Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-10-18

or the beginning Of February, to the best Of my
recollection. 1t WIS about midnight when the
force diseinbarked. 1t was not moonlight night.
| think u was cloudy. do not recolecl whether
the moon was up not. The force, after their
return, went to their respective quarters. DO not
know whether they were together at sunrise or
MOI. They were gunrtered in different houses in
and about Chippewa. have seen the men ell
gagged in expedition since ton parade,) some of
them armed and equipped az militia men. | can
not give their names or the period when / saw
them. Some ofihem were subsequently ordered
OIL board Of schooners lying in the river. / cam
not say that have seen the same body oil men to-
gether, armed and equipped as they were on that
expedition. The expedition embarked about 10
4 Z. Nj. There were some of the assaling purity
wounded in the attack-Lieut. Mccormick Sc
verely. There was one killed, as reported to Inc
us commanding officer. have reason to believe
there was no one oil board the Caroline when she
was cut loose and sent over the falls. have no
knowledge of any thing having been taken from
the Caroline. l heard That she was coming down
II few days before her arrival. This Information
was derived from some gentleman in Buffalo
Black Rock. From the manner in which the in
formation was given TO me, do not feel at liberty
to give their names. did lot obtain the informa-
ton from Alexander Mcleod have seena per-
son by the name Of Syvanus S. Rigby first
: saw him at Chippewa He was not engaged in
her Majestys service i'll December 1887 10 my
when | saw him first. 1t was during the time /
was in command there. To the best Of my rec
objection neither saw nor knew him previously
to The destruction of the Caroline. | have no
knowledge Of his being on board the Caroline
when>sfe was attacked, nor did he ever inform
me that he was.
do not know where Rgby now is. / do not
recoect seeing him before the attack on the Car
o!ine, nor do | know where he was. | do not
: know that Mcleod went TO Buffalo in the month
of December, 1887, nor do | recoIlect hearing
him say that he did so, to ascertain whether any
steamboat was TO be taken down from thence to
Schlosser Navy Island, near there for any other
purpose. | have recollection Of McLeod's tel
ling me or any person in my presence, the day or
night before the Caroline was des,i oyed, or at a.
ny other time before, that she was coming down
from Buffalo to Navy Island or any other place in
that vicinity. have no knowledge Of McLeods
remaining at Chippewa, the day before the Caro-
line was destroyed to keep look out to see when
she came down TO Navy Island or Schlosser; nor
do recollect ever having heard him say that he
did SO. Seven boats were first engaged inihe ex-
, pediliou. None started from Chippewa village.
, All started from lhe Chippewa river. None got
aground at Buck Horn Island. | am not aware
y that any person or persons was or were employed
TO pilot the boats. have heard of person v-
ing on the Niagara frontier OF the name of Wis
9 coon, but do not recollect OF ever having seen
him. do not think there any one Of that
name on the expedition.
: additional cross examination My order TO
Capt Drew WAS verbal, as before stated the
{ substance of which was, to take and destroy the
Caroline, ms near as | can recellect The-order
was given on the evening of the day on which
she was destroy ed on the beach, 10 The place
! where the boats put off. | had no orders TO in
> wade the territory of the United States. In nv
= orders to Capt. Drew, nothing said about in
: vadng the territory of the United States but such
was their nature, that Capt. Drew might ieel him
sell justified in destroying the boat wherever
he might find her. do hot recOllect her coming
down more than once. | did receive informa ion
: Of her intended coming before she arrived The
peculiar circumstances under which received ttnt
= Iuiornalion makes me feel that Cannot with any
Droprieiy, disclose the names of those who
: ,nunicated it to me. That information, however,
was not received from Alexander Mcleod. re-
. ceiv ed no information Of the state condition Of
the Caroline, after she arrived AT Schosser. |
am under the impression, although will mt be
u positive, that did furnish The Lieut.. Governor of
Upper Canada with the names of the officers and
men who were in the expedition to destroy the
Caroline. If did SO, it must have been a writ
u ten list. do not recollect whether it accom-
panied with written communication not.
Capt Usher's name could not have been in The
Il list, as he was not of the party. do not recoecr
: Of Mcleod having informed me Of the Caroline
having left Buffalo, en- her way TO Navy Island ;
: nor did he solicit permission to prepare an expe-
dition to destroy her nor did he suggest that such
an expedition should he fitted out nor did he say
any thing TO me, nor TO him. on the subject Of
such an expedition, the night before the Caroline
: came down, or at any other time to the best Of
o my recollection.
Deposition of John Harris of The to,Un of Lons
, don.-I have no personal acquaintance with AL
exander Mcleod, and am not certain that ever
spoke 10 him in my life, knew him by sight and
not for longer period than a week; | recollect
u the destruction of The Caroline; | was in Chip
L.CN~ H.
D | was in that expedition, and was engaged under
II Cnpt. Drew in manning the boats, and had eve
u ry opportunity that an officer has Of seeing and
noticing those engaged; Alexander Mcleod was
: not in any of the boats; nor was there any in the
= boats OF that name !; was in the boat with Cap
T. tain Drew, and saw all the persons in the boats ;
Mcleod was not in nor did seq him at any time;
u was one of the boarding party, and boarded her
Q abait The wheel house; | went forward to the
!" forecastIe hatchway, and was in her cabin also
:. believe was the last person who left her. With
;, reference to Alexander Mcleod, he was not with
! The assailants, nor did he have any thing TO do
r with the destruction of the Caroline.
did not see that any person was killed, nor
did see any person placed on the wharf; | saw
! one man severely wounded ! saw the men OH
their return 10 The Canada shore. Alexander Nc
Leod was not among them. Their names were
: particularly taken down on their return 10 Chip
pewa as they left the boas. The name of Nc
Leod was not ON the list saw The list then, and
have seen i. since. Seven boats left Chippewa,
five only reached the Caroliue. and five returned,
( in company. l know, Sir Allan McNab. He
was the beach when we started. Il was by
, his command that the expedition was undertaken
es commander of the forces on that station. The
directions heard him give were TO destroy her
wherever we could find her Capt. Drew was in
command Of the expedition by order of Sir Allan.
l know nothing more than have stated. All l
can say is, am positive Alexander Mcleod was
not in the boats, MS was employed as Aid de
Camp 10 Captain Drew, in experimenting the
manning OF The boats.
saw all The persons in the boat Went in be-
fore landing al Schlosser. | am satisfied Nc
Leod was not one of them. | did not see him in
my way from Canada to Schlosser l saw The