Martinsburgh Gazette

Boston, February 19th, 1812.

From the Alexandria Gazette.

James Madison, Esq. President of the United States, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ten, announced to the American people & to the world, that Bonaparte's decrees of Berlin and Milan were revoked, and from and after the first day of November of that year, ceased to have effect upon American commerce. As the head of the nation thus solemnly promulgated the assertion, it was eagerly repeated by characters in subordinate stations, and not a few democratic governors of states have affianced themselves to this unhallowed fiction. Scarce a single week has elapsed from that period to this, which has not produced testimony in direct contradiction to the official declaration of our executive: and even Bonaparte himself contradicted it, by announcing publicly that the decrees were, and should continue to be, fundamental laws of his empire. Unfortunately, our columns are this day made to teem with further and calamitous proof, that the Gallic Sovereign does not vainly contradict the demagogues who misrule our degraded country. The several cases here presented the reader, will no doubt obtain his serious consideration, and induce him to enquire, why are we on the eve of a war with England, with scarce a murmur at the atrocious deeds of France? With respect to the gentlemen whose depositions are hereto annexed, it is sufficient to remark that their veracity is unimpeachable and their statement (where they are known) will command entire confidence, without the additional solemnities of an oath. Captain Chow is well known in New-York, from which port he has for several years commanded a ship in the European trade. The reader is particularly requested to bear in mind the declaration, made in the document furnished by the French commodore, that he destroys such American vessels as he meets, in pursuance of his INSTRUCTIONS from the French minister of marine and colonies. This will (one would suppose) do away at once all possible attempts to palliate the wrongs of France, by her partizans in this country. And as these hostile ships received their instructions and sailed since the gracious reception given to minister Barlow at the court of St. Cloud, it clearly indicates the kind of atonement, for our long endurance, which is to be the result of his embassy.

Deposition of Captain Chero.

Samuel Chew, of New-Haven, in the state of Connecticut, on oath declares and says, that, as supercargo of the brig Thames, of said port of New-Haven, Elihu Hitchcock, master, he sailed in said brig, from St. Ubes, on the 19th day of January 1812, with a cargo of salt and fruit, bound for New-Haven; that on the evening of the 2d day of February 1812, said brig fell in with and was taken possession of and taken in tow, by three French vessels, viz. the frigate Adrianne, commanded by commodore Feritier, of 44 guns and 325 men—the frigate Andromache, commanded by captain Morris, of 44 guns and 325 men—the sloop of war Mamaluke, commanded by captain C. M. Salabar, of 16 guns and 150 men; which vessels of war, as this deponent was informed by the officers, sailed from Nantz on the 5th of January last. On board the said French vessels were the crews of the American ship Asia, of Philadelphia, Thomas Hewett, master, and of the American brig Gershom, Jacob Smith, master, belonging to Duxbury, last from Boston, in the whole 37 in number. The officers of the French vessels informed this deponent, that on the 17th of January, when in about lat. 44, N. and long. 31, W. they captured and burnt the said ship Asia, she being laden with a cargo of corn and flour, and bound from Philadelphia to Lisbon: that on the 23d January, in about lat. 41. N. and long. 29, W. they captured and burnt said brig Gershom, she being bound from Boston to Oporto with a cargo of corn, flour and rice. On the 3d February the commander of the French squadron released the Thames, together with the captains and crews of the ship Asia, and the brig Gershom above mentioned, 37 in number, and sent them all on board the brig Thames, with a puncheon of water and about 1 1-2 cwt. of bread, and half a barrel of flour. Previous to the release of the Thames, the French commodore made very particular enquiry relative to the quantity of provisions on board the Thames, and said that it was his opinion that with what he gave us, we had a sufficiency to reach a port in the United States, and obliged capt. Hitchcock to sign a writing to that effect. The commodore, when he released the Thames, delivered to capt. Hitchcock the annexed document or writing, subscribed with his own hand, and written in the French language. While the Thames was in the custody of the commodore there were taken out of her about 35 boxes of oranges, for which I was paid nearly the first cost.—The commodore and commanders of the other armed vessels were on board of the Thames, and behaved with the greatest politeness.—The commodore was asked by this deponent the reason of his burning the American vessels. He replied that he had orders from his government to burn all American vessels sailing to or from an enemy's port. The officers also informed that the frigates were quite new, and were never at sea before their present cruise, and that they were launched at Nantz in the month of June last. After parting from the frigates we went with the Thames into the first port which we could make, viz. St. Bartholomews, in the West Indies, where we arrived on the 16th of February last, and landed the captains and crews of the said ship Asia and the brig Gershom, except five, who returned with us to New-York, where we arrived the 7th March inst. When the Thames was first taken possession of by the commodore, the officer who came on board informed me, that he should burn her the next morning. In the morning however, the commodore said it was desirable that he should get rid of the crews of the vessels which he had already burnt, as they were consuming his provisions, and concluded to put them all on board the Thames, which was done accordingly.

SAMUEL CHEW.

Sworn and subscribed at the city of New-Haven, this 14th day of March, 1812, before me,

CHAS. DENISON. Alderman.

I, Elihu Hitchcock, of New-Haven, master of the brig Thames, on oath declare and say, that I have perused the foregoing statement and affidavit of Samuel Chew, late supercargo of said brig, and agree with him in the facts therein stated, and know them to be true.

ELIHU HITCHCOCK.

Sworn and subscribed at the city of New-Haven, this 14th day of March, 1812, before me,

CHAS. DENISON. Alderman.

The following is a faithful translation of the documents referred to in the foregoing affidavits.

List of the names of the men composing the crew of the ship Asia, from Philadelphia, and of the brig Gershom, from Boston, bound to Lisbon, loaded with grain and flour, captured by the division under the command of Mons. Feretier member of the Legion of Honor, in pursuance of the instructions of his Excellency Monseigneur the minister of the Marine of the Colonies. The said crew are embarked this day on board the American brig the Thames, captain Elihu Hitchcock, from St. Ubes, and bound to New Haven.

Crew of the ship Asia, capt. Thomas Hewet

Thomas Hewet. John Baker, Andrew Janson, Robert McCorde, John Peters, Francis Shepherd, David Calm, Christian Groll, John Nelcoeks, Henry Johnson, John Smith, Michael Blith, Jacob Harding, Francis Sinister, Peter Johnson, Joseph Crisse, Nathaniel Tanton, Laurent Peters, David Barclay Rhanard Xahmede, Thomas Alling, William Flauler, P. Kaylander, John Tresnells, Wm. West, John L. Thompson, Thomas Hawthorn. John Ganor, Lote Refine.

Crew of the brig Gershom.

Jacob Smith, Nathaniel Simmone, John Smith, Hetton Chandler, Joshua Brown Abisha Loveland, Thomas Richardson.

These presents are certified to be correct, and conformable to the roll of equipage remaining in my hands.

Commander of the division.

FERETIER.

February 3, 1812.