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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Deposition of Ichabod Simpson concerning the capture of the John & Elizabeth
Simpson, Ichabod
November 26, 1772
Volume 09, Pages 353-354

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[B. P. R. O. Am. & W. Ind.: No. Carolina. No. 220.]

Another account of the seizure of Colonel Simpson's Vessel by the Spaniards.

James Davis Notary Public by lawful authority admitted and sworn dwelling in New Bern in the Province aforesaid Do hereby certify unto all whom it may concern that on the day of the date of these presents came before me the said Notary Ichabod Simpson and made Oath on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, That on the Twenty fifth day of December one thousand seven hundred and sixty nine, the Schooner John and Elizabeth Ebenezer Fuller Commander arrived off Vera Cruz and it blowing hard a boat came on board with a number of people in her and having a Pilot carried the said Schooner to an anchor under an Island and the next day an officer and Soldiers came on Board and brought with them a quantity of Provisions who were set as a guard over the Master and Crew of the said Schooner and remained so until the first day of January when they carried the Vessel from that place up the Harbour and moored her under the Fort and the Governor and Custom House officers coming on board they rummaged the Vessel and carried on Shore five hundred & twenty nine and a half Dollars which they took to the Treasury as this Deponent was informed. That from that time until the seventeenth day of March following one person was suffered to go on shore to buy Provisions under the guard of a soldier, but afterwards no one was suffered to go on shore. That about a week after the Spaniards had taken the Dollars as aforesaid this Deponent was ordered by the officer on Board to go on shore to the Treasury which he did & received thirty dollars Part of the aforesaid sum and the Spaniards continued to pay to the Master and Crew thirty Dollars per week for their subsistance until the amount of the aforesaid sum was expended. That respecting the Cargo of rum on board the Schooner, the Spaniards permitted them to make use of it at discretion and believes that the Crew secretly sold about two hundred Gallons for a dollar a gallon and that the remainder leaked out and was wasted for want of care. That on the thirtieth day of October in the year one Thousand seven hundred and seventy the said Schooner sunk and the Spaniards having saved the masts bowsprit, spar, sails, rigging, anchors, cattles, water casks and every movable the master and

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crew aforesaid were removed on board a Pontoon in the Harbour under the same guard being allowed after the aforesaid Dollars were expended two Reals a day each man where they were detained until the sixth day of February one Thousand seven hundred and seventy two as mentioned in the Protest to which this Deponent refers. And this Deponent further saith that since his arrival lately in this Province he hath heard that a rumor prevailed that he and several of the Crew had brought with them to the amount of between six and seven hundred dollars and that many surmises were propagated to the Injury of this Deponent as to the manner he or the Crew obtained such a sum, and this Deponent sayeth that he having a venture on board secretly disposed of the same at opportunities and continued to Traffick most part of the time he was under Confinement by which he raised the amount of two hundred and seventy five dollars or thereabouts, that the Captain had about one hundred and ten dollars, Benjamin Rose about one hundred and Twenty, Philip James about Seventy five, John Freeman about one hundred and John Williams about Ten, all of which sums this Deponent believes the said Captain and people saved out of their allowance and by carrying on secret Traffick for and with the Spaniards.

ICHABOD SIMPSON.

In faith and Testimony whereof I the said Notary have hereunto set my hand and affixed my Seal of office this twenty sixth day of November Anno. Dom. 1772.

JAMES DAVIS, N. Pub.