Norwich bulletin., 1919-02-05
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Aristad.


 The Amistad episode, now nearly forgotten save as an incident of his tory. was in it's time a subject of widespread interest and comment in the newspapers and wherever men engaged in' social converse.
 The autumn Of 1899 is a long time past for the memory of the present generation to reach back to, but not too long for me to retain q tolerabIy vivid recollection of the general aB- pearance of the now historic craft l was then a lad of twelve years, mak- | ing a trip on Q coaSting vessel which ! in the course Of her movements put 1 into Nev London and remained there several days. I had read in the pa 1 pers and listened to much talk about 1 the Anistad negroes and their i strange adventure, and while in New 1 London, learning incidentally that the l vessel was lying at q wharf in that ! city, l seized the first opportunity to l make her a visit. There was no ore 1 on board, and I took the liberty to go l upon her deck and see whatever could i be seen from an outside view.
 She was dismantled, her sails and
 running rigs ng having been removed
 and everything portable taken from 1 her deck. She was Of American con l struction, of the Baltimore clipper 1 type, designed for the coasting trade and not intended for ocean voyaging. Sbe was of very graceful form and proportions, and evidently designed for all the sailing speed that wind and canvas could give hey. She had a Hush deck, that it. ono of uniform level throughout no part being higher or lower than the rest She had two
 masts, set rakinG. and carried only FCr ,s parent way Of going aI0ft unless by
 shining up one of the stays or
 GhrnTd&, a fCGt which q strong and
 expert sailor perhaps might accom-
 phSn. her name, Ia EmiStad," l re- member, was very inconspicuously
 painted, in small yellow letters in q
 curved line. on q black ground upon
 the stern of the vessel The name was the Spanish equivalent Of her origi- nal American name which was "The Friendship"
 The Amistad negroes were part of 6 , collection Of several hundred men ,, women and children who had been for cibly seized on the African coast anf . taken to Havana, Cuba, and there of. / fered for sale as slaves. Joseph Rui; l, bought forty-ninc and Pedro Monte! . three, a total Of fifty two. These wer, placed on board the schooner ATnis
 tad to be conveyed to Puerto Prin :, cipe, another Cuban port several hun :, dred miles from Havana. When twt :, r or three days out the negroes, led b, 2 | CinqueZ, a negro of powerful physiqu <, and forceful character, revolte, 7 against the harsh treatment irf1icte, o upon them by these having them i s charge and seized control of the yes ,o sell The captain and cook were kille nd y of the crew, escaped Gn q boat Gin . quez assumed the command and com T pelled Ruiz and Montes to steer tn
 vessel toward the rising sun, the di
 rection of Africa. This they d
 while the sun could be seen. but q = night they changed her course an 1T headed for the coast of the Unite ;r States. At length they reached th l land near Nortauk Point. Long Is S and, where they anchored and son y of negroes went ashore for provision
 and water, intending to continue the 10 voyage. But here Lieutenant Geo W ney, in the United States brig Wasl r. ington, came upon them, and beir -n informed by the two white men IS the situation, took possession of u le vessel and brought it with the m IS groes to New London.
 LII A long course of judicial proceed pr ings ensued. the case being carrie 1-- by appeals to the supreme court 10 the United States. The case draggt 'n it's slow length for about eightee sy months, and finally it was decide TO that the negroes had never been leea 'n ly slaves and were entitled to the ls' freedom. Several of them had di, Vs during this time but those who r r. mained were taken to their nati' ls land and there released.
 O! During the time of their detentic aii some benevolent people interestt th themselves in their intellectual GU as ture and did what they could to teac IT. them to read and speak the Engli. language. For this purpose they f III a time attended a school in Farmin; en ton, and the efisrts of their teache a. was attended with good degree IT. success. Most Of them were far sr es' perior to Africans in general.
 r. They were all young. varying ey age from nine or ten wears to abo a thirty. averaging about twenty us A. s. CURTISS. aS Norwich. Feb f, 1919.