Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-04-12
T.,,o, he .yourna. of Commerce.
CONFESSION OF GIBBS he PR.

CONFESSION Of GlbbS NE fthA Ia
The criminal who stands convicted Of the MUIR
der of William Roberts, mate of the brig Vine
ward. on the esd Of November last, and who Is
10 be executed on the Esd inst. Is native oil the
tate of Rhode Island. As the name by which
he is known to the community Is Charles Gibbs,
we shall accordingly designate HIM by that name,
IN the history of his bloody ATROCITIES which is
here sublOlned.
Soon after his arrest, and before his trial, he
EXPRESSED desire TO Henry W. Merritt, one oil
the Police Marshals. to make some communca-
t,ons To a magistrate respecting his career and
crimes The officer made known his wish to
James Hopsou, Esq. one Of the Police Magistrates
of this city, and that gentleman, presumlng that
developemcnt Of the circumstances attending
his piracies would be highly important and valua-
ble 10 the mercantile community. proceeded to
the prison at Bellevue, to receive his confession
The disclosures made to that gentleman will be
found in the sequel. The other details present
ed in the following narrative, were communicated
n Mr.. Merritt. Police Officer, the deputy keeper
of Bridewell; and another person, at different
times. and were committed to paper by them on
the spot, very near in his own language. That
they are all true we do not undertake to affirm;
hut that they are in the main founded m truth,
we do most sincerely believe. Some of them are
STD strongly corruborated by circumstances, as to
leave hardly doubt on the minds Of the most
sccptical.
The first account which he gives of himself is,
that his father obtained situation for HIM IN the
United States Soop nf war Hornet, Capt Law
renee, during the late war with England, in which
vessel he made two cruises; and in the last OF
which she captured and sunk the enemy's sloop of
war Peacock of the coast Of Pernambuco, after
Of mi no Of
the Hornet in the United States. Capt. awrence
was assigned by the Government to the command
OF the frlgate Chesapeake, then lying IN Boston
harbor. aud Gibbs accompanied him to that ILL
fated vessel in the month of April, 1915. Ear
w i'm the month Of Nav" saws he, ''we rcceiv-
ed 4 challenge from Capt. Broke, of the frigate
Shannon, aud we instantly made preparations to
70 to sea, and risk battle. We stood down the
harbor about IL o'clock, and commenced the ac-
ton about 5, p. NJ. of Cape Ann. 1t lasted about
so minutes, with great slaughter, especially on
board the Chesapeake. escaped mifaculously.
with only sabre wound upon my nose, the only
wound | ever received in my life The loss of the
Chesapeake was 65 killed dead, and 100 wound
ed-one half mortalIy. We we're taken into Hal
flax, where remained about four months"
After his exchange, he abandoned all idea of
following the sea for subsistence, went home to
khOue lslahu, anu Teuhdineu theTe lew montns,
bat being unable to conquer bis propensity to
lead rowing life, he entered on board a ship
bound to New Orleans and thence to Stockholm.
On the homeward passage they were compelled
to put into Bristol. England, in distress, where
the ship was condemned and he proceeded to Ilv-
erpool, and returned to the United States in the
ship Amity, Capt. Maxwell. Shortly after his
return home. the death of an uncle put him in
possession of about two thousand dollars, with
which he established himself in the grocery bust
ness in Boston. This undertaking was far from
being profitable. and he was under the necessity
of applying to his father for assistance, which was
always afforded, accompanied with good advice
and his blessing. The stock was finally sold at
auction, for about 900 dollars, which he soon
sauandered in ale houses and among prof1igates.
His father hearing Of his dissipation, wrote afec-
lionately and earnestly to him to come home, but