, 1863-02-10

Z Ho1ey snd T.: M os rs:nent were on tho
i7tnn' We lend".l in the nfEhtSt AcGec,s .lan'a-
noowp. o al ] 1he nsrloes on tie plan.atio;n MsGss
not bcin. Ut loil,e b.t AFR =ct2e talS with Tue
oycsIeet> he cousenteI 70 lea'e 81 nut .;,s
Gnt 1ftcen. and they were taken on hoasd Capt;
Weaver told the negroes that theJ "sts stc ~ a.
fntents and purposes that taey nGt h. 1a D,, y TIC
Government for their work, or sonethlne ~ tins a
cGtct Capt. Weaver drew clothi3g from 5he
Quarscrmostels DcpastmeEt;M ~ a'e ns:sinaesa aesard
from thc boat, and rnn away at Old Town few
day. amer. About two weeks afleF o1sa'nin. fhe
;aEe lie negroes back to thci. ts'asser; aud ss!d
tlat he had orleEs from the military authority 70
10 30. think be eat, Col. +. Ho:cE ordered him
tic negroes that We went down the riycr with
them, 4 detachment Of about thirty men In com
maEd Of Captain Of the $50 Illinois regiment
wf' Ga ias'a ai:b st tAs ss tbs we
rolled On board twcniy-nne baes OF cotton after
so doing, aud wl.en THEY were all on board. guard
captpin ap weaver tod them hat thsy must 70 bs:k
to their former maatrr. They wcre sent On shore;
and one Of them ran away. the rest were tied hand
boat, while held the lantern tor Them. Thirteen
| negros were returned to the oyersecr Brown, TWO
having escaped. have heard It reported that Ac.
retc army. The cotton taken On board was claim
cd to hive been bought By Captain Weares who
| Ea;ti he had paid the money for it and hal got
gSe Weayer Fs Slowed me permit from General Steele
| to buy cotton from auy parties except solalcIs
and negroes. The cotton was brought mp the riyer,
and Captain Weaver told me that he made S35n
| Oh one gale Of that cotton-1 do not know as that
included the whole lot After putting tie negroes
ashore retuEe:! without any. exespt tasee e OF
Obtain soo or nor. bales Of cotton ia Nissi5siE1i
| back Of 3 point On the E;'c7 known Us u nsits.
| Troops and transportation were sen. cT fsoO
Cc1. T.. uoyey beyond e.1 nroctaGsl into Inc eoun
try. The steamer Iataa vas lying at tHe leTSs .:
the Delta and Say col ovsy aad "a 4fnet e
10 Helena don't think the 1aran brought up any
cotton at that time. Col. Hoycy and ot2rr o1teer1
formerly Sutlcr 10 Hoycy i command at Helena.
ard III. Haskcl, cotton merchant !Eo3a rhuaaei-
phia. This statement is to the best Of my reeol'
| lection correct
tSigned] u. +. Ii AAssELFESo
Nicholas Brrns. Chief Engineer, ut prescnt on
c George ff Hobbs, AstEstant Engineer, at present
W Nicholas Williams. mate, think is in st. Louis
| Cooper, The carpenter, lthlnkis III 81. Louis
BIG 3. Weaver, the Captain, now On tac Lskt
John savey. the Assistant Engineer on ths
r. i. Kendell, pilot on the Fey West.
P,S,-At the time Of returning tho negroes
vhcn one escaped, the officer in command Of tn
soldiers raid to the oyersecr that the negro eonl
net yet outside Of the pickcts, and that tho mel
would takc him in tho morning for they weEe II
str1icte to let pass-or words to that effect
This s to the beet OF my rccol1sc1:ons soETeet
lS!gntdl H. r.. AAssEL1ESo.
: Iwou1d state, after some reflection, that
was not correct in regard TO the time Of III
stoppins on board the Iatan. 1t was oil tn
| 1ftl Or fifth that 1 went un board. ! wen
5 down u, tile steamer *'Polar STAR" and me
the Iatau Eat Old Town, where / got o
! board. This was Is she was returning fro1
4 McGcc's plantation with the negroes, en-
> that part Of my statement in regard to ct
! | tainipE the cgroes was Obtained from report
t | had from others Of the crew who heard AT
0 saw the whole transaction. The day that
went On board Mr. Cornelius was discharge
n from the place Of second engineer, and job
J. Saycy vas shipped in his place.