I must beg you to state to me, for the information of her Majesty’s
government, the grounds on which the protracted detention of the men,
still in jail, is held by the government of the United States to be
justifiable.
I shall be obliged by your being so good as to send the affidavit back to
me.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most
obedient, humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.
[Untitled]
United States of America, State of New York, ss:
By this public instrument be it known to all to whom the same doth or
may concern, that I, Charles Edwards, a public notary in and for the
State of New York, by letters patent under the great seal of the
said State, duly commissioned and sworn, and in and by the said
letters patent invested “with full power and authority to attest
deeds, wills, codicils, agreements, and other instruments in
writing, and to administer any oath or oaths to any person or
persons,” do hereby certify that on the day of the date hereof,
before me personally came and appeared Percival A. Bedwell, late
second officer of the prize steamer Don, Samuel Bostock, late third
engineer of said vessel, Frederick Tigar, late third officer of said
vessel, John Temple, late second engineer of said vessel, and Alonzo
D. Claggett, late passenger on said vessel, and thus being by me
first duly sworn, do, and each for himself doth depose and say, that
they have been confined in the New York county jail, New York, ever
since the twenty-sixth day of March last, and are still there, but
for no crime; and they say they are all British subjects by birth,
and have never thrown off their allegiance to the Queen of Great
Britain.
And the said Percival A. Bedwell for himself saith, he was born of
British parents, neither of whom ever were citizens of the United
States, or of any of its States, (confederate or otherwise,) nor
were they ever within the United States of America; and this
deponent belongs to London, England.
And the said Samuel Bostock for himself saith, he was born of British
parents, neither of whom were ever citizens of the United States of
America or any of its States, (confederate or otherwise,) nor were
they ever within the United States of America; and this deponent
belongs to Bolton, Lancashire, England.
And the said Frederick Tigar for himself saith, he was born of
British parents, neither of whom were ever citizens of the United
States of America, or any of its States, (confederate or otherwise,)
nor were they ever within the United States of America, and this
deponent belongs to Beverley, Yorkshire, England.
And the said John Temple for himself saith, he was born of British
parents, neither of whom were ever citizens of the United States of
America, or any of its States, (confederate or otherwise,) nor were
they ever within the United States of America; and this deponent
belongs to St. John, New Brunswick, British possessions.
And the said Alonzo D. Claggett for himself saith, he was born of
British parents, neither of whom were ever citizens of the United
States of America, or
[Page 601]
of
any of its States, (confederate or otherwise,) nor were they ever
within the United States of America; and this deponent belongs to
Montreal, Canada.
Whereof an attestation being required, I have granted this under my
notarial firm and seal.
Done at the city of New
York, in the said State of New York, the twenty-eighth day
of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and sixty-four.
In praemissorum fidem.
CHARLES EDWARDS, 30 Pine Street, New
York
PERCIVAL ARCHIBALD BEDWELL.
SAMUEL BOSTOCK.
FREDERICK TIGAR.
JOHN TEMPLE
ALEX. CLAGGETT.
