Daily national Republican., 1864-03-21
D. {. FARRAorT,
Com, West, Gulf Squadron

| to leave PHILADELPHIA lOf Two Wcehs anu informs
the accused that the gunboat Connecticut has been
assigned TO special duty in conveying the mail
steamers between Aspinwsl and the west end Of
Cuba, The letter was marked "ndSppenaed TO The
The Judge Advocate then read dispatch ad;
LHrdner II WI which he isttST T Is Sppointed to sue
coed Admiral Wilkes and gives In detail the names
OF the veasela to comprise his squadron, the man
ner In which ho IL to oondu his tquad on IN re-
gard TO the neutrality laws OF EnRland and stating
| that these laws had not been respected as they
| ought to have beeo, and by which on various oceR
sions a rupture between the United S.ates seemed
inevitable.
cate considered relevant to the case at issue is the
concluding paragraph OF the letter TO Ad .irAl
IardncT, in these words. "The Vanderbilt has been
\ used for some time past by Admiral Wilkes she
was ordered on special service to pursue the Ala
bamA, and she will proceed on th.t duty The
Secretary further says thst the primary object OF
the West India squadron is TO protect Commerce,
| and the destruction or capture OF rebel pirates,
and the capture OF vessels with eontrAbAnd OF war
on board and sending them into port for sdjudicN-
tion.
TO have The VSndsTbilt PROSECUTE SPsciai VOYAGE,
aud that there were other vessels In the West In.
diA squadron that could have performed the duties
| she was employed In by Admiral wilkes.
The court then went into secret session, 10 delIb-
| crate on what points or parts OF the AbovC-nAmed
letter should be put on the records Of the court.
After the doors were opened the Judge Advocate
| announced the decision OF the court. He said the
court had ruled out all the paper, with the eEcep.
| tion OF the two following paragraphs, which n
alone receives as testimony and put upon the rec
ordsi which two paragraphs are as follows
| 1.-THE West India squadron will eonBist Of the
| wAehuBott, JuniHts, Santiago dc Cuba, Mercedita,
Sonoma, shepherd Knapp, Tioga, and the ship
| WThe Vanderbilt has heen used for some time as
hag-Ghip of Admiral wilkes; she was ordered to
pursue the Alabama a-d will proceed on that
The Judge Advocate then read in evidence a
dispatch addressed BY the accused to the secretary
of the Navy under date of Feb. Sd, 1868, in which
the writer details the movements OF his squadron
and the inadequaey OF his force Tor the duties to
SnsSa and Vanderbilt and that he Sbsi, lssp 'aS uS
| . hot pursuit after the rebels and furnish these
vessels with coal.
| Court to that part OF the letter, and he should
only ask for thst part OF the letter as evidence
the Department that he stu retained the Oneida.
| cial report OF the affair.
| The counsel for the defence hoped the whslo
letter would be admitted in evidence.
The Judge Advocate had no objection to this dis.
posAl Of the letter, as It developed the Adminisra
ton OF Admiral Wilkes in the weSt Indla squad.
ron.
II was agreed, by the counsel on both sides, that
the following portion OF the letter should go on
| the records;
The n. R. Cuyler and the Oneida, being sent in
search OF the orGto, (FloridA,) have united them
to my own force to keep up a hot pursuit, and
The Judge Advocate then Offered in evidence
and read another dispatch, dated on board the
which the accused details tho fact OF the arrival
Of the Vanderbilt of st. Thomas, and her subse-
qusnt capture OF the steamer Petethoh BY his
Vanderbilt for Havana, and says he wAs led to eX.
peet early arrival Of tbs Juniata from what he
learned from Lieut. Baldwin, and eoneluies BY say
ing he has sent the Vanderbilt to cTulGe of Porto
| Rico and the wlndwGrd IBlAnds.
| The Judge Advocate then offered In evidence a
| duplicate of the original dtf patch addressed by
Commander Baldwin TO the Secretary Of the Navy,
bearing date on board the United States steamship
Vanderbilt Key WeHt, March 30, 1868, IN which
the writer states that he arrived there the 2Tth
instant. He is ordered by Admiral wilkes To make
such repairs TO his vessel as he and return to
Havana within ten days. He regrets that he can.
not carry out the orders Of the Department by be-
ing detained in the West India squadron. Hessys
It will be necessary after his return TO Havana 10
take the ship North to repair the lower fronts OF
the boilers and to put new tubes into them. He
also suggests some alterations In the steam chin
Deys which would render the ship more inVulncr-
able to the nemys shot 9, oud he get engaged,
He also reports the desertion OF Acting Masters
Mate George W. GTiswOld at Ba FbAdoes. He was
, without Information OF the Alabama or Florida.
II the repairs he suggested were made he would be
able to follow them long distance. r.
BY tie Judge AdpOoaiS. | believe the doeu-
ments submitted to the court cOmpletcs the doou-
mentary evidence in support Of the two frat
|, charges and their GpecihohuOnB. When come to
look the record over carefully, between this time
aud Monday, may hAd some points to be covered,
requiring the production of other letters and re-
ports Twill now proceed TO the proof Of the fourth
charge the publication OF copy Of an official
letter In newspaper before the Original had
After a short Tecsss, VIM, FaNon, Esq., the Chief
Clerk OF the Navy, was called TO testify, anu his
chief eN mination Was conducted by the Judge
Advocate, ms follows;
QnGiioa. Are you at present, mad were you Lu.
ring the month of DeGGmber last the Chief Clerk
OF the Navy Department
ARStrer. am, and was,
QuesiioH. Examine the two pSpeIs which now
hand you ono II which purports 10 he the original
ofioiGl letter addressed by Commodore wilkes, the
accused, to the Secretary Of the Navy and the
ports to be q certified copy thereof, and state
whether such B their true character, respectively.
and II so, when and under what circumstances you
first saw the original
AnsWSr. believe them to he what they purport
to be. ] have no doubt whatever Of the original
letter, took II from an envelope found on my
desk, on Monday afternoon, the 18th OF December,
1862 rather late In the AltSrnoon-he pFeeiEe hour
| cannot state.
Question ~ Me CONT. To whom wEs the letter
Addressed
2 BY Judge Adr0cdie! QarHign. state, II you can,
whether you certain that the letter was placed
upon your table that Afternoons and Is It the Gus
tom and business in the Navy Department for
yoHTBel or some other person to open, in the due
, oOuTBe Of butiness or otherwise, the letters sd
] dressed to the Department and Secretary OF the
Navy
. AHsver. open nearly all the letters SO Ad
dressed.
9 Question. Have you Gc0n In some Of the news
b papers cOntainingR copy substantially accurate
l. typographical and clerical errors excepted, copy
i as you Oan Iecohect the date Of such newspaper
b 4HSyeT. l have seon II in the New York Time
I, anu tle army dHd N"Vy JOhhdii bOth puDuHhed IL
, New York.
!, Question State the disposition you made OF tn,
original letter, concerning tho receipt and openinI
of which you have teHtileda
| Angircr. placed II on tho desk Of the Secretary
OF the Navy, late IN the afternoon of Monday, thu
l4th of December, 1868, very alter its receipt
Question. When did you next hGe the paper, he
] ing the original OF the letter iu question:
, | 1nStrep, On the succeeding morning carly IN
. the business hours OF the Department.
QuesiiOn. In whose hands was 1t then
, ARJneT. The Seorstafy oil the Navy placed II II
my hands.
QuSSiioH. What occurred between yourself ant
the Secretary sf the Navy at that time and the con
VerSation with reference to the paper
BV ne Counsel for The Defence. May II please The
! court, we object to the witness anSwering thai
question. We object to any Conversation being
! taken AH evidence where the accused was mol
present.
Judge AdrOeats II Ia material 10 the prosecution
i that should prove the disposition OF that paper
4 In the Navy Department. | offer this testimony
on the conversation between the Secretary Of tho
Navy and his Chief Clerk in Its passing Of Its Gus
tody OF one TO the other. II is part Of res gesiaI
which am proving before the court Its admiB
slblllty can only be Judged after II iB stated. II
may be ihat 1t Ylll favor the defence, or It may
By hs CounGd JOr. Ne Defence. We wish TO put
our objections - the question, and they will be
very brief, 30 iAT ~ relates 10 the eOnHerEAtion