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An Account of the Sufferings of the Crew of two Schooners, part of the Squadron of

General Miranda, which were taken by two Spanish Guarda-Costas, in June 1806.

Written by one of the Sufferers who made his escape. [The world knows little of the extraordinary expedition of General Miranda to the

Spanish Main, in 1806; but it will be remembered that he arrived in the Gulf of Mexico with an armed Brig and two Schooners, and that in a rencontre with two Guarda-Costas, the schooners were both taken. We are now enabled to lay before our readers the particulars of the treatment their crews met with from the Spaniards – The trials tend also to throw some light on the Expedition itself.]

TOWARDS the end of June, lion, and murdering one of his Cathe lieutenant governour of Caraccas, tholick majesty's subjects. They accompanied by four assistant officers were then asked to describe the manor judges, together with an inter- ner in which oaths are administered preter for each officer, arrived at in their own country; which having Porto Cavello, for the purpose of ta- done, they were requested to lay their king the examination of the prison- hands upon the Bible and administer

They assembled in the guard the oaths to themselves, agreeable to house, within the walls of Castle St. the manner in which they had been Philip, in a large room fitted up for accustomed to swear. that purpose. In this room were pla- The five prisoners were thus disced five separate benches with desks; tributed, one to each judge, seated at at one of which was seated the lieute- his respective desk, all being in one nant governour, with an interpreter; room, and some little distance from at the other four, each of the other each other. judges, with an interpreter also. In the middle of the floor, lay a

The ordinary appearance of the number of arms and instruments of place, together with the undignified war, such as guns, rifles, axes, pislooks of the judges, could scarcely tols, pikes, swords, and shovels; also, induce the prisoners to believe that Miranda's colours, uniform clothes, this was the tribunal before which and a number of his proclamations; they were to be tried for their lives. all which were taken from on board Nor were they a little surprised, when of the schooners. they ascertained, by the course of the The judges commenced their exaproceedings, that they were to be mination by their interpreters, who compelled to give evidence, under put the questions in English, and oath, against themselves, and against gave the answers to the judges. They each other; and upon this testimony continued to examine them for the alone they were to be convicted. space

of four or five hours, when they The judges being ready to proceed, were returned to the prison, and five caused five of the prisoner's to be others brought up in their places. In brought up in the first place. They this manner the examination proceedwere informed of the charges exhibit- ed for the space of two weeks before ed against them, viz. piracy, rebel- it ended.

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The following were the general the object, whatever it was, he had in view. questions and answers, put to one of

Q. What was the real object of Miranda

in coming to the Main? the prisoners, who has since regained

A. I do not know; but understood it his liberty.

was to better the condition of the Spanish Q. How old are you?

people. A. About twenty-two years.

Q. Do you know the names of any perQ. Where was you born, and where do sons here, who were expected would join your parents reside?

Miranda ?
A. I was born in the state of Massachus.

A. I do not.
setts ; my parents reside in New York.

Q. Were there any private signals made Q. Why did you leave New York ?

to you from the shore, by any persons reA. To seek my fortune.

siding here?
Q. Who engaged you to go on board of A. I saw none.
the Leander ?

Q. Was the Leander boarded on her
A. Colonel Armstrong.

voyage by any English vessel ?
Q. Where was you engaged to go? A. Yes; the Cleopatra.
A. To Jacmel, and from there to other

Q. Was there any private conversation places, not disclosed to me at the time of between the commander and Miranda ? the engagement.

A. Yes; but what the purport of it was Q. Did you know that you was coming I do not know. here!

Q. Did Miranda go on board of her and A. No. Porto Cavello was not men.

stay several hours ? tioned.

Å. He did; he stopped one night on
Q. Did Miranda also engage you to go board.
on board of the Leander ?

Q. Was the Leander armed, and load.
A. I did not know there was such a per. ed with arms and warlike stores ?
son until the Leander had left the port of A. Yes.
New York.

Q. How many stand of arms had she on
Q. In what capacity did you enter on board ?
board of the Leander ?

A. About twelve hundred.
A. As a printer.

Q. Did you not erect a printing press Q. How came you to change that capa- at Jacmel, and print a number of proclacity and accept of a military commission mations, and is not this one of them? ander Miranda ?

[showing him one of the proclamations, A. From motives of personal conveni- in the Spanish language.]

A. Yes; and this may be one of them ; Q. Was you not a lieutenant in a rifle but I did not know the purport of it, as I regiment, under Miranda, as mentioned am ignorant of the Spanish language. in this paper ? (showing him a list of offi- Q. Do you know what that word means? cers commissioned by Miranda, and which [pointing to the word, Madrid.] was found in the possession of one of the A. It means, I presume, the capital of officers.]

old Spain. A. Yes; but did not know then that I

Q. Is that all you know of it here? was coming to this place.

A. Yes. Q. At what place did you stop on your Q. Do you know those articles ? (pointvoyage ?

ing to the warlike instruments lying upon A. At St. Domingo and the island of the floor.] Aruba.

A. I have seen the like before ; perhaps Q. Did you not go on shore at Aruba in the same. uniform, in company with other officers, Q. Did not those persons who went on and did you not maneuvre there for the shore, go there for the purpose of distripurpose of making an attack upon the Main? buting these proclamations ?

A. We manæuvred there, for the pur- A. No. They went for amusement. pose of making an attack upon some place Q. Is not that your regimental coat? which Miranda had in view ; but what A. I do not know. It may be the coat place, many of his men did not know. I was obliged to wear.

Q. Did you not come to the Main for Q. Did you understand that Miranda the purpose of assisting Miranda in fight fitted out his expedition by the consent of ing against this government, and in revo- your government ? lutionising the country?

A. No. He kept his object and operaA. It was represented by Miranda, that tions concealed from the publick. It was no fighting would be necessary to effect a private undertaking of his own.,

ence,

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Q. Were not the principal persons who of cutting off our heads, and those shovels embarked in Miranda's expedition, bank- to bury us? rupts and broken merchants ?

A. I never knew what use was to be A. I was not acquainted with their cir- made of them. cumstances : there might be some of this Q. Do not you think you deserve hangdescription.

ing? A number of other questions were A. No. What I did I was obliged to put, and answered; but being of a tri. do, contrary to my will. fling nature, comparatively speaking, to die than be compelled to commit a

Q. Do not you think you ought rather are not here inserted.

crime? After they had finished examining A. No. I have always understood that the prisoner, he was then told by his self-preservation was the first law of najudge, that if he would relate every

ture. thing he knew relating to the expe

Q. Why did you not all rise and take

command of the schooner, after you disdition, the names of those who were

covered her intention ? concerned in it, and those that were

A. We did attempt it once, but failed. expected would join Miranda, his We had agreed to attempt a second time, chains should be taken off, and he set on the evening of that day we were taken. at liberty, and sent home to America. After the examination of all the To which he answered, that he had prisoners was gone through, they disclosed all he knew of consequence, were again brought up the second or particularly recollected.

time, when similar questions were The following were questions put put to them as before, and similar to another prisoner, who has also ef- answers made. tected his return home.

The examinations were then ta. Q. What religion are you of?

ken by the lieutenant-governour and A. The presbyterian persuasion. judges to Caraccas, where, as was Q. Where was you born and brought understood, they were laid before a A. In New York.

military court, assembled for the purQ. Who engaged you to embark in Mi- pose of pronouncing judgment. They randa's expedition ?

remained under their consideration A. One John Fink, of New York, for several days, before any thing was butcher.

determined upon. Q. Did you know Miranda, in New

During that time the prisoners York? A. No. I did not know him until I was

remained in confinement, suffering six days at sca.

almost every deprivation, and reflectQ. Where was you engaged to go? ing upon what would be their doom. A. I was engaged to go, in the first Some were entirely indifferent, and place, to Alexandria, where I was to land. from thence I was to march to Washing- than endure their situation. Emaci

were willing to meet death, rather ton, where I was to be equipped with a horse, saddle, and bridle, and in compa- ated, sick, and obliged to endure filth, ny with other persons, I was to march to

bad air, and unwholesome food, many New Orleans to guard the mail.

were tired of life. Q. Was Miranda's expedition sanction- On the 201h of July, about eleven ed by your government?

o'clock in the morning, the prison A. I do not know. I did not know there

doors were thrown open, which prewas such an expedition as it afterwards proved to be.

sented to our view a large body of Q. Do you know the names of any Spa- armed soldiers, drawn up round theparls here, whom Miranda relied upon prison door with muskets aimed tojoining him?

wards us, loaded, cocked. and bayo. A. I do not. Q. Was you not occupied in Jacmel, in

nets fixed. All expected instant death. putting handles to pikes?

However, we were ordered out, and A. Yes; I was obliged to do it.

placed in a line for marching; the Q. Did you not bring those axes (point. soldiers on each side with their muş. 29.5 10 some on the doorj for the purpose kets pointed towards us.

There was

up?

men.

îîttle danger of the prisoners esca- And the following persons were ping being in irons, and so weak and sentenced to the same punishment, emaciated as to just be able to walk. at the castle of Bocca Chica, in Car

They were then ordered to march thagena, except their terms of servi. forward, which they did, though tude were eight years instead of ten. slowly, as their ancles were still

William Long,

William Cartwright, in irons. In this situation they were

Benjamin Davis, Samuel Touzier, marched into a yard, walled 'round, Joseph L. Heckle, William Burnside,

Henry Sperry,

Abraham Head, and ordered upon their knees; front

Robert Steavison,

James Hyatt, ed by the soldiers at a little distance Benj. Nicholson, William Pride, with their muskets still aimed at them Samuel Price, Pompey Grant,

George Ferguson, and ready to fire. Every moment Elery King, the word fire was expected.

Hugh Smith, Robert Rains.

Daniel Newbury. Shortly appeared the interpreter,

Those persons who were sentenced accompanied by one or two officers,

to Omoa, were principally officers and two or three Roman Catholick

and noncommissioned oflicers, linder priests. The following persons being Miranda. Those sentenced to Porto called : Francis Farquarson, Daniel Kemper,

Rico, were generally privates and Charles Johnson, John Ferris,

mechanicks; and those sentenced Miles L. Hall,

James Gardner, to Bocca Chica, were generally seaThomas Billopp, Thomas Donohue, Gustavus A. Bergud, Paul T. George. On the morning of the 21st of Ju

The interpreter then read to them, ly, about six o'clock, the prisoners from a paper which he held in his

were alarmed by the noise of an ashand, the following sentence : semblage of Spanish soldiers at the

“ In the morning of to morrow, at door of the prison ; when presently six o'clock, you and each of you are the door was thrown open, and dissentenced to be hung by the neck un- covered to their view about three huntil dead; after which your heads are dred soldiers, with muskets loaded, to be severed from your bodies and bayonets fixed, and arrayed in two placed upon poles, and distributed in lines on the right and left of the pripublick parts of the country.”

son door, facing inwards, and in a The following persons were then position of charged bayonets. called and sentenced to ten years im- The prisoners, after being ordered prisonment, at hard lahour, in the cas

to put on what clothes they had tle of Omoa, near the Bay of Hondu- (which were nothing more than a ras, and after that time, to await the piece of shirt, and a pair of ragged king's pleasure :

pantaloons ; some had not even those John T. O'Sullivan, Henry Ingersoll, articles) they were lashed two togeJeremiah Powell, Thomas Gill,

ther by the elbows, and placed in a John H. Sherman, John Edsall, David Heckle & Son, John Hays,

line, between the soldiers, for marchJohn Moore, Daniel M‘Kay,

ing. The ten prisoners to be exeJohn M. Elliott, Bennett B. Vegus,

cuted were then brought out, and Robert Saunders, Peter Naulty.

with their hands lashed fast before, The following persons were sen- and with white robes on, that extendtenced to the same punishment, for ed from the lower part of their necks the same length of time, at the castle to their heels, and white caps upon of Porto Rico.

their heads, were placed in front. In Wm. W. Lippincott, Stephen Burtis, front of them, were placed the three Moses Smith, John Burk,

catholick prisoners, attended by Matthew Buchanan, Phineas Raymond, Alex. Buchanan,

three priests, carrying in their hands Joseph Bennett, John Parsells, Eaton Burlingham,

the holy cross, and accompanied with David Winton, James Grant,

attendants carrying the sacrament, John Scott,

Frederick Riggus, wax candles, and other implements of the church. In this situation the stationed a number of companies of prisoners, with their irons upon their cavalry. From this extensive milifeet, marched slowly along between tary force, brought to attend the exthe lines of soldiers, out of the walls ecution, some concluded that an opof the castle, to the gallows.

position was feared from persons Castle St. Philip is situated upon friendly disposed to Miranda ; but no

; a large, level space of ground, in the thing of that kind was manifested. harbour of Porto Cavello, and sepa- Being ready to proceed to the exrated from the town by a narrow arm ecution, the prisoners waited their of water. The walls are nearly a fate with a composure of mind that quarter of a mile in circumference; seemed to evince a reconciled consciabout fourteen feet high, and about ence. Not the least intimidated, they thirteen feet thick, forming also the discovered a firmness and resolution outward walls of the prison ; mount. indicative of soldiers. ed with about fifty pieces of large Mr. Farquarson being first selected metal. Outside of the walls, and to meet his fate, was led to the steps fronting the town, is a large area, for of the gallows, by a negro slave, who the purpose of exercising the soldiers, acted as the jack ketch of the day, &c. Upon this spot the gallows was and for which he was promised his erected, being about forty rods from liberty. His irons were then knocked the prison.

off. and he led up to the top of the The gallows was about twenty scaffold, where he was seated, frontfeet long and fifteen feet high, and ing his fellow prisoners. The ropes* separated in the middle by a post, being placed round his neck, he rose making two divisions and two pair of upon his feet and took a final faresteps, one for the Roman Catholick well of his companions, wishing them prisoners, as directed by the priests, a better fate. The negro then gave and the other for the presbyterians, him a push from the top of the scafe or hereticks, as they were called. fold, and launched him into eternity. Whence it appeared that they could Immediately the negro let himself separate their bodies, if they could down upon the ropes, and seating not their souls afterwards. About himself upon the shoulders, with his half way up the middle post were feet hanging upon the breast, beat placed Miranda's colours. Underneath the breath out of the body with his them lay the instruments of war, heels; then jumping down, caught taken from the schooners, together the body by the feet, and pulled it towith the military coats, hats, and fea- wards one end of the gallows to make thers of the officers.

room for another. After the procession reached the In the same manner they proceed. gallows, those to be executed were ed to execute Mr. Billopp, Kemper, taken to the front. The other prisoners Bergud, Hall, Johnson, and Ferris ; were drawn up in the rear, so as to after which they proceeded in a like be in front of each other as they manner to execute the three Roman ascended the steps. Immediately Catholick prisoners, Gardner, Donoround the prisoners were drawn up hue, and George, who were constanttwo or three companies of uniform ly attended by their priests. They soldiers, principally Old Spainers. In were taken to the other part of the the rear of those were several compa- gallows, where they again received nies of militia, the greater part of whom were natives of the country.

* The Spaniards use two ropes in their At a little distance, in the rear of manner of hanging: one something small

er than the other, and a few inches these, were drawn up several compa- shorter, which serves to break the neck, nies of artillery ; and along the shore while the other sustains the weight of the of the town of Porto Cavello, were body,

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