Unknown [Testimonies regarding the capture of the Amistad; includes Cinque's testimony]
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05636.14 Author/Creator: Unknown Place Written: s.l. Type: Manuscript document Date: 9 January 1840 Pagination: 4 p. ; 32.6 x 19.2 cm. Order a Copy
Marked "&c Cinqué" at top. Appears to be a continuation of GLC 5636.13. Testimony of Cinqué, leader of the Africans aboard the Amistad, continues. Contains the testimonies of Grabbo and Foolaqua, Amistad mutineers. Includes the testimony of Norris Wilcox (United States Marshal for the District of Connecticut), Captain Mather (on board the USS Washington when it came in contact with the Amistad), Professor Josiah Gibbs (who claimed based on the Amistad Africans' language, they were recently arrived from Africa and had not resided in Cuba), Reverend George Day (employed to supervise the instruction of the Mende captives by Yale Divinity School students), and Colonel Stanton Pendleton (jailer where Amistad mutineers were held captive).
[draft]
2.c Cinquez -
took the money & threw it below saved the Box for wood - gave what money they had to the white men in the Boat - Shirts & pantaloons in Trunk. no money in the Trunks -
4. went from shore in Schooner Boat - when the pistol was found they went toward the Shore in the Brigs Boat - plenty left on the Shore - all went in the two Boats to the Schooner - Pippe the master of Them all but the 3 girls & little boy who were owned by Montes - first saw pippe in Havanna -
no chains on them in Havanna - Pippe examined them - & said good [-] the man who brought them over was present - were chained coming from Africa - they were chained from Havanna - one plantain & 2 potatoes - Cook said should eat them - Cook made sign - They were beaten. - by a sailor - pippe told the sailor to beat them - Pippe on the shore when they went on board [-] Nobody strike him except the cook boxed his head - not in play - pippe was present - they put pippe & Montes in the hole & lashed them. [2]
Grabbo - says he was on shore. Knew Capt[ain] Green plenty on Shore
Ta[ilIegible]
Con
Cinque
[Toolewah?]
Barto
Kimbo
[Gabay?]
[Kanah?]
Cinque came with him, met him Foolawah
at Tunibucco[?] first -
Antonio
[Monow?]
Baab
[Naquay?]
Trowane
[illegible] below when the Capt(ain] was killed - Ruiz & Montes put below but not ironed - the[y] had not got water enough or they should have sailed -10 went on board in the Brigs Boat Foolaqua was on shore where the Brig came & took them - Grabba
[Danimah?]
Bailie
[Quanay?]
two places to get water - 3 or 400 [inserted: 500] came with him from Lumucco in one vessel [illegible] - 3 month on this [illegible] -10. night in Havanna - 4. or 500 in one house whipped for stealing water by sailor, pippe told him to whip him [-] cook send [illegible] off head at him - he heard whip him - used the Spanish language - Cinques killed the cook - cook lying in the Boat - [3] dont know who took the capt[ain's] watch - Dolee was killed by Capt[ain] - Plenty of them cut Pedros head [-] this after the Capt[ain] was killed. put Pedro & Ruiz in the hold. - plenty slept in the vessel -
[struck: Mr. Willcox]
James Covey[:] I had but one talk with Cinque I told Mr. Willcox what he said - I told Mr. Willcox what Cinque said
Mr. Wilcox[:] on the morning that James came there I went with him to see them. I called James & Cinquez together & asked James to ask Cinquez how he came to be taken, said C[inque] said he Owed a man 2 £ held up his fingers
To [pay ?] the 2 £ he had taken & sold two negros. one negro ran away & the man called for the one £. he turned out clothing -The clothing turned over to another person who called on him for pay[men]t & he could not pay it it [sic] & was sold - Cinque said he came to Havana with 400 men & 200 females - landed in H[avana] & put in two houses men in one and women in another - That there Pippe came & bought him & others & they were put on board the Amistad - He said he had enough to eat & drink That they took good care of him -
+ Mr. Trumboll was present. Gibbs & other young men were present - in the conversation below with Gibbs [strikeout] he took it down - I heard Cinque say afterward that he never sold any slaves - but when he said that I can not say - Cinque said coming from Africa not much to eat - [4] Cinque[?]
Capt[ain] Mather[:] Amistad Boat 12 feet long old & leaky [illegible] of oak - in good condition could not carry more than 10 men -
Mr. [inserted: Geo E] Day[:] I was present when the conversation was had with Cinque. Mr. Trumbull [there?], who appeared to make out that Cinque had dealt [struck: with] in slaves.
Jan[uar]y 9th 1840,
Prof[essor]. Gibbs[:] nothing said by Cinque on that day about his dealing in slaves - Covey translated to me on that day as to what Cinque said about owning slaves something was said about owning slaves - something was said about owning [sic] £2 and 2 slaves was given - this said by Grabba - reports that Cinques probably was a slave dealer - put the question to Cinque had sold slaves - Ferry did not know the Mendi.
Wilcox[:] I heard the question put to Grabbo. owed 2 £ took two men to pay it - 1 1/2 hours that Grabbab was examined after Cinquez.
Col Pendleton - was present . Wilcox & Trumball said he owed a debt. &c as stated by Wilcox - I brought Grabbo down at the request - Ferry Pratt & Covey all there -
Pratt, deposition, african - knows [Mendi? Mandu?] language Pedro Blanco -
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