Liverpool, May 20, 1861.
Sir: I have addressed you this morning through favor of the
Vicomte A. de Lassus; now with his knowledge I beg to inform you of some of my plans.
Vicomte A. de Lassus; now with his knowledge I beg to inform you of some of my plans.
I have long had an idea and have named it to your military commissioners here at the beginning of the struggle, of iron plating the bows (it may be after Cole’s or other’s system) of some of our steam tugboats, or, if suitable vessels can be found ready built here of entirely plating them, putting their armament and stores, etc., on board and sending them over say to the Buenos Ayrean Government or other ostensible and likely buyers, they might call at some convenient port en route where a crew might be ready collected, to whom she could be handed over, who might run her into a Southern port, ?ghting any opponents in her way.
By skill and good management, I think several vessels might so be collected, and meet at a given date, and if fortune favored they might make some captures most serious to the enemy. I can’t help thinking New York or some vital point could be burned by a bold stratagem of this nature, by the daring of a single vessel and the determination of her crew, and stand a very fair chance of getting away unhurt, by the very boldness of the movement, running in under the Federal ?ag at dark, and trust to night to escape; fortune favors the bold! I suppose they could not hang them! They would be
prisoners of war only and New York half burnt would he a fair compensation for the loss of a steamer, if she were lost. If I had been a Russian I would have so undertaken to have destroyed Liverpool in the Crimean war, but it may be you are better prepared at your ports than we were here.
prisoners of war only and New York half burnt would he a fair compensation for the loss of a steamer, if she were lost. If I had been a Russian I would have so undertaken to have destroyed Liverpool in the Crimean war, but it may be you are better prepared at your ports than we were here.
Another idea of mine is to use petroleum as a ?reship say against gunboats on the Mississippi, where the situation suits, in fact it might be used as an adjunct to the steamer attacking, towing it in, and after having ?red enough setting it in a blaze in the best position, and under the cover of the confusion escape. You must have plenty of of?cers who would undertake and run the risk. But to return to business. I am unable to manage such heavy money operations out of my own funds as armor plating suitable vessels for your government, nor would it be fair that I should do so. I am willing to leave all pro?ts open till they get there, but you must ?nd me means to work here for all outlay. I have full con?dence in the result and being able to carry out the schemes and am content to arrange with you to receive for my services only a commission for my loss of time and that of the Count de Lassus, say 10 per cent if the vessel is captured, would require the whole, say 100 per cent if the vessel succeeds. I know several likely vessels and think for an outlay of say £25,000 each, several excellent gunboats plated at the bows with a suf?cient cover for four heavy guns amidships could be constructed to be used forward only when under ?re and they could be got ready in 8 or 10 weeks. I know most of the shipbuilders and think a ?otilla could be ready in time for your ally, the yellow fever, deserting you. I wil take the risk of such an act as regards my government on my own shoulders, and believe I can ?nd a suf?ciently good ostensible purpose for the steamboats and perhaps documents authorizing the affair from some government as a screen in case of need.
I would call in some of the cleverest of my friends, in the alterations to gain the end desired, and I have some knowledge of these matters myself.
I am, yours, most obediently,
W. J. Grazebrook.
Hon. J. P. Benjamin,
Secretary of State, Richmond.
I know Mr. W. H. Hayne, Mr. Lingham’s partner in New Orleans, whom you know, I understand.
N. B.—As these letters may be dangerous, I shall use my initials only
in future.
in future.
P. S.—The price of petroleum is £10 per ton here and plenty of it.
One or more old ships could be sent from here with it in case of need, if considered advisable or unobtainable there.
One or more old ships could be sent from here with it in case of need, if considered advisable or unobtainable there.