling
to account those who are responsible for their
ill-treatment.
I have also pointed out that I have received
nothing more than a formal acknowledgment of my
note of the 10th ultimo, repeating my demand for
the discharge of the men, and I have reminded Mr.
Seward that I am waiting for the answers of the
United States' Government to that demand.
I have moreover addressed to Mr. Seward further
inquiries respecting James Traynor, the Irish
passenger by the "Nova Scotian," who was enlisted
at Boston. I have the honour to inclose a copy
of my note, and a copy of a note from Mr. Seward
acknowledging the receipt of it.
I have, &c.
(Signed) Lyons.
Inclosure 1.
Mr. Seward to Lord Lyons.
My Lord, Department of State, Washington,
June 18, 1864.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt
of your note of the 10th instant, relative to
the cases of Thomas Tully and six other Irish
passengers, of the steamer "Nova Scotian,"
alleged to have being improperly enlisted at
Portland, and in reply to inform your Lordship,
that I have inclosed a copy thereof, to the
Secretary of War, who has the subject under
investigation.
I have, &c.
(Signed) WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
Inclosure 2.
Consul Murray to Lord Lyons.
My Lord, Portland, June 23, 1864
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt
of your Lordship's despatch dated the 11th instant,
authorizing me to employ a lawyer on behalf of
Thomas Tulley and the other Irishmen who were
enlisted into the 20th Maine Regiment, if I deem
it advisable to do so.
Thomas Tully presented himself at this office
yesterday on his arrival from Philadelphia. He
did not appear in uniform, as he stated that he
had been deprived of it by two men, who induced
him to go and lodge with them at Boston, and
who the next morning endeavoured to entice him to
re-enlist and accept the bounty money over again.
This he refused to do, and came on in the clothes
lent him by the master of the house, who he
believes was in the plot.
I went with Tulley to the Provost-Marshal, who
has sent him to camp Berry, in this immediate
neighbourhood, so as to be near at hand when
required. Tulley knew nothing about his companions.
Michael Byrne returned from the hospital at
Augusta a few days ago, and told me that he had
obtained a ten days' furlough. He seemed to have
recovered from the wound in the head, but told me
that he was suffering from other bodily ailments.
Tulley also acquainted me that he was suffering
from a heart disease, and that the sight of his
right eye was quite defective.
I have, &c.
(Signed) H. J. MURRAY.
Inclosure 3
Counsul Murray to Lord Lyons.
My Lord, Portland, June 30, 1864
I WENT over to Camp Berry yesterday afternoon
to see Thomas Tulley, who had not called upon me
since his first arrival, and he told me that Moran,
who I understood had been killed, Hogan, and
Higgins had arrived at the camp on the previous day,
Tuesday. He brought them out to me, and I had some
conversation with them. Moran told me that he had
been separated from his regiment during action, and
was thus reported killed. Both Higgins and Moran
seemed in perfect health, but Hogan appeared delicate.
They all complained of their treatment during part of
their journey to Portland, having been placed in irons
and lodged in prison. I have requested them to make
a written statement of their cases, which I will
forward to your Lordship. The Provost-Marshal here
says he knows nothing about it, and concludes that
they must have done something wrong to have
received this treatment.
Cassidy has not arrived from Boston, and Byrne
I have not seen here since his arrival from Cape
Fry at Augusta, on a ten days' furlough, as
reported to your Lordship in my despatch of the
23rd instant.
I have, &c.
(Signed) H. J. MURRAY.
Inclosure 4
Consul Murray to Lord Lyons.
My Lord, Portland, July 1 1864.
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith an
original letter which I received yesterday from
T. Tulley at Camp Berry, relating, on their behalf,
the treatment alleged to have been received by the
three Irishmen, Michael Moran, James Higgins, and
Martin Hogan, on their journey from the army to
Portland, where they were ordered to come in
pursuance of a Special Order, No. 194, dated at
the War Department, Washington, June 2nd.
This alleged treatment appears so strange
and uncalled-for that I can only presume there
must have been some misunderstanding of their
cases upon the part of the military authorities
who forwarded the men on, or that some
unacknowledged conduct on their part led to it.
The Provost-Marshal told me to-day that the men
arrived from Washington in care of a sergeant, who
gave them into his charge, but not as prisoners.
The sergeant has returned, and nothing had come
to his (Captain Doughty's) knowledge of their
alleged ill-treatment or of their misconduct to
induce it.
The sergeant's name is believed to be Crook,
and he belongs to the Veteran Reserve Corps.
I have, &c.
(Signed) H. J. MURRAY.
Inclosure 5.
Thomas Tulley to Consul Murray.
Sir, Camp Berry, Portland, June 30, 1864.
I BEG most respectfully to inform you that
Michael Moran (reported killed, but still alive),
James Higgins, and Martin Hogan, arrived at this
camp from the army on the evening of the 28th
instant, and I think it right for me to make
known to you the treatment they received on their
journey. On the receipt of the order from the
Secretary at War they were, on the 9th instant,
sent from their regiment to the Provost-Marshal's
head-quarters, who read and kept the order, and
then ordered the men to be placed in the Bull
Ring, an open space in the fields, surrounded by
armed men, wherein are placed prisoners of all
grades. On the next day there was a number of
armed men going to Washington, and the above-
named sent a note to the Provost-Marshal,
explaining their position, and requesting to
be forwarded with them, but the captain of the
guard made answer that they were not going to
puff General Partrick with notes; they were
consequently transferred from one Bull Ring
to another, from the 9th to the 23rd instant,
where they were well nigh starved, as they
had at one time to march three successive days
without a mouthful of food, and consequently
were reduced to eating clover and green apples
to support nature. They remonstrated with the
authorities, stating that they were not
prisoners, but the invariable answer was,
they could not be assisted otherwise, as in
fact there were in the Bull Ring men dying
of hunger, and brought-to in hospital
afterwards. On an inspection by the doctor,
one of your clients being well nigh dead
of hunger, was seen by him, and after making
inquiries respecting him and the others, he
was informed they were not prisoners but
foreigners proceeding to Portland under
British protection. The doctor then
departed, with apparent disgust, and
gave no assistance; and from the feeling
of the men, and their conversation of
such undeserved and destroying treatment,
I firmly allege that no idea can be had of
the misery they endured.
On the 23rd they were sent with convicts
under guard to Washington, and then transferred
to the Old Capitol; from thence they were sent
in irons to Boston, where they were left
handcuffed together all night, but for the
purpose of getting sleep they had to break the
cuffs. The consequence was that they were
marched through Boston tied with ropes, and
arrived in Portland, as before stated. They
did their utmost to see Her Majesty's Minister
in Washington, but failed, nor could they see
you on their arrival, as they were sent under
guard to this place.
You have in the foregoing an outline of
their travels, but the men say that as long as
they live they will not forget the treatment they
received, after fighting bravely in all the late
battles, as documents from their officers can
make manifest.
I hope you will pardon this long letter,
but from the kindness we have received from
Her Britannic Majesty's Minister and yourself,
I thought it incumbent on me to supply you
such information, and therefore I have, &c.
(Signed) THOMAS TULLY
Inclosure 6
Lord Lyons to Mr. Seward.
Sir, Washington, July 7, 1864.
On the 10th of last month I had the honour
to address to you a note in which, by
command of Her Majesty's Government, I
renewed the application, which I had made in
their name on the 23rd of the previous month of
May, for the discharge from the United States'
army of the seven Irish passengers by the steam
ship "Nova Scotian," who were enlisted immediately
after their arrival at Portland on the 18th of
last month. You were so good as to inform me
that you had referred my note to the Secretary
of War. I await the answer of the United States'
Government to the application which it contained.
I must in the meantime ask your serious attention
to the inclosed copy of a letter addressed to
Her Majesty's Consul at Portland on behalf of
three of these Irishmen; namely, Michael Moran,
James Higgins, and Martin Hogan. I do not
doubt that you will cause an investigation to
be made of the allegations respecting the
hardships and indignities suffered by Moran,
Higgins, and Hogan on their way from the army
of the Potomac to Portland; and I trust that if
these allegations prove to be well founded, no
time will be lost in calling to account those
who are responsible for the ill-treatment of
these unfortunate men.
These three men appear to be now at Portland.
I am informed also that Thomas Tulley is at that
place, and that Michael Byrne and Edward Cassidy
have been removed from the seat of war. The
seventh man, Thomas Burke, is reported to have
been killed in action while serving in the 20th
Regiment of Maine Volunteers. I beg you to be
so good as to communicate to me any information
respecting his fate which the United States'
authorities may be able to obtain.
I have, &c
(Signed) LYONS.
Inclosure 7.
Lord Lyons to Counsul Murray.
Sir, Washington, July 7, 1864.
I HAVE received your despatches of the 6th,
23rd, and 30th ultimo and 1st instant, relative
to the case of Thomas Tully and the six other
Irish passengers by the "Nova Scotian" who were
enlisted at Portland.
I have addressed to the Secretary of State
of the United States a representation on the
subject of the hardships and indignities which
three of these men are stated to have suffered
on their way from the army of the Potomac to
Portland.
I have, &c,
(Signed) LYONS
Inclosure 8.
Lord Lyons to Mr. Seward.
Sir, Washington, June 10, 1864
IN a note which I had the honour to address
to you on the 27th of April last, I submitted
to you a copy of a despatch from Her Majesty's
Consul at Boston, reporting a statement made by
James Traynor, one of the Irishmen brought over
to Portland by the "Nova Scotian," respecting
the circumstances under which he enlisted in the
United States' military service. In a note dated
the 30th April you were so good as to inform me
that you had referred the matter to the War
Department.
I shall be much obliged if you will let me
know whether any progress has been made in
the investigation of the case.
I have, &c.
(Signed) LYONS.
Inclosure 9
Mr. Seward to Lord Lyons.
My Lord, Department of State, Washington,
June 20, 1864.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your note of the 10th instant, inquiring as to
the progress of the investigation in the case of
James Traynor, one of the Irish passengers of
the Steamer "Nova Scotia," alleged to have been
improperly enlisted.
In reply, I have the honour to inform your
Lordship that I have called upon the
Secretary of War for information.
I have, &c.
(Signed) WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
