Ships Nautilus, Wasp & Privateer Sarah Ann-1812.

To the House of Representatives of thee United States: December 21, 1812.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, December 19, 1812.

The Secretary of State, to whom was referred the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 9th instant, requesting information touching the conduct of British officers towards persons taken in American armed ships, has the honor to lay before the President the accompanying papers, marked A, B, C, from which it appears that certain persons, some of whom are said to be native, and others naturalized citizens of the United States, being parts of the crews of the United States armed vessels the Nautilus and the Wasp, and of the private armed vessel the Sarah Ann, have been seized, under the pretext of their being British subjects, by British officers, for the avowed purpose, as is understood, of having them brought to trial for their lives; and that others, being part of the crew of the Nautilus, have been taken into the British service.

The United States brig Nautilus.

A list of men said to have entered on board His Britannic Majesty’s frigate Shannon, Commodore Broke, with their description, as far as known.

1. JESSE BATES, seaman, about five feet nine inches high, dark hair and complexion, dark snapping eyes1 has an impediment in his speech, and at times affects lunacy; has a wife and family in Boston, Massachusetts.

2. SAMUEL LANG, marine, born in Kentucky, five feet eight inches high, or thereabouts, and is supposed to be with Captain Hall, of the United States’ marines, New York.

3. JOHN YOUNG, marine, five feet five inches high, large mouth, enlisted with Captain Hall, navy yard, New York; when addressed, or is addressing an officer, casts down his eyes. For his particular description, as will as that of JOHN ROSE, marine, about five feet eight inches high, brown hair full face, thick set, and a scowl in his countenance, refer to Captain John Hall.

4. John O’NEAL, seaman, about twenty-five years five feet five inches high, dark hair, sharp face, dark eyes, thick set, and was shipped at Norfolk, Virginia, previous to your taking command of the Nautilus.

5. WILLIAM JONES, ordinary seaman, about five feet eight inches high, light hair, twenty-four years of age, full face, thick set, downcast look, and is a vary alert man; entered at New York, April last.
F. H. BABBITT.

Crew of the United States sloop of war Wasp, detained by Captain John Beresford, of the British ship Poictiers, under the pretence of their being British subjects.

1. John McCloud, boatswain, has been in the service since 1804 married in Norfolk, in 1804 or 1905 and has a wife and four children there.

2. JOHN STEPHENS, boatswain’s mate, has been in the service five or six years.

3. GEORGE M. D. READ, quartermaster, has a protection, and has sailed out of New York and Philadelphia for several years.

4. William MITCHELL, James Gothright, John Wright, Thomas Phillips, Peter Barron, seamen; John Connor, John Rose, George Brooks, ordinary seamen; and Dennis Dougherty, marine. The greater number, if not all, had protections at the time of entering and being taken. Two others were detained, John Wade and Thomas Hutchins, but were given up; the former on Captain Jones’s assuring Captain Beresford he knew him to be a native citizen; the latter on a like assurance from D. Rodgers. William Mitchell was in the service during 1805 and 1806, in the Mediterranean.

Captain Moon, of the privateer Sarah Ann.

Six of my crew, claimed as British subjects, were this day taken out of jail and put on board His Majesty’s brig the Sappho, and sailed for Jamaica, where, it is said, they are
to be tried for their lives; consequently, I questioned each, respectively, as to the place of their nativity, and title to protection by the American Government, when they stated as follows, to wit:

1. DAVID DICK, seaman, that he was born in the north of Ireland, but has resided in the United States ever since the year 1793; has served ten years in the United States’ navy, viz: on board the frigates Chesapeake, President, Constitution, John Adams, schooner Enterprise, and gunboat No. 2. David Dick, shoemaker, in Alexandria, is his uncle. Dick is about five feet six and a half inches high, dark hair, has a scar on his left elbow and one on each writs; he entered on board the Sarah Ann in Baltimore.

2. John Gaul, seaman, says he was born in Marblehead, State of Massachusetts, where his parents, brothers, and sisters now reside; is married in New York, and his wife (Mary Gaul) lives in Roosevelt street No. 37; has a regular discharge from the navy of the United States, by Captain Hugh G. Campbell, dated at St. Mary’s, Georgia, 14th August, 1812; says he has served on board the United States’ brig Vixen, and gunboats No. 10 and No. 158. From the last of which he was discharged. Gaul is twenty-seven years of age, about five feet seven inches high, brown hair, light complexion; he entered on board the Sarah Ann in Baltimore.

3. MICHAEL PLUCK, ordinary seaman, says he was born in Baltimore; his parents are dead, but he is known by William Doulan, Thomas Turner, and McDonald, of Baltimore; has a sister in some part of Pennsylvania, whose name is Ann Welsh; was never at sea before; never had a protection. Pluck is twenty-six years old, five feet six and a half inches high, and has a scar on his left cheek bone; entered on board the Sarah Ann at Baltimore.

4. THOMAS ROGERS, seaman, says he was born in Waterford, Ireland, but has resided many years in the United States, and has been duly naturalized; a copy of which naturalization is filed in the custom-house at Baltimore; is known by Joseph Carey, and Tom Rogers, cork-cutter, both of Baltimore; has a wife and three children in Baltimore; has lost his protection, but requests Joseph Carey to do all he can to effect his discharge from the British. Rogers entered on board the Sarah Ann in Baltimore.

5. GEORGE ROBERTS, a colored man and seaman. This man 1 had not an opportunity of questioning, but I know to be a native born citizen of the United States, of which fact he had every sufficient document, together with free papers. Roberts entered on board the Sarah Ann in Baltimore, where he is married.

6. SONTY TAYLOR, boy, says he was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, but has neither friends, relations, nor acquaintance there; says Jane Snowden, of Savannah, Georgia, is his mother; never had a protection. Taylor is fifteen years old, has brown hair and light complexion; he entered on board the Sarah Ann in Savannah.

RICHARD MOON, Late commander of the privateer Sarah Ann.