Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1896 — LAST CAPTURED SLAVER. [ARTICLE]

LAST CAPTURED SLAVER.

Her Captain Said to Have Been Hanged on Bedlow’s Island. The only Captain of a slave vessel who Suffered the death penalty in America was captured by a crew of

which one of the members is now ft citizen of Cleveland, the engineer of the People's Gaslight and Coke Company. “The slave ship was the Erie, and it was the last American slaver captured,”* said Mr. Matthews in talking about the historical event. “She was taken off the mouth of the Congo in the spring of 1861 by the United States sloop-of-war Mohican. I was captain of the foretop and of the starboard watch. The capture was accidental. The vessels dealing in slaves would slip out in the intervals betweeu the patrol beats of the men-of-war, and they knew pretty well Our habits. But this time the Mohican was delayed two days in waiting for mail, and going from the island of Fernandixo we sighted a vessel making from the mouth of the Congo. We were flying a French flag, and the stranger floated an American flag. We signalled for her to heave to, but this request not being regarded, a shot was fired. Then she hove to without offering resistance, and a party being sent aboard found every one dressed alike. It was thus some days before we discovered who was the eoptain. She was manned by fifteen men, and had on board 800 slaves and three slave agents. The slaves were landed, and the slave agents and five Spaniards, who did not wish to claim American citizenship, were sent away in a trade boat. Eight of the slave’s crew were shipi*>d on the Mohican, aud the officers and two of the crew were brought to America. The slave ship was taken'to Liberia. "The captain of the slaver was Nathaniel Gordon, and a year after his capture he was swung oil Bedlow’s Island, where the Statue of Liberty now stands. The first mnte was sentenced to ten years’ Imprisonment, the second mate received a five years’ sentence, and the two men were each given a year. “The severe dealing with the officers was due to the intense feeling on the slavery question, as the war had just broken out. The second mate and the two men volunteered to enter the army and were allowed to go free. Our lieutenant, Dunnington. went into the Confederate navy after bringing Gordon back. “About three months before the experlenee with the Erie a slaver escaped us by being disguised ns a whaler. The simulation was very perfect, and on the decks we could see even the boiling vats. The captain showed papers which disarmed suspicion, and when the ‘whaler* put up for the night at the mouth of the Congo our captain Informed him that next morning he would come around on a visit. “In the morning he was gone, having taken 1,300 slaves altoard. We slglUed n vessel in the distance, which we pursued, and found to be an English man-of-war also trying to catch the ‘whaler.’ ’’—Cleveland Leader.