18069.] 
sons, I was to march to New. Orleans .to guard 
the mail. ; 
Q. Was Miranda’s expedition sanctioned 
by your government? 
A. I do not know, J did not know there 
was such an expedition as it afterwards proved 
to be. 
Q. Do you know the names of any Spa- 
niards here, whom Miranda relicd upon 
joining him? 
A. I do nat. : 
-Q. Was you net occupied in Jecmel, in 
putting handles to pikes? 
A. Yes, I was obliged to do it, 
Q. Did you not bring those axes (pointing to 
some on the ficor) for the purpose of cutting 
olf our heaus, and those shovels to bury us? 
A. I never knew what use was to be made 
of them. 
Q. Do not you think you deserve hanging? 
A. No, what I did 1 was obliged to do, 
contrary to my will. 
Q Do not you think yeu ought rather to 
die than be compelled to commit a crime? 
A. No, I have always understood .that 
self-preservation was the first law of nature. 
O. Why did you net all rise and take 
conimand of the schooner, after you disco- 
vered her intention? 
A. We did attempt it once, but failed; we 
had agreed to attempt a second time, on the 
evening of that day we were taken. 
After the examination of all the pri- 
soners was gone through, they were again 
brought up the second time, when similar 
questions were put to them as before, 
aud similar answers made. 
The examinations were then taken by 
the lieutenant-governor and judges, to 
Caraccas, where (as was understood) 
they were laid before a mihtary court, 
assembled for the purpose of pronouncing 
judgments. ‘hey remained under their 
consideration for several days, before 
aiy thing was determined upon. 
During which time the prisoners re- 
mained in confinement, sulfering almost 
every deprivation, and reflecting upon 
what would be their doom. Some were 
entirely indifferent, and were willing to 
meet death, rather than endure their 
situations. maciated, sick, and obliged 
to endure filth, bad air and unwholesome 
food, many were tired of lite. 
On the 20th of July, about eleven 
o’clock in the morning, the prison doors 
were thrown open, which presented to 
our view a large body of armed soldiers, 
drawn up round the prison door with 
muskets aimed towards us, loaded, cocked 
and bayonets fixed; all expected instant 
death. However, we were ordered out, 
and placed in a line for marching; the 
~ soldiers on each sidé with their muskets 
pointed towards us. There was little 
danger of the prisoners escaping, being 
jn irons, and so weak and emaciated as 
of part of General Miranda's Sguadron. 
115 
to just be able to walk. They were then 
ordered to. mareh forward, which they 
did, though slowly as their ancles were 
still in irons. In this situation they were 
marched ioto.a yard, walled round, and 
ordered upon their knees; fronted by 
the soldiers at a little distance with their 
muskets still aimed at them and ready to. 
fire. Every moment the word fire wag 
expected. 
Shortly appeared the interpreter, ac- 
companied with one or two ofhicérs, and 
two or three Roman catholic priests. 
Vhe following persons being called, 
Francis Feryuarson, Daniel Kemper, 
Charles Jonnsoa, John Ferris, 
Miles L. Hall, James Gardner, 
Thomas Billopp, ‘Thomas Donohue, 
Gustavus A. Bergud, Paul T. George. 
The interpreter then read to them, 
from a paper which he held in his hand, 
the following sentence: 
“In the morning of to-morrow, at six 
o'cluck, you and each of you are sen- 
tenced to be hung by the neck until 
dead ; after which your heads are to be 
severed from your bodies and placed 
upon poles and distributed in public 
parts of the country.” — 
The following persons were then called 
and sentenced to ten years imprisonment, 
at hard labour, in the castle of Omoa, 
(near the Bay of Honduras) and after 
that time, to await the kinv’s pleasure, 
John T. O*Sullivan, 
Jeremian Powell, 
John H. Sberman, 
David Heckle & Sen, 
John Moore, 
Henry Ingersoll, 
Thomas Gill, 
John Edsall, 
john Haysy 
Daniel M‘IKay, 
John M. Elliott, Bennett B. Vegus, 
Robert Saunders, Peter Naulty. 
Fie following persons were sentenced 
to the same punishment, for the same 
Jength of time, at the castie of Porto 
Rico. 
Wim. W. Lippincott, Stephen Burtis, 
Moses Smith, John Burk, 
Matthew Buchanan, Phineas Raymond, 
Alex. Bachanan, Joseph Bennett, 
John Parsells, Eaton Burlingham,. 
David Winton, James Grant, 
john Scott, Frederick Rizggus. 
And the following persons were sen- 
tenced to the same punishment, at the 
eastle of Bocca Chica, in Carthagena, 
except their terms of servitude were eight 
years instead of ten. 
William Long, 
Benjamin Davis, 
Joseph L. Heckle, 
Henry Sperry, 
Robert Steavison, 
Benjamin Nicholson, 
Samue! Price, 
Elery King, 
Hugh Smith, 
Daniel] Newbury. 
William Cartwright, 
Samuel Touzier, 
William Burnside, 
Abraham Head, 
James Hyatt, 
William Pride, 
Pompey Grant, 
George Ferguson; — 
Robert Rains. 
Thoca 
