Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-12-23

Madison got the pistol from one Vi sne "'"' ~
said he did not wish them to have any arms whcn 'hey
sochaa Nassau. The nineteen paraded the deck arm
al while the other ne ofoes behaved precisely as ihey
had done before the mutIny.
about 10 clock, NJ, on the 9th day OF Noveni-
Der, s4l they made the light oil anaco. ben nad Tue
Gun About 10 clock, p. ~ he fired al Stevens, VINO
..,ne on deck az already stated Merritt and Clifford
alternately kept watch. Ben, Madison. Ruiiin and
Morris kent watch bv turns, The whole time up 10 their
arrival at Nassau with knives drawn. SO close was
the watch, that II impossible to rescne the brig
Neither passengers, officers sailors were allowed 10
communicate with each other. The sailors performed
their usual duties
The pilot who on board rs the brig approached
Nassau and oil his men in the pilot boat negroes
The Pilot acting under the legal authority ct The
Island lie and his men, coming on board, min
ged with the slaves and told them they were reemcn,
that they could 70 shore and could be carried
away from there. One Of the pilots men told one OF
the female slaves, that be should claim her for his WIFE
The regular quarantine officer alongside, and
Clifford went shore in his boat He conducted Git
ford TO the American Consul, who accompanied hin to
the Governor Of New Providence and all The other Ba-
hama Islands. Clifford then related TO the Governor
all the facts relating 10 the voyage IRON richmond 10
that port. The American Consul, IN behalf OF SAID
vessel and nil interested requested OF the Governor
that he should send guard on board TO protect the yes
sci and cargo, and keep The slaves on board TIL such
time as they could know what they could do The
Governor did So and sent guard ofiwentyfour negro
soldiers with loaded muskes and bnyonets, in BRUSH
uniform, commanded by white officer, who took pos.
session Of the vessel aud all the slaves.
From Tuesday the 10Th, till Friday the 18th day of
November, they tied Ben Blacksmith, Addison, Rulin
and Morris put them in the long boat placed sentry
over them, and fed them there. They mingled with
the negroes and told the they were free, and
persuaded them To remain III the Island.
Capt. Fitzgerald, commanding the company, told
many of the slaves owned by Thomas alcCargo, in
presence of many other Of the slaves, how foolish they
a., had fhay Iall bp
whites on board and run The vessel ashore and then
they would have been free, and there would have been
no trouble about ii, This was on "Wednesday.
Every day, the officers and soldiers were changed al
o'clock A. Nj. There 500 regular soldiers on the
island divided into four equal companies, commanded
BY four officers called Captains. There was regular
sentry stationed every night and they placed guard
over al the men slaves, except the four which were
tied, and placed guard over the hatchway They put
them in the hold al sunset and lei them out nj sunrise
There were apparently from twelve to thirteen thou
sand negroes in the town of Nassau and vicinity and
about three or four thousand whites.
On Wednesday, the 10th of November about
o'clock, A. NJ, three civil magistrates of the Island
came on board and commenced examining all the white
persons. They completed the examination on the Fr
day following, when the Altorne y General came on
board with three magistrates, and the dispositions were
signed. The American Consul was present the first
two days. The magistrates were accompanied oy aI
clerk The Attorney. General on Friday placed the
guard, and ordered them upon The quarter deck.
There were about fifty boats lying round the brig, all
filled with men from the shore armed with clubs and
subject to the order Of the Attorney General, end
awaiting signal from Of the civil magistrates;
slonp wac owed from the shore by OF boats,
and anchored near the brg-his sloop was also filled
with men armed with clubs all the men IN the boats
were negroes The fleet of boats was under the imme-
date command of the pilot who p!oted the brig into
the harbor This pilot partly before the signal was
oE ha rHtp
they would get through the busncss that they had their
time and he wanted his.
The Attorney. General here stepped on the quarter
deck and addressing himself 10 all the persons except
the nineteen who in custody, said "Aly friends,
YOU have been detained short time on board the Gre
ole for the purpose of raining the individuals who
were concerned in this mutiny and murder They have
been identified, and will be detained, and The rest OF
you free and al liberty 10 90 shore and wherever
you please Then addressing the prisoners he said:
aiea, there nineteen OF you who have been ident-
fed as having been engaged in the murder of Mr. ilew
ell and in attempt 10 xii! the Captain and others
You will be detained and lodged in prison for time; III
order that We may communicate with the English Co.
vernment, and ascertain whether your trial shall take
place here OF elsewhere Al this time Mr. Clifford, the
mate Of the vessel then in command, the Captain be-
ing shore, under the oil physician, addressed
the Attorney General in tic presence Of the agstTacs
protested against the boats being permitted 10 come
Of the vessel that the negroes other than
General replied that, Mr.. Clifford had better make no
objection but let them go quietly shore, for 1t he DID,
there might be boodshed At this moment one Of Inc
magistrates ordered ar. Merritt, Mr. McCargo and The
other passengers look 10 their money and effects as
he apprehended that the cabn oil me Cfeoe "ouiu VIC
sacked and robbed.
The Attorney. General with one Of the magistrates,
sicnped into his boat and withdrew into the stream
short distance from the brig, where they stopped
magistrate on the deck OF the Creole gave The signa
for the boats to approach instantly. Win hurrah
and shout, fleet Of boats alongside Of the brig
and the magistrates directed The men 10 remain on
board of their boats, and commanded the slaves 10
leave the brig and go on board the boats They obeyed
his ORDERS and passing from the Creole inio the boats,
we're assisted many Of them, by this magistrate. Dn-
ring this proceeding the soldiers and officers on
the quarter deck Of the Creole, armed with loaded mus
kets and bayonets xed and the Attorney General, win
one of the magistrates his boat lay at convenient
distance, looking After the negroes had embarked
in the boats, the Attorney General and magistrate
pushed out their boat and mingled with the fleet con-
graduating the slaves their escape, and shaking
hands with them. Three cheers were then given, and
the boats went the Shore where thousands were wait
ing 10 receive them.
When this proceeding was over and all the slaves ex.
cept the ~ landed, barge sent from the barracks
to the Creole 10 take shore the ID prisoners and
the gunrd which had been left over them. They were
taken on shore to the barracks, and the ID carried
thence the prison. One of them died the day after
he had been put in prison. IN consequence of WOUNDS
received in the affray.
During the invest CATION carried on by the magistrates
on board the Creole, and on the evening of the same
day on which the slaves and prisoners landed the
mutineers were arraigned and identified by the wit
nesses.
Many of the negroes who were emanciPa'ed express
ed desire TO go to New Orleans the Creole, but
were deferred from it by means of threats which were
made to sink tie vessel if she attempted 10 carry them
away Three women, one girl and boy concealed
themselves board the Creole, and were brought to
New Orleans. Many Of the male and nearly all OF
the female slaves would have remained on board and
come OH to New Orleans, had it not been for the COM
mand Of the magistrates and interference as before
stated.
On Monday following these events being the 18th day
Of November, the Attorney General wrote letter to
Captain Ensor informing him that the passengers ofthe
Creole he called the slaves had applied TO him for as
sslancc in obtaining their baggage which vas still on
board the brig, and that he should assist them in getting
il on shore To this letter, Clifford, the officer in CON-
mand of the vessel replied l'at there was no baggage on
board belonging to the slaves that he aware OIL as ne
considered them cargo and the property of their owners
and that If they had left any thing board the brig,