The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-01-15


speak English so they spared his life. Blair Cur
tiss, one of the crew, came aft into the cabin and
concealed himself in the state room with Stevens,
and escaped with him to the fore royal yard.
The captain fought with his bowie knife alongside
OF Howell. The captain was engaged in the fight
from eight to ten minutes, until the negroes got HIM
down, in the siarboard scuppers lie then made his
escape to the mantop being stabbed in several places
and much bruised with blows from sticks Of wood
found about the brig After the captain got into the
mantop, he tainted from the loss Of blood, and Gift
ford fastened him to the rigging to prevent him from
falling, as the vessel was then rolling heavily.
The captains wife, her child and niece then came
and begged for their lives, and Ben Blacksmith sent
them to the hold. Ben then called out for Merritt,
and exclaimed that all who had secreted him should
be killed. The two female servants then left the
berth where Merritt concealed and were sent
down to the hold by Ben Jim and Lewis, negroes
belonging to Thomas MCargo, then ran TO Theophi-
lus MCargo who asked Jim if the others were going
to kill him. Jim and Lewis exclaimed that master
HE should not be killed. and chung around him, beg
gng Morris and Ben who then close with their
knives in their hands, not TO kill him. They
sented and ordered him to be taken to the hold Jim
and Ben went voluntarily with Theophus MCargo
to the hold.
After great deal Of search Merritt was found,
and Ben Blacksmith and Elijah dragged him from
his berth. They and several others surrounded him
with knives half handspkes, muskets and pistols,
raised their weapons to kill, and made for him
to fall
| u
vessel, that he the only person who could nav-
gate for them and on Mary woman servant be-
longing to MCargo, urging said Madison Washington
to interfere, Madison ordered them to stop and allow
Merritt to have conversation with him. This took
place i'll a state room.
| Madison said he wanted to get to Liberia. Merritt
represented that they had not water and provisions
for that voyage. Ben Blacksmith, ID. Ruffn and Sc
vera of the slaves then said they wanted to go to the
British islands. They did not want to go any where
lelec mi I'm y lasty
abiding to the shipwreck of schooner Hermosa
Abaco, and the taking of the slaves on board that
vessel, by the English wreckers, to Nassau in the
island of New Providence.
Merritt then got his chart and explained to them
the route and read to them the Coast Pilot and they
agreed that if would navigate them, they would
his lfe-otherwise death would be his portion
/ Pompey Garrison had been to New Orleans and
knew the route ID. Ruiin and Geo. Portlock knew
the letters of the compass. They then set Merritt
free, and demanded the time of night which half
past one O'Clock, A. NJ, by Merritt's watch. The
vessel was then put in Merritt's charge
| The nineteen slaves confined at Nassau are the
only slaves who took any part in the ARRAY. All the
women appeared perfectly Ignorant of the plan, and
from their conduct could not have known any thing
OF II. They We're crying and praying during the
| fight. None OF the male slaves apparently under
twenty years took any part in the ARRAY.
| The only negroes belonging to E Lockeu who
were in the fight so far car be ascerained Rufn
Ben Blacksmith, Addison, Tyler and I. Smawood
i'he obiy htgIoes peiohgihS 10 Il McCargo VINO
were in the fight so far as can be remembered, are
Elijah Morris, George Pvrtock Willy Glover, Mad
son Washington and Pompey Garrison The only
| negroes belonging to Sherman Johnson who were in
the fight were America Woods George Benton
Adam Carnny and Reuben Knight The only slave
belonging 10 J. & A. Hagan who in the fight
was jordan Phillips Ali the slaves above named ale
among the nineteen now confined a, Nassau There
were no others engaged in the muny. There were
i four who took the most active part in the fight viz
Ben Blacksmith Madison Washington, Elijah Nor
ris and ID. Ruffin Some of the negroes refused to
join the aGray, when they were threatened by Wash
ington that they would be killed if they did not join
| AT the beginning of the ARRAY Andrew Jackson
one Of the slaves belonging to Thos MCargo, jump
ed into the fore rigging and called to Francis Fox
we'll one of the crew to know where he should 90 to
save his life saying that he fearful they would
a him, Foxwell told him TO 90 TO the oretop He
said he afraid he would fail of, and climbed to
the top and remained there during the fight
There were five sailors belonging to said vessel
Two were wounded Henry Speck, and B. Curliss
| They kept in the cabin, Two of the others
! Francis Foxwe and John Silvy escaped To the IN in
| top, and the remaining sailor, Francis Lecome, re-
NAMED at the wheel during the whole of the ARRAY
The wounds of the sailors were dressed by the ne
groes, and the sailors left to do as they pleased
During the ARRAY two of the negroes were severely
| wounded by handspikes
Elijah Morris, when asked after the fight, if they
intended to kill the saiors-"No. | expect we shall
ris again among ourselves but the white people shall
not be hurt"
About o'clock, A NJ, one Of the negroes in.
| formed Merritt that Clifford was in the rigging. Mad
| son ordered him TO down Ben Blacksmith
put musket to his breast and Madison threatened TO
kill him. if he would not take them to British Island
| He promised to do Elijah Morris and Madison
ordered Stevens to come down, and released him on
his making the same promise Clifford made. The
captain then broug ht down by them and he and
Stevens put into the fore hold and the wounds of the
captain dressed.
Madison, Ben, Morris, and Rullin assumed the sole
control of the brig, and all on board About day
break by order OF Merritt and Clifford thew made sail
! for Abaco. Ruffn was all the time either at the
compass watching Merritt. Ben, Madison and
Morris would also watch the compass by turns.
Ruffin, when he saw Merritt mark the slate the
altitude which he was taking, compelled him to rub
out the words in writing and make only figures and
4 marks on the slate for fear that Clifford and Merritt
might communicate secretly by that Clifford
spoke to Merritt about the reckoning, when Morris
told them if they talked any each Other one
or both would be thrown overheard. Morris, MaJi-
son. Rufin and Ben kept their knives out all the time.
number of the others of the - who were in the af
fray, had knives, but none of the other negroes had
knives took any part with the mutineers
The other negroes all remained at their regular sta
TONS where they had been placed at the beginning
ofthe voyage, except that the male slaves were not in
the forehod the captain, his family and the second
mate being confnd there. None but the 10 went in.
to the cabin. They ate in the cabin and the others
ate the deck, as they had done the whole voyage
The 10 were frequently closely engaged in secret
versation, but the ohers took part in it, and APP
pearcd not to share in their confidence. The others
were quiet and did not associate with The mutineers
The only word that passed between the Tiers md the
49, were when the others went tor water or grub or
some hing of the kind. The others were kept under
as much as the whites were, The 10 drank liquor in
the cabin, and invited the whites to Join them but not
the other negroes. Madison gave orders that the
cooking for ali but the 10 should be it before
and appointed the same cook for them.
The nineteen said that all they had done was for
their freedom The others said nothing about it
They were much afraid of the nineteen. They re-
manned forward of the malnmast The nineteen took
possession of the after part of the brig and stayed there
the whole time or were on watch. Some of the nine
teen huggng the female servants in the cabin,
and one Of them said he had picked out one Of them
for his wife but of the other of he nineteen med