Showing posts with label Edmund J Forstall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edmund J Forstall. Show all posts

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Major-General Benjamin F. Butler to the Mayor and Gentlemen of the City Council of New Orleans, May 16, 1862

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,                  
New Orleans, May 16, 1862.
To the Mayor and Gentlemen of the City Council of New Orleans:

In the report of your official action, published in the Bee of the 16th instant, I find the following extracted resolution, with the action of part of your body thereon, viz:

The following preamble and resolution, offered by Mr. Stith, were read twice and adopted; the rules being suspended, were on motion sent to the assistant board. YEAS: Mr. De Labarre, Forstall, Huekins, Rodin, and Stith—5.

Whereas it has come to the knowledge of this council that for the first time in the history of this city a large fleet of the navy of France is about to visit New Orleans, of which fleet the Catina, now in our port, is the pioneer; this council bearing in grateful remembrance the many ties of amity and good feeling which unite the people of this city with those of France, to whose paternal protection New Orleans owes its foundation and early prosperity, and to whom it is especially grateful for the jealousy with which in the cession of the State it guaranteed all the rights of property, person, and religious freedom of its citizens: Be it

Resolved, That the freedom and hospitality of the city be tendered, through the commander of the Catina, to the French naval fleet during its sojourn in our port; and that a committee of five of this council be appointed, together with the mayor, to make such tender and such other arrangements as may be necessary to give effect to the same.

Messrs. Stith and Forstall were appointed on the committee mentioned in the foregoing resolution.

This action is an insult as well to the United States as to the friendly, powerful, and progressive nation toward whose officers it is directed. The offer of the freedom of a captured city by the captives would merit letters-patent for its novelty were there not doubts of its usefulness as an invention. The tender of its hospitalities by a government to which police duties and sanitary regulations only are intrusted is simply an invitation to the calaboose or the hospital. The United States authorities are the only ones here capable of dealing with amicable or unamicable nations, and will see to it that such acts of courtesy or assistance are extended to any armed vessel of the Emperor of France as shall testify the national, traditional, and hereditary feelings of grateful remembrance with which the United States Government and people appreciate the early aid of France and her many acts of friendly regard shown upon so many national and fitting occasions.

The action of the city council in this behalf must be reversed.

BENJ. F. BUTLER,              
Major-General, Commanding.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 15 (Serial No. 21), p. 427

Friday, May 29, 2020

Edmund J. Forstall to Major-General Benjamin F. Butler, May 11, 1862

NEW ORLEANS, May 11, 1862.
Major-General BUTLER, U.S. Army,
Commanding Department of the Gulf:

SIR: I take the liberty respectfully to submit to you the following facts:

On the 1st of April last I presented for record in the books of the consul of the Pays-Bas, Am. Couturie, esq., the following resolutions of the Citizens' Bank of Louisiana, bearing date 25th of February last, placing in my hands for the purposes therein stipulated the sum of $800,000 in Mexican dollars, as agent of Messrs. Hope & Co., of Amsterdam:

James D. Denegre, president; Eugene Rousseau, cashier.

CITIZENS' BANK OF LOUISIANA,                    
New Orleans, February 25, 1862.

Extract from the journal of proceedings of the board of directors of the Citizens' Bank
of Louisiana at their sitting of 24th of February, 1862.

“Whereas the present rate of exchange on Europe would entail a ruinous loss on this bank for such sums as are due semi-annually in Amsterdam for the interest on the State bonds:

"Be it therefore resolved, That the president be, and he is hereby, authorized to make a special deposit of $800,000 in Mexican dollars in the hands of Messrs. Hope & Co., of Amsterdam, Holland, agents of the bondholders in Europe, through their authorized agent, Edmund J. Forstall, esq., for the purpose of providing for the interest on said bonds.

"Be it further resolved, That such portions of the above sum as may be required from time to time to pay the interest accruing on the State bonds shall be so applied by Messrs. Hope & Co.: Provided, however, That the bank shall have the option of redeeming an equivalent amount in coin by approved sterling exchange to the satisfaction of the agent of Messrs. Hope & Co.: And provided further, That in the event of the blockade of this port not being raised in time to allow of the shipment of said coin, then the said Edmund J. Forstall will arrange with Messrs. Hope & Co. for the necessary advances to protect the credit of the State and of the bank until such time as the coin can go forward to liquidate said debt; but no commission shall be allowed for such shipment of coin or any other expenses except those actually incurred, and on the resumption of specie payment by this bank this trust to cease and the balance of coin to be returned to the bank.”

On the 12th of April, as agent of Messrs. Hope & Co., and with a view to their better security in such times of excitement, I deemed it my duty to withdraw the said sum of $800,000, already marked and prepared for shipment, say 160 kegs, Hope & Co., containing $5,000 each, and to place the same under the protection of the consul of the Netherlands, Am. Couturie, esq., for which I hold his receipt as follows:

CONSULATE NETHERLANDS,               
New Orleans, April 12, 1862.

Received on deposit from Mr. Edmund J. Forstall, agent in this city of Messrs. Hope & Co., of Amsterdam, 160 barrels, marked H. & C., and containing each $5,000, total 800,000 Mexican dollars. The said barrels are deposited in the vaults of the Netherlands consulate, 109 Canal street.

AM. COUTURIE,                 
Consul Netherlands.

I also placed in the hands of the said consul on the same day ten bonds of the New Orleans City for $1,000 each, and eight bonds of the city of Mobile, for which he gave me the following receipt:

NEW ORLEANS, April 12, 1862.

Received on deposit from Mr. Edmund J. Forstall, agent in this city of Messrs. Hope & Co., of Amsterdam, ten consolidated bonds debt of New Orleans of $1,000 each, eight bonds of the city of Mobile of $1,000 each, which bonds were placed in my hands to the account of Messrs. Hope & Co., Amsterdam.

AM. COUTURIE,                 
Consul Netherlands.

On the first reliable opportunity offering of communicating with Messrs. Hope & Co., which was on 1st of April last, I wrote them as follows:

The Citizens' Bank and Consolidated Association, unlike our other banks, being based on foreign capital, I have thought it my duty to interfere in behalf of the bondholders you represent in order to secure as much of the cash assets of the institution in question as needed punctually to meet running interests in Europe until communications are again opened. For this special purpose the Citizens' Bank has placed in my hands $800,000 in Mexican dollars under the following resolutions. (Same as before transcribed.) This document has been registered as follows:

"Seen and registered in the journal at the consulate under the heading of Order 1, New Orleans, April 1, 1862.

"AM. COUTURIE,               
"Consul of the Netherlands."

For the protection of French property in case of need, the French consul has taken a fireproof building formerly occupied by the Canal Bank with vaults for coin, &c. The French consul has consented to receive for safe-keeping under the protection of your consul the above amount of $800,000 of Mexican dollars. I am also depositing there ten New Orleans City bonds and eight city of Mobile bonds belonging to you. I am doing the same with the bonds belonging to Messrs. Baring Bros. & Co., under the protection of the British consul.

The French consul having subsequently declined receiving the above specie, Mr. Am. Couturie used his own vaults in Canal street.

I hold the power of attorney of Messrs. Hope & Co., covering my whole intervention in this matter; also the originals of all the documents before transcribed, which I am ready to exhibit if desired. I may be permitted here to remark that so far back as the middle of February last I called the attention of both the Citizens' Bank and Consolidated Association to the propriety of securing against all contingencies, and, so far as they were able, the bondholders represented by Messrs. Hope & Co. and Baring Bros. & Co., who had supplied them with their banking capital.

Under these circumstances I deem it my duty to claim in behalf of Messrs. Hope & Co., of Amsterdam, the above sum of $800,000, say 160 kegs, marked H. & Co., containing each $5,000, which, I am informed, has been forcibly taken out of the possession of the consul of Holland, Am. Couturie, esq., and I trust that on a consideration of facts no doubt unknown to you you will see the justice of ordering said money to be returned to me that I may ship same to Europe in accordance with my contract with the Citizens' Bank so soon as I may be permitted to do so.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
 EDM. J. FORSTALL.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Volume 2 (Serial No. 123), p. 117-9

Amedée Couturie to Major-General Benjamin F. Butler, May 16, 1862

NEW ORLEANS, May 16, 1862.
Maj. Gen. B. F. BUTLER, U.S. Army,
Commanding Department of the Gulf, at New Orleans:

SIR: Your official communication of the 14th instant I have received, and transmitted literal copies thereof to my Government through the usual channels.

In reading it I cannot but think that you have misunderstood the communication which I had the honor of addressing you on the 10th instant, and to which it purports to be an answer.

My communication recited a series of outrages upon my person, the dignity of consulate office, and of the flag of the Government which I have the honor of representing in this city; and informed you that as those acts would be brought to the knowledge of my Government I desired to know whether they were performed with your sanction or by your order. It has pleased you to say that so far as you can judge I have merited the treatment I have received, even if a little rough. I am therefore to infer that the acts brought to your notice received your sanction.

I shall leave it with my Government to direct my future course in consequence of those acts and to pronounce the use which I have made of my consular flag, and in the meanwhile I have to inform you that I have placed the interests of the subjects of His Majesty the King of the Netherlands, heretofore in my charge, under the charge and keeping of the consul of His Majesty the Emperor of the French in New Orleans. But I must be permitted, referring to my only intercourse with your subordinate and with yourself, to insist upon the fact that none of the property covered by my consular flag was claimed by me as my private property, and that I have never admitted anything in reference thereto.

You will find herewith inclosed a copy of an additional statement of facts, subsequent to my first communication, which statement has also been transmitted to my Government. You will perceive that the property which was removed from my consular office by the armed forces under your command, except the title papers and other objects specified in said additional statement of facts, had been received by me as a deposit from Mr. Edmund J. Forstall, a highly respectable citizen and merchant of New Orleans, for many years known as the agent of the banking-house of Hope & Co., of Amsterdam, for whom he was acting in the premises.

Such being the truth of the facts in reference to said property as represented to, and as believed and acted upon by me, I must and do hereby protest against the removal from my consular office of property belonging to and placed there for account of subjects of His Majesty the King of the Netherlands, against the acts of violence which preceded and the display of force which accompanied such removal, and against the violation of the privileges and immunities with which by the law of nations and the treaties of the United States I was invested in my official character.

I have the honor to be, respectfully, your obedient servant,

AM. COUTURIE,                 
Consul of the Netherlands.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Volume 2 (Serial No. 123), p. 122-3

Amedée Couturie:Statement of Facts: May 13, 1862 — 11 a.m.

NEW ORLEANS, May 13, 1862—11 a.m.

A statement of the facts that occurred after I took down the consular flag:

Having hauled down the flag of the Netherlands and left the premises, I paused for a moment in front of the building, which was surrounded by a great crowd of citizens of this place. I noticed that the inside and outside of the consular office were occupied by armed soldiers.

Passing by at 9 o'clock and again at midnight I noticed armed sentinels pacing all around the building; which was then closed. On the following day, being Sunday, the 11th instant, or thereabout, a party of armed soldiers, commanded by officers in uniform with side-arms, reached the consular office, which they entered. At the same time a certain number of drays and wagons arrived in front of the consular office, and the articles hereinafter recited were removed from the vault of my consulate, placed on the sidewalk, thence upon the vehicles, carted off, and removed in presence of a large crowd of citizens. The articles removed by the military force are the following:

No. 1.—One hundred and sixty kegs containing each $5,000, being in all $800,000, Mexican silver dollars, which were deposited with me, as consul of the Netherlands, on the 12th day of April last, by Edmund J. Forstall, esq., a prominent merchant and citizen of this city, acting as agent of Messrs. Hope & Co., of Amsterdam, by virtue of an act of procuration which he then communicated to me. Said specie I was to keep and promised to keep in pledge for account of said firm and hold subject to their order. The above facts were afterward communicated by me to the minister of foreign affairs at The Hague, with a request that he would be pleased to transmit the information of the same to Messrs. Hope & Co.

No. 2.—One tin box (to which we gave the name of a bank box of this city), locked, containing, first, ten bonds of the consolidated debt of the city of New Orleans for $1,000 each, the nominal value of which is $10,000; second, eight bonds of the city of Mobile of the value of $1,000 each, the nominal value of which is $8,000. Said eighteen bonds were deposited with me on the 12th day of April last by Edmund J. Forstall, esq., in the capacity above recited as the property of Messrs. Hope & Co.; third, divers papers, being titles and deeds, my consular commission from His Majesty the King of the Netherlands, and exequatur from the President of the United States.

No. 3.—Six other tin boxes marked with my name, “Amedée Couturie,” containing private deeds, silverware, &c., which boxes are the property of divers persons for whom I am agent.

No. 4.—Two or more tin boxes, the property of the Hope Insurance Company, of this city, which occupied a portion of the premises in which my consulate was located.

Since the removal of the articles herein recited from the vault of the consulate the doors of the same have been closed and locked and armed sentinels continue to be placed at the entrance of and around the building. The coin and other articles above enumerated have been deposited, to the best of my knowledge, either in the mint or customhouse in this city, both public edifices, being occupied by the U.S. military.

AM. COUTURIE,                 
Consul of the Netherlands.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Volume 2 (Serial No. 123), p. 123-4