The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-16 00:00:00

PATRIOTS IN TILE CREEK CAUSEs

irestrrday, tile managing clerk to Messrs. Fyson and Co. Solidi.
tors, Lothbury, came before the Lord Mayor at the Mansion-
House, at the head of a number of tine, trfl, re•pectable.looking
young men, and in their behalf requested a warrant against one
John Campbell, who had described himself as belonging to the
Royal Nary.

The applicants stated, that they had been introduced to this per-
son by %lr. Currie, the army accoutrement maker, Regent•street.
He was a person of gentlemanly manners, and held himself forth
to them as an 0:!leer in the Royal Navy, and an intimate friend of
Lord Cochrane, whom lie "id, about to join in aid of the Greek
cause. He showed to them a letter, which he said he had received
from his friend Lord Cochrane, and of which the following is a
copy :
" °liraltar, .lone 16, 1826.
" MT DEAR St R —Yesterlay I received your letter in a packet
sent by Lady Cochrane. lam not sorry for your misfortune, as it
is probably a judgment on you, for not accompanying me to South
America, where you would have got riches—sure to get honour.
•, I hope, now, my brave friend, you will no longer hesitate to
embark in a glorious cause. I offer you the sanie terms I did be-
fore. and shall be most happy of your gallant assistance. Noinde-
pendent noble-minded man can now ',mixed in England. Come,
al dear fellow. and e ten the latirels that arc blooming for you.—
Write me la the Crown Hotel, Mllslut, end let me know if you will
join me or nut. I will keep an opening for you till I hear from
YOU.

" 1 am in great haste, my dear Sir, very truly yours,
Cocnwrz.

" Capt. J. Campbell, No. 9, Lower New-street, Stepney.

" P.S. Send me, or bring w;th you, as anon as possible, a few
active and enterprising young Officers, and two clerks of moral ha-
bits and good connexions."
The applicants, each conceiving himself to come within the
latter description, were exceedingly anxious to obtain appointments.
These Captain Campbell readily accommodated them with, for
the very small sum of 1111. each. To those who had been educated
as cadets he pave commissions ; one young man, educated for the
medical prol:•ssien, he appointed Army Stugenn to the Patriot
Army, and Civilians he vpointed Secretaries, in which situations
they would, with niece security, advance to posts of honour and
profit by their diplomatic talmts. From the first he declared his
entire independence of the (;rack Committee, of whom he apoxe
slightingly, as an inefficient set of niece theorists and literary
men. Each adventurer signed a document, the folic of which was
as fol'ows _ _

" I do hereby engage to be emediyed, or eall3C to be employed,
the bearer (as Secretary) in the Land Service of Greece, in the
Mediterranean, and the seas connected with the same, provided
that he embarks in the ship nr vessel which I shall provide, when
required to do so, within not less than ton days from the date hereof;
and that he be oblslient to oil lawful command. ; and I declare this
engagement binding, in all intents and purposes, as any indenture
or other engagement can be.
" Given under my hand, thisllth day of September.
"JOHN CAMPBELL."
The signature of the bearer is in the margin.
(Signed, &c. by the party) Jurist CAMPBE4L.
The Captain kept a eourteroart himself. Ile impressed Upon
them the neeessity of making immediate preparations for sailing.
The friend', of Cie parties busied themselves in fitting out the youths.
Nearly all had new uniforms provided, some of which were actually
sported in Bond-street and the Parks, where they excited much ad-
miration.
They were lined with white, something like the uniform
of the Artillery regiment, but neater, and were niade by Mr. Currie,
the army-accoutrement maker. The cause, Campbell said, was
glorious, end the prospects, for young men like the complainants,
of the most glowing description. At length the time for their de.
!nature was positively used. A yacht was said to be engaged.
Unexpected obstacles, however. arose. Thursday every thing pre.
vetted their starting ; Friday was a day the sailors thought to be
unlucky, and it was proper to consult their superstitions. Sume-
J thing very extraordinary occurred on Saturday, but Sunday was a
clear day, a lucky day, and sail they positively should on that day,
the first of their career in the glorious calm% Fortune, however,
did not smile on the adventure, for the Captain was arrested,
and thrown into a lock-up-house in the city, for a debt of 361.
Then it was that the adveaturcirs' for the first time, began to
make inquiries as to whether the Captain was a person fit to be
trusted. They learned from the Captain or the trading vessel in
which they were to have sailed that he had done nothing to secure
their passage, except the payment of IW. as a sort of earnest. but
which, they now believed, was a mere colour. They went to the
Captain, doubted his authority, and expressed so much determina-
tion that he was induced to give up the letter. They then went to
the Greek Committee, to inquire into its authority, and it was at
once pronounced to be a forgery. They were satisfied on that head
by Major Cochrane. They were row desirous of getting a warrant
icw Ins apprehension, on the charge of obtaining money under
false pretences. There were 16 of them ready to come forward as
witnesses. _ _

The Loan MAYOR expressed some surprise at the ready
credence which the Captain had obtained.
The applicants represented that the adventure had been spoken
of in high terms by Mr. Currie. They had, besides, no reason to
suspect the letter to be a forgery ; and what prevented suspicion on
that head was the circumstance that it had, somehow or other, got
the foreign post mark.
&The Loan 31 Alcoa, observing the post-mark, said that was
certainly a strong circumstance, and he supposed the Captain's
defence upon that would be that he hail been himself deceived.
Mr. Hont.En, the chief clerk, suggested, that as the Captain
tan in prison, the beat mode would he to peeler a bill of in.
dietment against him at once for fraud before the Grand Jury.
The applicants were apprehensive that, before that proceeding
amid be carried into effect, the Captain would get liberated.
The Loan MAYOR, under these circumstances, did not hesitate '
so grant a warrant immediately. The adventurers were all appa-
rently ardent, active, and able young men, zealous in the cause and
desirous of embarking in it at all hazards. One of them declared
that go he would, if he went on a raft. All seemed animated at the
prospect of fighting under Cochrane ; and from the Captain's suc-
cess in a short time not a doubt was entertained that upon the
. slightest signal an army of the bolde,t spirits might be raised in a
week tor any enterprise of the kind. One of the adventurers came
I from Colchester, where he had heard of it accidentally, and but
that it was represented as a thing which would require interest as
well as money, plenty of others would have started with him.—
Some there were amongst them, " the cankers of a long peace and
• quiet world." One of them, on being expostulated with on the
barrenness of the pecuniary prospects of the enterprise, replied in.
dignantly, ,f D-- money; it is a good cause. and that is enough.
1 Resides, what is the use of staying at home, where there is nothing
for a man of spirit to do ? Ile added that, be the difficulties or con-
sequences what they might, he was determined not to be disap.
pointed in his resolution to tight on the classic soil.
o
Yesterday Mr. William Henry Goore, the solicitor, of Boum.
rie-street, appeared with a volatile gay-looking youth, named Ed-
ward William Jaques, before .1. E. IlitonoitToN, Esq. at
Marylebone Office, to lodge another complaint against the soi-di.
sant Captain John Campbell.
Mr. Wore said, in consequence of the reports of the applies.
lions :a this office, which he had read in the British Press re.
specting the tricks of a imam styling himself Captain John Camp-
bell, he had felt it a duty he owed to the public to come forward
and state all he knew respecting the nefarious conapiracy set on foot,
solely for the purposes of fraud and robbery, by a cluster of per.
sons pretending to have authority to raise volunteers for the service
of Greece. The young gentleman who accompanied him was
amongst the number of the dupes of these men, and by hie incautious
enthusiasm had probably lost a noble friend and patron, Soma
weeks since the following hand-bill was circulated throughout the
Metropolis r—
" %Vented immediately, for a particular service, a few active and
enterprising young Nautical Officers, and two Clerks, of moral cha-
racter, conduct. and good connexions. They will be required to
have an outfit of M. each."
' Mr. Goore, in continuation, said, that this young gentlemen,
somehow or other, became acquainted with this, and immediately
be abandoned all notions of persevering in the apprenticeship to an
engraver of eminence to whom his father had bound him, at an ex-
-1 pense of 25W., and determined upon becomithe at once a soldier
nd wham. He therefore got introduced to this Captain Cantpbell,