The Washington union., 1858-03-19
COURT OF CLAIMS.

March ls-The court had under consideration to-day
the of William Hazard Wigs The United States.
The history of this is briefly follows
William Hazard Wiggs, grandfather Of the claimant,
officer in the revolutionary At the captua-
ton Of Charcstown he left hostage in the hands
of the enemy but after by order of the British
mander, he imprisoned maIi-of war and held in
close confinement for about the space OF fourteen months
When Major Andre Was executed as spy the British
commander determined to take revenge by putting to
death OF his American prisoners equal in official
rank to Andre. Col liayne selected the victim,
and Major Wigs allowed to accompany him Ia the
gaows and witness his execution. lie did so, and by
his open and bitter condemnation of the foul deed drew
down upon himself the hatred OF its authors They deter
mined TO visit vengeance upon him. and daring
take his life, they gratitled their malice by scizins
nncysix OF his slaves and large number of cattle and
other property Several years after death the grandson of
Major Wigs the claimant in this case appealed to Con-
gress he reimbursed for the losses OF his grandfather
consequently act passed in March, 1858 providing
tlat the proper accounting officers under the direction
of the Secretary of the Treasury, adjust and settle the
claims of Major William Hazard Wiggs deceased for
losses sustained by him while retained hostage by the
British officers during the war of the revolution The
I'd section of said also directed the said officers to al
low the then asccraned of S37 1877, with legal in
terest from the 4 of March, 1851 and the Sd and last
section thereof authorized tile Secretary of the Treasury
to pay to the claimant, the grandson of said deceased
'the amount that should be acanef TO bc due ON ac
count of said losses, including the interest -
The sum provided for in the second section
promptly paid, but the petitioner represents that, in
constituting this act the officers of the treasury have
fused to pay anything beyond the named in the
ond section of said act (Which only the amount then
dscaiHed to he dne with the interest there allowed de-
clining to nd us and settle the said claims to
certain the amount due account of said losses :
and goes to state that since the passage Of the law
by Congress the petitioner has procured testimony that
not previously accessible by which he believes he
can establish the fact that in addition to the losses
estimated in the report made to Congress and al
lowed Ia the act his grandfather likewise lost his crops
for series Of years. TO the annual average amount Of
about twenty two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars
AS this loss was produced by the that al
ready paid for and was indeed part of it, the petitioner
insists that IL ought to have been allowed and paid by
the accounting officers OF the treasury All hese losses
the petitioner alleges the result Of his grandfather
hostageship and that they ought therefore, to be made
| up 10 him with proper interest
| Tho opened ior the claimant by Mr. 3everdy
Johnson Mr. Blair replied for the government, but had
not concluded his argument when the court adjourned