To James Madison from Samuel Smith, 27 March 1807 (Abstract)
From Samuel Smith, 27 March 1807 (Abstract)
§ From Samuel Smith. 27 March 1807, Baltimore. “I am honor’d with your letter, and shall attend to its inclosure as soon as possible. The subject demands deliberation and attention. I will give my Ideas thereon with pleasure.
“The inclosed letter is from Captain Lattimore of our Ship Appollo,1 taken, you will observe, after she had actually been within our Capes, having stretched off (I presume) until she could procure a pilot, the Captain of the Melampus boarded and sent her for Bermuda. The pretext is a suspicion of having Dutch property on board. The property belongs to ourselves and our neighbours. We hold the Covering of property to be infamous and never have or ever will commit an act so base. But the true Reason was the value and the Chance of Condemnation. The Captor runs no risque. All Costs are always charged to the owner. The Appollo went direct to & returned direct from Batavia, having touched at no port or place, either going or returning. I send you this Information that our Minister at London may know that Depredations on our Commerce still continue. Indeed the British Ships lay at anchor in Lynhaven Bay, and visit every vessel coming into the Chesapeak. Those which will not come to they fire upon.”
Tr, two copies, and enclosure, two copies (DNA: RG 76, Preliminary Inventory 177, entry 180, Great Britain, Treaty of 1794 [Art. VII], British Spoliations, ca. 1794–1824, Unsorted Papers, box 8, folder 2b). First Tr 2 pp.; in Brent’s hand. Second copy in a clerk’s hand, labeled “(No 9).” For enclosure, see n. 1.
1. The enclosure is appended to each Tr. The first copy (2 pp.) begins: “Extract of a letter dated Bermuda February 7th 1807, from James Lattimore, Master of the Ship Appollo, to Messrs. Smith & Buchanan, Baltimore.” Lattimore related that he “arrived in sight of the Capes of Virginia January 22nd” where his ship “was boarded by the English frigate Mermaid Captain Allis from Bermuda” and then allowed to proceed. That night, however, Capt. Hawker of the Melampus caused the Appollo to heave to, then brought Lattimore on board the Melampus and told him that the Appollo would be sent to Bermuda. Hawker took all of Lattimore’s men off the Appollo, substituted his own men and three officers, returned Lattimore to the Appollo and detained him on the ship, and then sailed to Bermuda, arriving on 31 January.