The New Hampshire Gazette

From the Bahama Gazette.

To the Editor,

Sir,—We are desired, through the channel of your paper, to return our grateful thanks to Gov. Claiborne of New-Orleans, and several other respectable characters of that city, for their benevolent and zealous attention to our situation when confined in prison there.—About the 15th day of May 1800, we left Nassau for Muskogee, in the sloop Favourite, regularly cleared out at the Custom House, and with Governor Haller's verbal permission, for the purpose of recovering from General Bowles the value of a sloop which had been piratically taken and carried into Apalachicola river. On the 1st of June, being in St. Georges sound, at the mouth of that river, two Spanish Gallies took possession of us, under the pretence of enquiring into the nature of our voyage, carried us with our vessel to New-Orleans, and imprisoned every person. We remained confined without any trial until the 26th of September, when Freeman Johnson was fortunate enough to elude the vigilance of his guard—The rest remained until the 8th of January last, when the city being delivered up to the American Government, his Excellency Governor Claiborne, General Wilkinson, Daniel Clark, and James Pitot, esq'rs and several other Gentlemen, humanely & promptly interfered and procured our release from the most cruel and illegal confinement. Mr. Pitot had been our steady friend & assisted us from the early part of our imprisonment; but neither his friendship, our rights as Englishmen, nor our tedious sufferings availed with the Spanish officers.—Rejected and unnoticed by Governor John Hallett, to whom application had been made repeatedly in vain we should in all probability have still remained in confinement, but for the humane interference of the gentlemen above mentioned. And we request the Printers of the United States will insert this as a public testimony of our gratitude.

FREEMAN JOHNSON.

JOHN HENDERSON.

For the crew of the sloop Favourite.