The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-30 00:00:00

Reported Recruitment of British Subjects
for the Federal Army.

An important correspondence between Earl Rus-
sell and Mr. Adams on this subject wa3 published
yesterday. The first letter, dated November 20,
1862, is from Earl Russell, and informs Mr. Adams
" that her Majesty's Government are informed, by
persons to whom they are disposed to give credit,
that recruits are being raised in this country for
serving in the army of the United States, and that
bounty money of a considerable amount is offered
by agents of the United States to encourage British
subjects to enlist," and that the practice to which
his attention is thus called is calculated seriously
to increase the difficulties already incident to the
observance of neutrality by her Majesty's Govern-
ment.

On the following day Mr. Adams replies, stating
that he " not only has no knowledge of any such
proceeding, but that he has no belief that they can
have been attempted by any persons really vested
with authority as agents of the United States.
Should it turn out that these are individuals as-

snoring to act under such an authority, he will be
obliged to Earl Russell for such information as he
may possess that may enable him to ascertain who
these persons may be, and to take the necessary
measures to disavow their operations."
On Dec. 16 Earl Russell writes to Mr. Adams
stating that he has the satisfaction of informing
him that " further inquiries which have been insti-
tuled respecting the alleged recruiting in London
for the United States army seem to establish that
the reports to that effect which had reached her
Majesty's Government were without foundation_"
On the 16th of April Earl Russell writes to Mr.
Adams—

Sir,—With reference to your letter of the 10th inst., in
which you repeated the denial you had formerly made of the
truth of the report that men were being recruited in this
country for the United States' army, I think it is right to
communicate to you the substance of a report which has
just been made to her Majesty's Government with regard
to the number of persons who are now being shipped as
emigrants from Queenstown. to New York. It is stated
that within the last fortnight 1,278 emigrants have sailed,
the greater number being strong, active young men ; that
it cannot be doubted that they are intended for the United
States' army, and that many of them do not deny it. A
certain number of those men were militiamen from Cork and
its vicinity, and they informed the emigration officer that they
would get from 250 to 300 dollars bounty. It also appears
that the prospect of this large bounty has been held out to
young men by general rumour throughout the country.
It is further stated that the friends of these persons in Ame-
rica are paid so much for obtaining and bringing them over
to New York. I do not think it necessary to encumber this
letter with farther statements of a more or less trustworthy
character which have reached her Majesty's Government,
corroborative of this asserted recruiting of her Majesty's
subjects for service in the United States army ; and I shall
therefore merely add that I am informed that about 800
young men were booked to sail from Queenstown by the
steamer of the 9th inst., it being freely spoken of that all the
young men were going to join the Northern army, and
that although the Inman Company have put on additional
steamers, the number of applicants for passage is so great
that they cannot all be accommodated, and that several
hundreds are consequently left behind each week.—l am,
&e, (Signed) RusszLL.
Two days after Mr. Adams replies :
Legation of the United States, London, April 18, 1863.
My Lord,—l am very much obliged to you for the cent--
teay extended to me in the communication of the substance
of a report which has been made to her Majesty's Govern-
ment with regard to the number of persons who are now
being shipped as emigrants from Queenstown. The fact that
a great many people, especially in Ireland, have been anxious
for some time past to find their way to the United States
has been made known to me by the frequent applications
to this legation for free passage, A considerable proportion
of these contain offers to enlist in the service of the govern-
ment. No doubt they are more or less influenced by the high
bounties offered in America, accounts of which have been
from time to time published in the newspapers here. To all
such solicitations the answer given from here has been uni-
formly to the effect that no authority has been given by the
Government to listen to any proposals of the kind or to
make any engagements whatever. Instructions have like-
wise been sent to the respective consuls, who have re-
ported similar proposals to me, to make the same answer.
I have no reason to believe that any American citizen in
England, clothed with authority, has ventured to act in any
other way. It is proper for me to add, in explanation of
the emigration that is taking place, that a gentleman of in-
fluence in America, now in London, who is in a situation to
know, has lately informed me that some of the great corpo-
rations for the extension of railways in the western part of
the United States, having experienced inconvenience
from the liability of the labourers in their employ to be
drafted for the war, and apprehending more, are making
efforts to procure large supplies from other countries of
aliens, who are from that circumstance exempted from the
risk of being called into service. It may be that some of
those who desire to get across the ocean, for the purpose
of enlisting, expect to take advantage of the opportunity
thus placed before them. In addition to this, there is no
doubt of the fact of a scarcity of labourers in the United
States. I learn from private sources that the rate of wages
this season is very much advanced. I am led to believe that
these causes, in addition to the alleged distress of the popu-
lation of Ireland, may explain the phenomena of emigration
to which your lordship has been pleased to draw my atten-
tion,—l pray, &c.,
(Signed) CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.