They gave me part of a small loaf, a piece of cheese, and half a tumbler of gin. I then went with them over to the Navy Yard, and was there put in irons under charge of a sentinel. I asked for pen and paper, and was told that these things were not allowed to prisoners. I had hard work to persuade myself that I was not dreaming. " I remained here in confinement until one morning the sergeant came in, knocked off my irons, and told me I was to go on board the frigate President. I was washed and shaved, and a suit of marine uniform given me, with orders to put it on and be ready for drill at eleven o'clock.
All this I did, because I could not help myself; a musket was given me, and I was placed by the corporal in the ranks, and I solemnly swear that this was the first time in my life that I ever had on a soldier's dress, or ever handled a musket as a soldier. " Mvself and nineteen others were put on board the frigate President. She was bound on a cruise round Cape Horn, but on sroin"- out, vou know we struck on the bar and injured our keel, which very much hindered our sailing. We fell in with the English Fleet, Pomone, Endymion and Majestic, and, after a hard-fought action, we were captured and carried to Bermuda. We were exchanged, and came to New York in the John Adams.
I have been in the barracks ever since my return, have written once to Commodore Decatur, but have received no answer. I have now been ordered to this brig, and when I shall be liberated I know not. I looked him full in the face, and said I to him: " Cribbs, do you tell the truth? Is what you have told me positively true?" " Yes, sir, on my oath," and then made a solemn app \al confirmatory of what he had told me. " And now, sir, what I wish you to do for me, if you please, and which 1 shall consider a great favor, is that you will state my case to some lawyer in New York before we sail on this cruise." I replied that I would give him the form of a letter to Mr.
Emmet, probably one of the best lawyers in New York, and would prefer that the writing should be in his own hand. I gave him the use of my writing materials, and also assisted him in getting his letter to the city, which went up in the morning boat, and on that same evening after he had been relieved from his post, I called him into my room and asked him if he could, in any way, account for this strange affair. He said that he could only account for it in this way: " The day after I was paid off I went to a boarding-house, (I think in Y\rater street) kept by a man named Sweeney, and while we were sitting in the bar-room, a goodlooking man came in and asked if any one would like to enter the United States service, either as seaman, marine or landsman; and out of a joke, I asked what were the wages.
He said seamen got twelve dollars a month and twenty dollars bounty; ordinary seamen and landsmen something less. ' And how much do marines get? ' said I. ' Eight dollars and their clothing.' This fellow now went off, and after he had gone, Sweeney, the landlord, observed, " That fellow is a — pimp; his business is to go round and hunt up deserters, for which he gets a large reward.' Now, Sweeneyknew that I was going home, and also hmv I was going; and whether it was not a contrived plan to entrap me I cannot say. I had been told that he was not the most honest man in the world, as many sailors could also testify.
This is the only way that I can account for my imprisonment. I was pounced upon as a deserter, and it may be that this fellow obtained a reward for my pretended apprehension." On the following morning a boat came from the Gueriere, with an order from Commodore Decatur for John Cribbs; he was put in double irons on board the Gueriere and this was the last I ever heard of John Cribbs. Mr. Emmet had, no doubt, written to Commodore Decatur about the man, and in order that the case might be properly investigated, the Commodore had sent for him for that purpose; but why he was ironed I cannot tell. We got under way on the next day and thus ends the storv of John Cribbs.
I will only add, that if the statement which he gave me was true, and of which I have not the slightest doubt, it goes to show a most mysterious, hut successful piece of villany, and for which, if justice be done him, he will have a claim against the United States for immense damages.