Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-03-23

not now, and never did, Impress or Murder
our Seamen."
.4Siadavit Of Frederick Sober.
This certi6es that T, Frederick Soper,
native Of Bralntrec, in the county OF Norfolk,
BUT frem my childhood resident IN or sailing.
flor. Boston, on the Sd day OF April 1871
shipped on board the brig Catharine, then In
this po.',, belonging principally to MSssrs3
John Pavscr * Sons, Joseph Lowell, ana Da3
vid Ockirston, bound to Gottenburg with
cargo of .saxar, cotton, coffee, cocoa, tnstic,.
&c. We were taken on the 5th day etY une9
sxf Norway'by Danish privateer, and ciri1ed
i into FahMand. W. were tried a. chYstlan-
sand anX cleared. The capters appealed, and
were tiled at Copenhagen, and again 0(saEei
On the 10th of April, 1911, sailed oFGot-
tenburg, and arrived the 18th. Attsr lying
there IL DAYS, we sailed 10 Petersburg, and
on the Sd of May were taken by the FRENCH
privateer Jeuno Adolphe, and carried into
Dantzic /; where the crew we're Immediately
discharged and sent on shore by the cagtaiRf
the privateer On the 18th of May, Captain
lexington took myself and the PSI IF the
crew from the street aN proyided is a b d.
ing house, where we remained until the 9Th
of June, we were then impressed by French
press-gang, and seat four miles from Dantzic
to prison While we were here captain o..
used his utmost exertions to get us liberated,
but in vain. On the Eth June, we were Ia
ken, in all % Americans, under guard of
100 foot soldiers and 10 light horsemen, and
conducted to Startine there we were imprf-
soned two days. From that we had to walk
to Antwerp under another guard. Lest we
should be claimed at Hamburg, which would
have been in our route, We were taken Cir
cuitonsly in the country, in direction which
increased the distance TO travel 500 miles
On arriving at Antwerp,wc were puton board
an "a gun ship, the IIustree. There Henry
yyesteen and myself remained one week.
Finding our allowance too short to subsist up
on, we applied to Mr.. Martin, American con-
sui, for relief; who gave Us two crowns each,
and directed rs that when that was spent TO
call for more We preferred attempting with
this to rake our escape, which we effected,
though the city is walled and every where
guarded by soldiers, as follows I'VE found
an arch with two centinels, to each of whom
W e gave crown, and were permitted to pass
at dusk. Our intention was to make the best
Of our way to Amsterdam, and we were oblig
not daring to enter any house, lest we should
be stopped. Coming to a bridge, which we
must necessarily pass, we met French gen
d'armes. who arrested US, and joined By two
more, conducted us back to Antwerp.
We were theD put in a dungeon, and iToncd,
our right hand 10 our left foot, and chained
together by the neck and body. There we
remained in most dep!orable and suffering
condition f five weeks, during which time
we were allowed but pound OF bread each
day, and water: No other provision OF any
kind--nor were we allowed to obtain or re-
ccive any other. We had the privilege of en-
tering the French service, if we chose. The
handouts on me were lined with copper, in
order to make it corrode SO that it might pol
son my flesh; the guards used to come at 10
O'Clock daily, * pour water upon our wrists
the sores produced are yet visible. The con-
sequence Of this treatment was, that was sick
Of fever three weeks. At the end of five
weeks an order came from Paris that all men
ir,nresscd at Dantzic, should be sent to Roche
fort. Arrived at Rochefort, under guard OF
ffv soldiers, we were put on board French
ID. Henry Weston, and John Green, the
latter taken from the brig Julian, of Philadel-
phia, refused to work. Weston was put In
prison, ironed and kept l days---they then
tied him to post and gave him so lashes.--
Then sent him on board the Triumphant again.
They took John Green, tied him to the cap
stan of the ship, and gave him 4S ashcs with
ropes end We were then drafted and put
on board 100 gun ship. There we remained
8 weeks, when, on the 18th of November,
Joseph Vaughan, native of New-York, and
myself, made our escape, having gone ashore
in the launch, with a number of Frenchmen.
In the night we passed the river, and on the
18th arrived in Bordeaux, where we applied
to Mr.. Myers, the American consul, for pro-
tections, who provided for US three days, when
| was put on board the American schooner
&C y al.;r,aar Ia.s,es rn1GleS-