The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-03-28
Your obediens servant,
ALBERT GALLATIN.
PH1LApELu1t.. March =

. 'he 49, ~ u WIS Iiuy ttduN anu Ill
who read must understand. Dem Press.
Extract from the LOG EooK Of the shin
UNION. James Girdom, master, under .he
orders of the american government, ON
hcrfasSage from france 10 ENGLAND.
December 18th, 1908.
At 6 i. M was brought to by a shot from
III English Jrigate. the Ruby. The Sand
wich iu5eer and a gun boat in
vas haired nearly at the same moment BY
the frigate and lugger, and ordered to hcave
%, which was coupled with soon after
was Boarded by a lieutenant from the frigate,
1nd Immediately after, by the commander
Of the lugger himself. The usual enquiries,
what and where the ship was from, &c. ha-
ing been gone through on deck, the lieute-
=. mt of the frigate required ufCaptain Cir
Ion to see the papers. of the ship, and to
'inow it there was Il messenger OF dispatch
<, on board; when he was invited to the
cabin, where, on being introduced to Mr.
P~urUiance. as bearer of dispatches, and af
terra strict examination of the ships pass
ports and other papers, together with the
log book, he required to take them on board
che trigate, the lieutenant adding at the same
time, that captain Girdon must go with him,
also the messenger with the dispatches:
that Such 7vCre me oyder of ms commander.
Commodore Ihicknesar.
Mr.. Purviance refused to go, and Likewise
desired captain Girdon not to leave the ship
himself, nor to suffer his papers, least any
accident should happen, informing captain
Gifdon, that he was persuaded the commo-
dore would not insist on it, when the lieu
tenant would so on board and make his re-
port. At this the lieutenant flew into a rage.
and made an attempt to pull the ships pa
pers out OF captain Girdon's hands, in which
he but in part succeeded They were, how
ever, recovered again, by captain Girdon:-
Both the lieutenant of the frigate and the
commander OF the lugger, (who, being also
then presently threatened captain Gjrdon
and MIR. Purviance, if they did not 60 with
them on board The frigate, they zooulG be OBJ
hSed 10 use FORCE. On being again refused.
the officers went on deck, and hailed the
trigate, acquainting the commodore with
what had taken place. who immediately or
dcred his officers to bring captain Girdon
with his papers; at the same time another.
boat, full of officers and men, was sent from
the trigate, who jumped on board and abso-
lutely took command Of the UNION, compel-
ling the man at the helm to steer after the
trigate.
Captain Girdon finding himself thus Stu
ated, went OIL board, insisting, however. to
carry his own papers. Whilst captain Cir
don was stepping into the boat, the officers
we're heard consulting what was best TO he
done about Mr.. Purviance going on board.
he commander of the iugger advised the
lieutenantto desist from forcing Mr.. Puryi-
arce, until the commodore had seen captain
liirdon and the ships papers. The Iieute-
.'dnt then, addressing himself to the captain
OF the lugger, said he would again demand
Mr.. Purviance to go on board also, which. if
ne positively refused, he would then go on
board for further orders. The lieutenant
returned to the cabin, accompanied by a
string OF officers fromthe second boat of the
trIgate, and addressed himself to Mr.. Pur-
vance, i'll a very menacing tone, in these
words
"Wel Sir! do you positively refuse going
on board the trigate without being forced >"
ON being answered by Mr.. Puryionce.
that he was determined neither to leave
the ship, or to suffer the dispatches to be ia
Ken, unless by force, and that at the risk of
ms lie - officers then left the cabin,
saying, he (Mr. Purviauce) should soon see
he would be compelled to go:-That. he
would return and not only take him, but eve
ry passenger en board. On which Mr.. Pur-
viance reminded the officer, that "this was
not a ship i'll the merchant service. but a YES
sci sailing under the special orders of the
American government. not only for the pro
lection OF its dispatches, but also for the
protection OF its citizens, and that there were
no passengers ON board who were not citi.
zens of the United States"
Mr.. Purviance added, that, lit would be-
come them to be more ~circumspect i'm their
conduct to both, as, perhaps, they might
md 1t a more serious business than they
were aware OF since he should be OBLIGED
to make report of it, not only TO the Ame-
rlcan minister at London. but also to the A.
government" To which the lien.
tenant replied she neither knezU nor Card
JoT me american government +; that he was
executing the orders of his conmander, and
nat he should do the same if she was a
kings vessel" Mr.. Purviance observed.
that "this vessel, in her present capacity,
was more sacred, perhaps, than a kings
vessel, or an armed ~vesselof any nation /; as
she was not only protected, specially, by the
American government, but also by Tie Bril-
ttSh minister, and every other minister resi-
ding IN America."
The officers finding Mr.. Purviance deter.
mined not to give way, then assented to take
captain GirdoD alone who, after being de-.
tanned nf7ratds Of an hour on board the fri.
returned with the commander of the
and some ofthe officers of the second
boat-leaving behind them the lieutenant
that made the first visit.
The officers then proceeded to examine
the ships hold, which they did minutelv. by
some of the passengers baggage;
- 90 o.