The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-01-11
PAPERs

PAPERS
Accompanying ne Special Message Of As Prsaasn.
sonesr1lsg iks outrage on tas sisa@ooas
the Br8ih forces.
M. Rogers 10 he President
To his EKceilency M. VAs buren,,
President Of NE United STATES
g.. Enelosas are copies OF afidavits which Ihave
rsnared m great haste and which contain all that is
msieriai In relation the gross and extraordinary
Transaction To- which they relate. Our whole ironter
is in commoon, and fear u VIII be diincuil 70 ie
strain our citizens from revenging, by resort TO
arms this fragrant invasion Of our territory. Every
thing that can be done will be BY the public authori
ties 10 prevent SO inudicious movement The re-
specve sheriffs OF Erie and Niagara have taken the
responsibility Of calling out the militia, 10 guard the
frontier and prevent any further depredations,
lam, sir, with great consideration, your oesdent
servant IL. w, hoGEhS,
District Attorney for Erie CO. and acting for the u B.
SrArR or Ngw YoRK, Niagara county, IS,
Gilman Appleby, of the city Of Buffalo, being
sworn, says that he efl the port Of Buffalo on the
morning Of the Goth inst in The steamboat Caroline,
owned by William Wells, of Buffalo, and bound for
Schlosser upon the east side Of the Niagara river,
and within the United States. That this deponent
commanded the said Caroline, and that she was
cleared from Buffalo with view to run between
said Buffalo and Schosser, carry passengers, ieSh
&c That this deponent caused the said Caroline 10
be landed at Black Rock on her way down; and
that while at Black Rock, this dcponent caused the
American flag 10 be run up; and thai, soon ailer
leaving Black Rock hs1bor, volley of nnsketry
was discharged al the Caroline from the CANADA
shore, but without injury. That the said Caroline
continued her course down the Niagara river pnno-
Tested and landed outside OF certain scows or Doas
attached to Navy Island. where number OF passen-
gers disemblrked, and, as this depopent supposes,
certain articles OF freight were landed Thai from
this point the Caroline ran to Schlosser, arriving
there al three O'Clock in the afternoon that between
this time and dark, the Caroline made two trips 10
Navy Island, landing as before. That, al soout SIX
o'clock in the evening this deponent caused the SAID
Caroline TO be landed at Schlosser, and made last
with chains 10 the dock at that place That the crew
and officers Of the Caroline numbered ten, and that,
In the course of the evening twentythree ipdivld-
uaS all of whom were citizens oil the United oaieS,
came on board of the Caroline, and requested ms
teponen and other officers Of the boat TO permit them
TO remain on board during the night, as they were
unable Ia get lodgings at the tavern near by these
requests were acceded TO- and The persons thus com
ing board retired to rest did also all of the crew
and officers Of the Caroline, except such as sta
toned to watch during the night. That, about mid
night, this deponent was informed By one OF the
watch that several boats filled with men were max
ing towards the Caroline from the river and this de-
ponent Immediately gave the alarm and before he
able to reach the deck the Caroline was boarded
by some 10 or 80 men, all OF whom were armed.
That they Immediately commenced warfare with
muskets, swords, and cutaSses upon the defenceess
crew and passengers Of the Caroline, under fierce
cry of CID damn them, give them no quarters; fire!
fire That the Caroline was abandoned without
resistance, and the only effect made by either the
crew or passengers seemed 10 be 10 escape slaughter
That this deponent narrowly eScaped having
ceived several wounds, none of which, however are
of serious character. That Immediately after the
Caroline fell into the hands Of the armed force who
boarded her, she was set fire, cut loose from the
dock, towed into the current Of the river, there
abandoned and soon AFTER descended the Niagara
Falls; that this deponen has made yigilant search
after the individuals, thirty-hree in number, who
are known to have been on the Caroline at the time
she was boarded andtwentyone only to b. found,
one Of whom, TO wit, Amos Durfee, of Buffalo, was
found dead upon the deck, having received shot
from muSet the ball of which ps retra ed the back
part Of the head, and came out Il the forehead
James III, King and Captain G. F. Harding were
seriously, though not MORALLY wounded. Several
others received slight wounds. The twelve indi-
viduals who missing, this deponent has doubt,
were either murdered upon the Steamboat, or found
waery grave in the cataract OF the falls. And
this deponent further says, that Immediately after the
Caroline was got into the current Of the stream and
abandoned, as before stated beacon lights were dis
covered upon the Canada shore, near Chippewa;
and after Sufficen. time had elapsed 10 enable the
boats to reach that Shore this deponent distinctly
heard loud and vociferous cheering at that point
That this deponent has doubt that the individuals
who boarded the Caroline were par Of the British
GILMAN APPLEBY.
Subscribed and sworn, December 80, 1897 before
me, s. B. Piper, Commissioner of Deeds, sc. for
Niagara county.
STATE OF NEW io DIRK, Niagara Iohnty, S.
Charles F. Harding, James Fl. King Joshua H.
Smith, William Seaman, William Kennedy Will
liam Wells, John Leonard, Sylvanns Staring, and
John Haggerty, being sworn, severally, depose and
say that they have heard the foregoing affidavit Of
Gilman Appleby read, that they were on the Caro-
line at the time she was boarded as ated in said
affidavit, and that all the facts sworn to by said APP
pleby as accruing after The said Caroline was so
boarded as aforesaid, are correct and true.
C. F. HARDING,
JAMES II. KING,
J. H. SMITH,
VIM. SEAMAN,
VIM. KENNEDY,
WIN. WELLS,
JOHN LEONARD,
SYLVANUS STARING,
JOHN G. HAGGERTY.
Sworn and subscribed, December 80, 1887, before
me, S B. Piper, commissioner of Deeds, for Mia
CARA county.
Mr. POiuSetL 10 Gen Sat