The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-01-25
sSENATE,

-E,T
and considered assin. eomnittee OF the whole.
itprovides thatsthe proper account ing ofacefs,
s under the direction of the Secretary ots the
reasurv, ad iastafad settle the elainss off MAJ.
iilliafi IIlazzard deceased late ofathe IN {,
State Of South Carolina, for losses sustained
hy him, the said Nigg, while retained as a
shostage BY the British officers during the WI war
A-of thererolution and that in ayrne,it there.
for. die sum of s30s ii Z, with legal interest @
from November IA, to- to the day Of stls
ting the account Of said losses, Sbe paid to the
grandson Of. said William Hazzard sY igg,de:
ceased ss2s So
Mr. BaFard asked for the reading of the re.
port acsompa the BILL ,iand it was accord.
ingIy read. = Z. s !.
ALs1p said Z I do not mean to object to this
E. n sf6s! 09 las view it, or to. enter
into the question 81 propriety of this bill.
] for the relief Of the heirs be distinguished le
officer, who, according to- Chg rtalniy
did sustain losses during the olary
war. But do object to the allow :
tefest in this case from the year I7SS2
TO the present time; and Therefore move to
strike out that portion of the bill which allows
that interest. The services OF this oftlcer may
have been Yery gallant. i have no doubt they
were, and am willing to 60 as far as any one
5 in tile way of allowing gratuities for reyoiu-
z tiopary services, and remuneration for losses
sustained in. connection with these, services.
This claim. as far as have been able to learn,
is now presented to the Senate for the hrst
time. after lapse of more than seventy years,
during all of which time interest is asked upon
4 This claim. Now. know of no principle upon
which NE can allow this interest, as the gov
I ernment has been able, and no doubt wiling
3 10 pay all of this original claim at any time
during the past fifty years, if it had been pre-,
sentrd. therefore move to strike out all OF
that portion of the bill relating to the allow
{ ance of interest from 1852 down to this time.
- Mr.. Butler. am glad that my friend from rom
Delaware, Mr.. Bayard,] whose name is asso :, ;,
Nciated with the revolution itself, has conceded
IA principle which will save me from some re-
Z marks which would otherwise have made.
But it is necessary perhaps that should pre-
sent this case in q very few words, SO that it
may be intclligible to the Senate, and appeal
; to the heart Of the nation.
IS. IF this case was not exempted by its pecu-
liarty from the general class of claims for
! damage arising in consequence of the war OF
the revolution, presume Icould not ask e.
) the indemnity provided for in this bill. But,
after the execution of Andre, it is very well
known, that the British were looking out for a
victim for retaliation. The condition of Maj
Wigg and other persons, men of property and
4 position, men who had been educated in Eng
: land, and who occupied a highly responsible
position in the society of Charleston, was that
of prisoners Of war. after the capitulation of
Charleston-pri of war. recollect-and
they were upon parole either in the city or upon
their plantations. After the execution of
Z Hayne, who was executed by the British in
retaliation for the execution of Andre, howev.
er, Gen. Greene, yielding to the; dictates of
honor and indignation which influenced the
whole army-and let me here thank the hon.
!. orable member from Rhode Island Mr. James,
who is the representative of the birthplace of
I that brave man, for bringing forward this BILL
Gen. Greene, yielding to the dictates of
honor and indignation, determined to retaliate
upon the British for the execution Of Hayne,
when this gentleman, Maj. Wigg, was at the
aAgallows bidding his comrade and broth-in.law
farewel.-. The British dared not to take his
life But what did they do? They mmed-
ately sent emissaries to his plantation, de-.
spoiled his house, carries. off his property, and
left the man mo wrote The. noble sentiment
embodied in the report upon your table, with,
out the ordinary means of subsistence. The
sentiment is this: when Col. Baifour, who
took upon himself the Office Of civil Gosemor
of Charleston at that time, reduced them from
the condition Of common prisoners Of war and
placed them upon board the prsonshps, and
told them that their lives would be held re.
sponsibIe for anything done by Gen. Greene
by way Of retaliation upon the British, they
wrote TO him (Gen. Greene) not to forbear in
the performance Of what he might deem to be
his duty, as they would be sorry only that they
could not perform a more acceptable service
to their country than offering up their likes and
blood as sacrifice for the honor of the coun-
trv and the success of its arms. will, how
ever, read it in order that il may be made more
conspicuous by its own words:
1--WE have the honor of enclosing q copy of
y letter from Col. Balfour, commaudant of
Charleston, which was handed us Immediately
ON our being put upon board of this ship The
letter. speaking for itself, needs no comment !;
YOUR wisdom will indicate the notice it merits.
We would just beg leave to observe that should
1T fall to the lot Of all any Of US to be made
victims of the menaces therein contained, we
have only to regret that our blood cannot be
dsposed of more to the advancement of the
olnrious cause to which we have adhered" Z
That is their letter. They were then hos
tooes. not prisoners of war; their condition
was changed, and changed by the tyranHicaI
noIcy Of the bloody tyrant who then governed
fharieston under the form Of civil authority.
They were willing that their blood should be