There was no case during the Civil War of a vessel actually going out as a privateer (i.e., a private vessel operating under government letters of marque) from a foreign port.

(Adams, "Seward and the Declaration of Paris," p.
38.) No Southern privateer ever entered a British port.

(Bernard, _Neutrality of Great Britain_, p.

181).

As a result of Seward's general instruction of April 24, a convention was actually signed with Russia in August, but it was not presented by Seward for ratification to the United States Senate.