To James Madison from Peter Totten, 20 March 1807
From Peter Totten
St. Croix 20th: March 1807
Sir
I consider it my duty, acting as American Consul, to transmit to you a Copy of the judgment of the Court of Justice at this Island, against James Quick, Francis MacGoaly and samuel Wheeler, three men calling themselves Citizens of the United States of America. It appears that in consequence of Mutinous conduct of these men on board the schooner Atlantic of New York, commanded by Samuel C, Pittman, while at Anchor in this port, a Military Guard ⟨w⟩as sent onboard to quell them, or, to take them in Custody, t⟨he⟩y resisted and attacked the guard, threw one of the Soldiers with ⟨h⟩is Arms overboard, and committed other acts of violence on the rest, insomuch that a second guard was ordered to the assistance of the first; the three men were therefore taken, and committed ⟨to⟩ prison; they have been tryed and condemned to perform hard labour for a term of years at Copenhagen.
I also herewith enclose Certificates they produced on which they claimed, as Citizens of the U. States, the interferance of the American Consul, which proved ineffectual.
I also take the liberty to enclose Docr. Valrond and Ann Schmidt accounts against me for attendance &c, on two American Seamen, Citizens of the United states, who applied to me for assistance being entirely destitute of every means of Subsistance—they arrived here in great distress from s. Domingo having been discharged there without the means or opportunity of returning to the states, and took passage from thence in ⟨a⟩ Danish Vessel to this Island in expectation of Obtain’g. a passage from hence—immediately on their arrival here the⟨y⟩ were attackd with a fever—humanity as well as duty dictated to me the necessity of affording them immediate relief—and I have the satisfaction to add, that they both recovered and embarked for the U. States, but were unabl⟨e⟩ to pay any part of my Advance for them. I therefore conceive I have a Claim on the American Government fo⟨r⟩ the amount of the enclosed accounts, say $104. I will b⟨e⟩ thankfull to you to inform me on whom I must draw for this amount, not having had occasion to draw on the American Govern⟨t.⟩ I am at a loss as to the mode of proceeding.1 I am most respectfully Your Hum. Servt
Peter Totten
RC (DNA: RG 59, CD, St. Croix, vol. 1). Enclosures not found, but see n. 1.
1. Daniel Brent responded for JM on 3 June 1807: “I am directed by the Secretary of State to acknowledge, as I have the honor of doing, the receipt of your letter to him of the 20th March last, with its several enclosures. Those which are now returned to you are sent back for the purpose of your getting the receipts of the several creditors subjoined to them, that they may be in a situation to be admitted at the Treasury, as proper vouchers for your account against the United States. On your obtaining the receipts in question, you will send them with the vouchers and a copy of the Account now forwarded to you, to this Office. You had better at the same time appoint an Agent in the U. States, to receive the amount found due to you. In this case the money will be paid at the Treasury to this Agent, or to his order” (DNA: RG 59, IC, vol. 1).