Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-10-15
A SCRAP OF WAR HISTORY.
How the Recognition of the Confed-
eracy by Great Britain was
Prevented.

SiNNS OiS Cbu| tfb VI tll'lt
city a scrap of the secret history of
the war, which shows how scheme
for securing the recognition of the
Confederacy was providcntially avert
ed. In the autumn Of 1861, the gen
tleman in question was called to
Louisville, Ky, on business. On his
arrival there he found the city III a
state of feverish excitement, the
Union and Disunion parties being
about equal in strength, and an out
break at any moment would not have
been surprising. He stopped at the
Gait House, and he had just entered
his name on the register, when a dis
tinguished looking stranger entered
the room, and was Immediately sur
rounded by number Of gentlemen
OF the secesh persuasion, with whom
he entered into an excited converse
ton. On inquiry the stranger was
found to be Mr.. William Mure, Of
| Charleston, S. c., British Consul at
that port. He was an ardent sympa-
thizcr with secession, and expected
sool to be appointed British Minister
to the Confederate government. lie
was fresh from the rebel capital with
the latest news, which were eagerly
absorbed by the listeners.
Later in the evening as the Hart
ford gentleman was smoking his ci-
gar in the Office, Mr.. Mure entered
the room with a friend, and, taking
seats near hlm, the two commenced
conversation in Il low tone, which,
however, l.. their carncstness was so
audible that the other occupant of the
room could not help overhearing a
large portion of it. From what he
heard he gathered that Mr. Mure
had been closeted with JEFF Davis and
his Cabinet for several days, and as
Il result carried about his person pa
pers which he believed would insure
the recognition Of the Contederacy
by the governments of Great Britain
and France, together with bill of eX-
change representing a large amount
of money for the purchase Of arms
and munitions of war. Mr.. Mure
further stated that he should leave
Louisville the following Sunday
morning under an assumed name for
Boston, by way of New York, and
that he would take the Cunard steam
er at Boston for England on the next
/ "Wednesday.
I Our informant Immediately y decided
/ that his business III Louisville might
wait and that he would travel with
Mr.. Mure as far as Cincinnati, where
/ he would take the train for Washing
ton and lay the ease before Mr.. Sc
ward. On Sunday morning he arose
early, but found that Mr.. Mure ! ad
started the night before. He imme-
diately took the train and arrived at
Cincinnati late at night, only to find
that bridge on the railroad to Wash
ingtOn had been carried away and
travel would be interrupted for twen-
tv-tour hours. He went at once to
the telegraph office and found it clos
ed, it being nearly midnight. a po-
liccman, however, came to his assist,
ance and brought the operator from
an apothecary shop near by. Inform
inc the latter that he desired to send
m important message to Mr.. Seward,
the operator replied that he possess
ed the government cipher, whereapon
the following message, in substance,
was sent:
To tie Secretary Of state, Washington,
d. c.,
Mr. William Murc, British Consul at
Charleston, 5. c., left Louisville last night
for Boston, by way of New York, bearing
about his person papers from Jefferson
Davis, which he says will insure the recog
milton of the Southern Contederacy by
the governments of England and France,
together with other valuable documents.
He sails from Boston on Wednesday.
B. T. H.
The named sighed was Il fictitious
one, used for the occasion for private
reasons, the gentleman recalling the
fact that certain members of the
family were on terms of intimate
friendship with the Mure family, and
not desiring to involve others than
himself in the affair Doubling
whether Mr.. Seward would notice
4 the dispatch, the gentleman started
for Boston by way Of the New York
Central road, decigning to have Mr.
Mure arrested as he went on board
the steamer, in case no previous efforts
to detan him were made. In passing
through Syracuse, on Tuesday, he
bought Il morning paper, and on
gIancing through the telegraphio
news he saw dispatch from New
York, on Monday, to this effect:
"Mr Mure British Consul at Charles
ton, was arrested at the Brevoort House
this evening, and papers of great value
were found concealed about his person.
He was Immediately taken to Fort Laiay-
cite"
Satisfied ut the result, the gentle
man in question returned to his home.
Some two months atterward he was
in Washington, where lie mot Mr.
Seward socially, and while in conver-
sation with him inquired how Mr..
Mure happened to be arrested. The
Secretary at first seemed surprised at
what perhaps appeared to be an inn
pertinent question, but replied polite
iv that the arrest was made on receipt
of telegram from Cincinnati, from
II Mr.. b. II. Il, that he had since
endcavorcd to ascertain who Mr.. IL.
was, but without success, and finally
inquired, Do you know? The gen
tleman replied that he was the indi-
vidual, and then explained the cir
cumstances us above recounted. MIR.
Seward grasped him by the hand and
thanked him most heartily, To the
query whether the value OF the pa
ners had been exaggerated in the tel
egram the Secretary replied, "Not in
the least, sir; not in the least.
Mr.. Mure was kept in confinement
for year, and was then released at
the request of the British govern
ment,
A man who cheats in short meas
ure is u measurelsss rogue. If in
whisky, then he is rogue in spirit.
If by falsifying his accounts, then he
is an maccomtable rogue. If he