North-Carolina, Edenton, ss.
By this publick instrument of protest and writing, bearing date hereafter mentioned, be it known and manifest to all whom it may concern, that on the 25th day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six, before me, Thomas Jones, notary and tabellion publick, residing at Edenton, in the Province aforesaid, by lawful authority, duly admitted and sworn according to law, personally appeared William Raddon, late master of the Sloop Joseph, and made oath on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God, before me, as notary aforesaid, that on the 9th day of January last past, he (this deponent) sailed with the said Sloop Joseph from the city of Philadelphia, bound to Savannah, in the Province of Georgia, and proceeded down to Reedy-Island, in the river of Delaware, when the navigation was obstructed by the ice, until the 11th day of February last past, when this deponent sailed with the said Sloop Joseph on his intended voyage; that early in the morning of the 13th day of the same month, the said Sloop Joseph, then being in the latitude of 35° 10', and about fifteen leagues from the land, this deponent discovered a vessel on the weatherquarter, steering down for her; that this deponent immediately made all the sail he could from the said vessel, and it being smooth water, ran very fast from her; that in the afternoon it fell calm, when this deponent discovered a boat rowing from the said vessel, (she then being about a league astern,) and about five o'clock in the evening the said boat came alongside the said Sloop Joseph; that this deponent hailed the people on board the said boat, and requested to know what was the vessel astern; they informed him she was the armed Sloop General Gage, commanded by George Sibles, bound from Boston to Cape-Fear, and then immediately boarded the said Sloop Joseph, being eight in number, completely armed with muskets and cutlasses; then as soon as they got on board, the officer who commanded them ordered this deponent to get into the boat and go on board the said Sloop General Gage, with his papers, which this deponent accordingly did; that when this deponent got on board the same, he delivered his papers to the commanding officer, who, after perusing them, told this deponent that the said Sloop Joseph was a good prize, "papers or no papers," as he had orders to seize every vessel he met with on his passage; and then directed this deponent to remain on board the said Sloop General Gage, where this deponent was put into the hold with the common seamen; that the same evening the mate and seaman belonging to the said Sloop Joseph were taken out of her and put on board the said Sloop General Gage, and a mate and six men were sent on board the said Sloop Joseph to navigate her into Cape-Fear; that on the 21st day of the same month, the said Sloop General Gage got into the Cape-Fear River, and on the 22d day of the same month, the said Sloop Joseph also arrived, and was moored under the guns of the Falcon sloop-of-war, commanded by John Lindsey, then Commodore of the fleet lying at Fort Johnston; that the next day after the arrival of the said Sloop Joseph, one John Collett, who came passenger .in the said Sloop General Gage, from Boston, and who, as this deponent was informed, had a commission as Captain of a company of "Loyal Fencible Americans," went on board the said Sloop Joseph, with the commander of the said Sloop General Gage, and broke open the hold of the said Sloop Joseph, and took out a butt of porter, a parcel of loaf-sugar, and cheese; that a few days after, the purser of the Scorpion sloop-of-war came down from Brunswick with an order from Josiah Martin, Esq., late Governour of Commander-in-Chief of the Province aforesaid, to take a large quantity of provisions out of the said Sloop Joseph, being part of the cargo of the same; that this deponent remained a prisoner on board the said Sloop General Gage until the 4th day of March instant, when he made his escape, with Joseph Wood, part owner of the said Sloop Joseph, and several other persons who had been detained prisoners with this deponent by special orders given by the af9resaid John Lindsey to the commander of the said Sloop General Gage.
Wherefore, the said William Raddon, late master as aforesaid, before me, did protest against the said George Sibles, commander of the said Sloop General Gage, the said John Collett, the said John Lindsey, commander of the Falcon sloop-of-war, and the said Josjah Martin, late Governour and Commander-in-Chief of the Province aforesaid, and all other persons with them concerned, for all losses, costs, and damages, whatsoever, that hath or may accrue to the owners, freighters, or insurers, or any person or persons whatsoev.er con~erned in the said Sloop Joseph, and the cargo on board the same, for the reasons herein-beforementioned. Whereupon, I, the said Thomas Jones, notary as aforesaid, at the instance and request of the said Wjlliam Raddon, did, and do hereby solemnly, and in due form, sign and attest this present protest of, for, concerning all and singular the premises aforesaid in the particular manner herein-beforementioned and expressed, as if the same were herein again particularly mentioned and repeated.
William Raddon.
In testimonio ventatis, Thomas Jones,
Notary Publick, Edenton, North-Carolina.
