271. Milne to the Secretary of the Admiralty

[ADM1/5759]

Nile at Halifax

8 July 1861

[received 25 July]

No. 287

Sir,

I deem it advisable to forward to their Lordships the enclosed letters1 from Messrs Esson, Boak and Co. of this City dated the 29th Ulto. and 2nd Instant relative to their Schooner the Tartar being boarded by the United States Steamer (of War) Union and her registry endorsed [with a warning not to enter any U.S. port south of Chesapeake Bay], as I conceive a record of the manner in which the United States Cruizers are exercising their belligerent right of visit and search may be useful for reference at some future date.

2. – But it is I conceive of even still greater importance at the present moment that the attention of Her Majesty's Government should be drawn to the comprehensive terms in which the notice of Blockade is couched, as the warning ‘not to attempt to enter any Port of the United States South of Chesapeake Bay, said Ports being under Blockade’ obviously embraces the whole of the Ports between that Bay and the Mexican Frontier and should it prove that any of these Ports are not effectively blockaded, which I more than suspect must be the case, it may become a question how far Neutral Commerce will have suffered prejudice from this departure from the Law of Blockade … to the effect ‘that the notice of the Blockade must not be more extensive than the Blockade itself[’].

3. – I shall forward a copy of this despatch to Lord Lyons.

272. Hickley to Milne

[ADM1/5759]

H.M.S. Gladiator

at New York, 8 July 1861

Sir,

I have the honor to inform you that having left New York on the afternoon of the 21st of June, I proceeded under sail and arrived within 30 miles north of Cape Hatteras on the 28th …

Proceeding round Cape Hatteras I came to in the evening off the Shoals … and weighing on the morning of the 29th, I sighted Ocracoke Inlet, when at the entrance I observed a small Steamer, with the Secession Flag up, which on our approach steamed under the protection of a small Fort on the right Bank, both Vessel and Fort firing blank cartridge.