'jd^ ^- [61] Cast of Thadeus Mayhew. January 6, 1819. Printed by order of the House of Representatives. / Vi Report of the Commissioners appointed to examine and assess the dama- ges occasioned by the troops of the Ujiited States^ in the neghboT' hood of the city of ^ew Orleans, I'he Commissioners appointed by the quartermaster general of the Seventh Military District, in obedience to the annexed general order of maj. gen. Jackson, have the honor to REPORT: That in pursuance thereto, they repaired to the se^veral places hereinafter designated, in order to ascertain the nature and extent of the damages sustained by the individuals hereafter mentioned, which they found to consist of two distinct classes: one being for damages done to the real estate and improvements, the other for moveable property consumed or destroj'ed by the army. The first they con- sidered it their duty to estimate, and for that purpose carefully ex- amined the respective premises, requiring of the several claimants a particular description of the buildings that has been .^otailv destroy- ed, which were compared with such traces of their having existed as could be found, and the whole estimated in equity to the best of their knowledge. The other class of losses, consisting of provisions, fur- niture, wood, &c. consumed and destroyed by the army, but of which no regular proof could be furnished, the commissioners considered would be more properly presented in the form of attested accounts made out by the parties, accompanied with such evidence as they were in possession of, and which they have subjoined to this report, On the left bank of the Mississippi between Camp Jackson and the city of New Orleans. John Roarigues' country seat, on which the line of dipfence was established, the following buildings entirely destroyed: > fr- 2 [6 1] A stable and coach house, valued at - - ^ S20C Four Negro houses - - - - 120 A hen and pigeon house .^ - - - 100 A kitchen • - - - - - 350 Damage done his dwelling house • - . 30O ditto to an adjoining building - - - 150 10 i acres of pale fence - - - - 220 26 do post and rail ditto • - - - 317" A double gate and seven garden ditto • - 100 J. Roarigues claims moreover for furniture, farming utensils, cattle, books, &c. taken away or destroyed, per his account herewith, No. 1, S 5.829* Widow Macarty's country seat, occupied as the head quarters of gen. Jackson. Damage done to the dwelling house • - 800 The following buildings entirely destroyed: Two pigeon houses on brick pillars - - 250 A shed SO by 1 8 feet ... - 300 A coach house 14 by 20 - - -^ • 15© Two Negro houses - • - - 120 A storehousQ 16 by 25 - - - - 300 38 acres post and rail fence - - . ^60 16 ditto pale ditto - - - • 560 Furniture &c. per account No. 2 herewith » 1 ,219 Mons. Languelles' country house, occupied as the head quarters of gen. Carroll. Damage done to the dwelling - - - 300 ditto to a store house - - - - 25 The following property entirely destroyed: A corn house or store - - - . 300 An out house 27 by .25 • - , 300 A kitchen and small house adjoining - - 150 A bake house - - - « - 350 A stable - . - . - - 50 18 acres pale fence - - - . - 385 32 do post and rail ditto - . - 390 Cattle, provisions, &c. per account No. 3 - g 2,848 John Pettit, brickmaker. The following property entirely destroyed: A dwelling house 20 by 60 - - - 1,800 A brick kiln shed 56 by 100 I . . 1,000 Two tempering beds and utensils - - 450 Three Negro houses - • - - 300 A kitchen and hen house - - « 100 Ten acres pale fence ,, ^ . . 214 lySST 2,940 2,2jO 3,864 [61] Furniture, fire-wood, bricks, &c, per the account herewith. No. 4 - . - . 1,786 Joseph M'Neel's country house Damage done to the dwelling - - - 195 A kitchen des,troyed . . - . 350 A stable and corn house - • • 180 A privy - • - - - - 65 A Negro house - - - . 40 A large double gate - - - - 60 Asnnallditto - - - - • 25 A bake -oven torn down - - - - 20 21 acres pale fence - - • - . 4.50 Col. S. B. Davis's country house Damage done to the dwelling - - - 195 The following buildings destroyed: A shed 50 by 12 • - - - . 100 A kitchen 12 by 15 . - - . 200 A Negro house 12 by 16 - - - - ^O A hen house - - - - . 60 3^ acres pale fence - - - - - 75 11 do post and rail ditto - - . j[40 1,385 830 Mons. De la Chenaye, the tenant on this last place, claims for cattle and poultry, consumed by the army, per account 5 - - • 286 Madame Deslondes' country house, occupied as the general hospital. Damage done to the dwelling ... 500 ditto to a store • - . , 150 A kitchen 24 by 14 feet destroyed - - - 400 A coach house 20 by 10 ... 120 Five Negro houses - - - . 400 A large double gate cut down • - - 60 28 acres post and rail fence • • . 343 12 ditto pale do - - • 254 2,227 Provisions, &c. per account No. 6 - - . 532 Larunte Segur, the former proprietor of the last mentioned property, claims for a quantity of spars said to have been on the place at the tinie of the invasion, and to have been used for the forti- fication per his account No. 7 - • - 3748 Mons. Delery's farm. 53 acres 5 rail fence destroyed - - * 650 20 do 4 do do do - - - 204 4 do pale do do - • - - 87 4 [61] Brick-kiln fence - - - - 2S; Roof of a brick-kiln shed destroyed - - 300 Two Negro cabins - - - - 5Q Damage done to the sugar house - - - 72 Seven garden gates - - - - 150 Three tennpering beds for brick making - - 330 Provisions and cattle, per account No. 8 - 2,285 Madame Pornas' farm. A brick kiln shed 50 by i2 destroyed » - 600 Five Negro cabins - • - - 250 Three tempering beds for bric'imaking - - 291 Damage done to a store - - - • 36 75 acres post and rail fence . - - 915 30 do pale do - - - - 642 Provisions, &c. per account No. 9 - - 1,387 Solomon Prevost's farm. ^ A gardiner's house destroyed - - - 300 80 acres post and rail fence - - .» ggo 26 do pale do ... 506 5 gates and fastenings - - - - 120 L. H. Guerlam's country house, 26 acres post and rail fence - • - 317 2^ pale ditto - . . 53 Damage done to a houae - - - 50 1,8€ ir 2,754^ 1,966 Hay, corn, h.c. per his account No. 10 - - 5,411 Madame Dupre's farm. A saw mill torn down to erect the second line of defence ----- 4,000 A brick-kiln shed No. 1 - - - 1,000 ditto 2 - - - - 550 i ditto 3 - - - 400 Two tempering beds for brick making - - 200 Fourteen Negro houses - - - - 1,150 Seven gates and doors - - - 56 Dam'».ge done to the dwelling and out-houses 200 97 acres post and rail fence - - - 1,183 12 do pale ditto - - . 256 8,995 420 Fire wood, garden stuff, &c. per account No. 11 1,103 50 Francis Duplessis's country house. :ao acres post and rail fence - . • • 122 %Q loads hay, per account No. 12 • - 160 141 654. 200 [61] » ^ J. L. B. Macarty's plantation, intersected by '^e third line cf defence. ^^ Fences destroyed - - ",.,," Damages sustained per account No. 34, which the commissioners do not think come withm the view of their duty to appraise. Madame Montreael's plantation, intersected likewise by the third line of defence. Fences destroyed - - " . " • Damage sustained per account No. 35, same situ- ation as the foregoing - - - 8,700 Corporation of the city of New Orleans, damages to their property, occupied by a troop of horse, per account No. 13 Mons. Cervillier. Damage done to his house - - - On the left bank of the Mississippi above the city of New Orleans, and in the neighborhood of generals Carrol and CofFe's camps. Mons. Ducro's plantation. 13 acres post and rail fence destroyed - - 160 Damage done to the dwelling and sugar house 100 ^ . 260 Robert Avart's plantation. Damage done to his dwelling house - - 100 Provisions, &c. per his account No. 14 - 2,002 Madame L. Avart. 2 acres post and rail fence - - - 25 Hay, oats, &c. per account No. 15 Mons. Pierre Laurent. 25 a>res fence - - " - ' ^ ^^^ Oats, hav, &c. per account No. l6 - - 1,288 Widow Robert Avaat's plantation. 95 acres post and rail fence - - - 1,160 Provisions, wood, &c. per account No. 17 Widow Rousseau. 10 acres post and rail fence , - - 122 Provisions, wood, &c. per account No. 18 - 941 On the right bank of the river, at and near gen. Morgan's camp. Mons. Le Febre, gardiner. Garden stuff, poultry, &:c. per his account herewith No. 19 - - - - 1,657 John Caslanedo's plantation. 9 acres post and rail fence - - - ^^ Damage done to his house used as a hospital - 25 1 i acre pale fence - • ^ . - 36 ^ , 171 f$ [61 J \* Garden stuff, hay, wood, &c. per his account herewith No. 20 - - - Maurice Bertrand, Provisions and hay, per account No. 21 P, and B. Jourdanes' sugar plantation des- troyed bj?- order of gen. Jackson. The following buildings entirely destroyed by fire set to them: A dwelling house 70 by 20 feet A kitchen - . - • A sugar house mill, &c. A saw mill - . - - A sugar refinery . - - A rice mill - A large grange . - - A large store house - • - A coach house - - - Two fowlhouses - - - • Two pigeon houses • - - Ten double Negro houses A small store house - - , 96 acres post and rail fence - - • 13 do pale do « • • A fcrop of sugar and molasses in store when burnt, farming utensils, &c. per act. herewith No. 22 Mons. Caselard. A saw mill burnt - • - Carpenter's tools, &c. contained therein, per ac- count No. 23 - - • Mons. Borsgervaies. A saw mill burnt - - • • 26 acres fence - .. - • Sundry articles taken or destroyed by the army, account No. 24- - Mons. Duverge, opposite the city. A brick kiln on the margin of the river, destroyed for the purpose of erecting a battery. A brick kiln shed - • - - Roof, &c. of the kiln - « • . Two tempering beds . - • - Damage done to the levee andthe furnace Camp Bertonniere on the Chef Menteur road Mons» Bertonniere. 24 acres post and rail fence - . . Labour to 611 up the ditch on his plantations ° 2,924 301 4,600 500 12,000 4,000 150 400 400 1,800 100 140 200 1,500 150 i,in 278 8,978 2,438 4,000 208 1,046 700 1,000 200 2O0 292 100 26,789 G,000 4,20« 2,100 392 [61] 7 Francis Dreux. 10 acres post and rail fence - - ^ 122 Madame Leafroy Dreux. Cattle killed on her farnn, per her account here- with No. 25 - - - - - 1,500 J. B. Colson. 5 acres post and rail fence - - - 61 2 cart loads hay, per account No. 26 - - 16 Executors of Dan. Clark. 20 acres post and rail fence - • - - 244? P. Gueno. 4 acres post and rail fence - - - - 50 Bayou St. John. Mons. Cousin. 18 acres post and rail fence - - - - 220 Madanne Allard. 4 acres post and rail fence - - - - BO Cattle, &c. per her account No. 27 - - -372 Alexander Milne. A bake house on the Bayou opposite fort St. John 500 A house on the bank of lake Ponchartrain near the fort, destroyed by order of the mili.tary commandant - - - « - 2,000 Damage done to a house occupied by a picket guard, in advance of the fort - • 550 3,050 The New Orleans Navigation Company. For materials taken for the use of the fort at Bayou St. John, per account No. 28 - 438 Mons. Joublan, superintendant of the Naviga- tion Company. For a billiard table destroyed - - - 180 A. R. Menard. Damage done to his house in the suburb De La Course, used as a guard house for a troop of cavalry _..-__ 1 39 P. L, Le Ray, claims compensation for a Negro, a cart, and three mules, taken into requsi- tion, the former died in the service, and the cart and mules were lost, per affidavit and account No. 29 - ... - 795 t Michel, Deirell, & Co. Claim for damages done to two boats whilst ia the service, per account No. 30 - - 213 * Francis Leirche, a freeman of color. Claims compensation for a negro taken into re- quisition and killed at the lines, per affidavit and account No. 31 - - - - 600 8 [61] John Mouchon, claims compensation for two mules killed in the service of the United States, per account No. 32 - > - - 14,3 La Barre La Contoure, claims compensation for two mules killed at the lines, per account No. 33 146 Soyxereys & L'Assize, claim for a boat des- troyed by order of major Gordon, per cereificate annexed. Le Chev. De Peytavin, claims for two mules lost in the service of the United States. In addition to the foregoing, a third and distinct class of claims has been presented to the board, consisting of losses and damages sustained by individuals, whose property was alternately in posses- sion of the American and British armies, and as it would be impos- sible for the commissioners to discriminate between the damage oc- casioned bv either, they have subjoined hereto the respective claims, for the consideration of the authority to whom the present report may be referred, and which are as follows: v Ignace Delino alias Chalmet, the proprietor of a sugar estate adjacent to gen. Jackson's camp, between the American and British lines, the buildings of which were fired and blown up by order of the American commander, as appears by the documents annexed to the account marked A. Mons. A. Cruzat, son-in-law of Mons. Chalmet, residing in his house, for his furniture, &c. destroyed per account B. Mons. P. Duverge, son-in-law of Mons. Chalmet, residing in his house, for his furniture? Sec. destroyed, per account C. Mons. Bienvenue, a sugar planter, next adjoining the above, his house occupied by the enemy and materially injured by the shot from our line, per his account marked D, CoL P. D. de la Ronde, a sugar planter adjoining Mons. Bien- vtnu, per account E. P. La Ccste claims for 20 acres Plant cane, 50 acres fence destroved. Major gen. Villere, Claims for damages stated to have been done by the American army, per his account and vouchers marked F. Mons, Jumonville, For ditto ditto ditto per account G. Messrs. Baily and Rinker, planters at the English Turn, per ac- count and vouchers marked tl. See No. 1886 Mr. Lee's scted. 2566„ Thadeus Mayhew, proprietor of a plantation and saw mill on the right bank of the river, his account and vouchers marked I. Closed at New Orleans, this eighteenth day of November, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen. RICHARD RELF, PR. FOUCHER, BENJ. MORGAN. [61] 1. Estimate of losses sustairied on Behidere plantation^ belonging to Thadeus Mayhew^ situated about six miles below the city afJ\*ew Or^ leans on the right bank of the river ^ and within the dmeriean lines, in consequence of the invasion by the British, Loss by depredations of the Americaa troops. 3 Beds and bedding - - - - - S 60 Crockery ware destroyed - - • - 20 6 chairs -- - - - - -15 3 tables - - - - - - 18 1 writing desk - - - - - - 20 A quantity of clothing and 2 trunks - - - 150 ditto kitchen furniture - - - - 20 12 spades ------ 30 12 hoes - • - - - • -24 4 axes ------ 8 1 chest of carpenter's tools complete - - • loo 2 lanterns - - - - - • 3 50 6 lamps - - - - • - ' 5 75 ^ barrel molasses (16 galls.) - • - 12 12 pound of coffee - - - - - 4 50 50 do bacon - - - - - 6 25 1 pair steel yards • - - - - 8 1 jug lamp oil •!• - - - 3 50 15 cord of wood - - - - - - 45 1000 pickets taken from fences, and labor replacing do. 150 6000 feet of plank burnt and destroyed by guards station- ed near the mill - - - • . 240 2000 slabs ------ 80 Damage done to the house and out-buildings - - 200 2 plantation boats - - t - - 50 1273 50 Loss by whom uncertain, in consequence of setting fire to the bridge, saw mill, and lumber on the morning ' of the 8th of January, 1815. Saw mill with all the utensils belonging thereto - 6.0D0 200,000 feet of boards at g 4 - - - - 8,00(> 12,000 do of scantling, at S 5 - - . 600 A bridge across the canal of said mill - - - 200 li,800 10 [6l] State of Louisiana^ \ City of^av Orleans. ) Before me, John Lynd, Esquire, notary public in and for this city, duly comttiissioned, personally appeared Luther Howe, over- seer of the plantation of Thadeus Mayhew, of this city, merchant, near this city, vho having been dulv sworn, declared that to his knowledge, the several articles specified in the preceding account, were taken away or destroyed as therein declared; that he believes the value of each article fs fairly rated, and that to the best of his knowledge the estimate of the value of the mill, scantling, boards, and bridge, is just and true. In faith whereof, the deponent having hereunto signed his name, I sign these presents also, and affix my seal of office, at New Orleans, 13th May,18l5. JOHN LYND, JVV.Pw^. (l. s.) L. HOWE. State of Louismna, This day, before me, Augustus Macarty, mayor of the city of New Orleans, personally appeared Teter Long, master carpenter of said city, who deposes and declares, that he is well acquainted with the value of cypress lumber of all descriptions and has been long in the habit of dealing in the same; that shordy after the evacuation of Louisiana by the British army, cypress boards or plank, of inch and a quarter thick, (of which thickness they are always sawed in this country French measurement,) were worth 5 cents the foot and up- wards, which price this deponent frequently paid for the same du- ring the spring and summer of eighteen hundred and fifteen, and that other cypress lumber bore a price in proportion at that time, and that cypress boards are now worth six cents per foot, and are always worth double the price of northern pine boards in this market. De- ponent further declares, that he was frequently at the saw mill oi Thadeus Jvlayhew whilst in operation, knows that three hundred thousand feet of boards was sawed there annually, and that said mill might have been rented for twenty-five hundred dollars per annum, or upwards; that from the best of deponent's knowledge ana belief, said saw mill could not have been rebuilt under six thousand dollars, and he. this deponent, would not have undertaken to rebuild it for that sum. During the war cypress boards were worth four cents the foot. PETER LONG. Sworn to and subscribed before me, at New Orleans aforesaid, this 9th day of October, 1818. AUG. MACARTY, J^Iayor.. [61] 11 State of Louisiana. Personally appeared before me, Augustus Macarty, mayor of the city cf New Orleans, Wm. C- Withers, who deposes and declares, that cypress boards, of inch and a quarter thick, the usual thickness they are sawed in this place, French measurement, were worih from lour to four and a half cents the foot during the late war; that he was at that time proprietor of a steam saw mill, and so continues to be; that he supplied government with very large quantities at those pri- ces, never less than four cents the foot; that immediately after the evacuation of this country by the British, lumber was in great de- mand, and the price was from five to five and an half cents the foot by the quantity, as this deponent's bills, paid by the agents of govern- ment, will abundantly show. W. C. WITHERS. Sworn to and subscribed before me, at New Orleans, this 27th day of October. 1818. AUG. MACARTY, Mcnjor. Be it known, pursuant to two laws of the United States, the one j'ntitled *'An act to authorize the payment for property lost, captured, or destroyed by the enemy, while in the military service of the Unit- ed States, and for other purposes," passed on the 9th day of April, in the year 1816, and the other, entitled "An act to amend the act authorizing the payment for property lost, captured^ or destroyed by the enemy, while in the military service of the United States, and for other purposes," passed on the 3d day of March, 1817, that I, Richard Bland Lee, duly appointed by the Prcbident of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, Commis- sioner under the first recited act, reposing special confidence in your honesty, ability, and diligence, have constituted and appointed, and, by these presents, do constitute and appoint you, Edwin Lorrain & John M'Donogh, gentlemen, commissioners (any one or more of you to act) to take the testimony of such witnesses as may be brought before you or any of you, either by your own summons or orherwise, an oath or affirmation in due form, being first administered by either of you, relative to a certain claim of Thadeus Mayhew, against the United States; a particular description of which is containtrd in the annex«^d schedule, conforming yourselves in all respects to the rules and di- rections hereto attached. And all testimony so taken by you, you shall certify under your hands or hand, (as the case may be,) and having J2 [61] ^laly execu*ed the duties required by this commission, you shall re- turn the same, under a sealed cover, by mail, with a report of all your proceedings thereon, to this office, on or before the first day of De- cember next. Before you proceed to act, you will take "an oath before some officer authorized by law to administer the same, ^ that you will fait h'* fullif and impartially execute the duties assjgned to you by this commtS' sion;^^ a certificate of which, from the officer administermg the same, you will transmit \yith the report of your proceedings. In testimony of the premises, I, the said Richard Bland Lee, hath, to these presents, at my office in the city of Washington, affixed imy signature, this 26th day of March, in the year 1817. RICHARD BLAND LEE. Buks and directions to the Commissioners, 1. You will summon before you and examine the following witnesses on the part of the United States, namely; — — and such other persons as you may believe can testify as to the sub- ject claimed, favorably to the interests of the United States, generally as to their knowledge of the matter in controversy, and as to the character of the witnesses produced by the claimant, if yo shall deem this precaution necessary. 2. You shall examine the witnesses produced by the claimant; but no testimony mu'^^t be taken but in conformity to the rules pres- cribed by the notice from the office of the 3d of June, 1816, referring for your direction to the class of cases to which the particular claim before you belongs. A copy of which notice is therefore herewith inclosed. 3. Every witness examined must, in the first place, swear or affirm, that he has no interest directly, or indirectly, in the claim. 4. In your report, if you have doubts concerning the credibili- ty of the witnesses, derived from their general character, or other circumstances, you must state the grounds of such doubts. SCEDULE. Thadeus Mayhew claims payment for damage done by destruc' tionofhis property by the British army, during their invasion of Louisiana in the years 1814 and 1815, in consequence of his houses being used as military depots, under the military authority of the United States, and in consequence of various articles having been taken for the use and subsistence of the American troops, $ 14,600* This claim falls under the fifth and sixth classes of cases. R. B, LEE. i;6i] 13 Pursuant to a commission to this effect, to us, the undersigned commissioners, directed by Richard Bland Lee, Esquire, from the office of claims, for property lost, captured, or destroyed, during the late war, we have caused to be examined the claim of Thadeus May- hew, to payment of fourteen thousand six hundred dollars, for dam- age done by destruction of his property by the British army during their invasion ot Louisiana in 1814 and 1815, in consequence of his houses being used as military deposits under the military authority of the United States, and for property taken for the use and sub- sistence of the American army. 1st. Before proceeding to act, we have appeared before the honorable Dominick A. Hall, Judge of the District Court of the United States, for the Louisiana District, and being severally sworn, have taken on our respective parts an oath, faithfully and impartially to execute the duties assigned to us by this commission. EDWIN LORRATN, JOHN M^DONOGH Sworn to and subscribed at New Orleans, this 1st day of May, 1817. Before me DOM. A. HALL, District Juage Z7, S, Louisiana District. 2d. Appeared before us the claimant, who being sworn by an oath in due form, first administered by Edwin Lorrain, declares that he hath received nothing on account of this claim from any officer, agent, or department of the government of the United States; that the claimant has received no other certificates than those now pro- duced, which were formally transmitted, substantially as they are, to Samuel H. Harper, Esq. to be presented at the Commissioner's of- fice, and also one signed by Benjamin Morgan, Richard Relf, and Pierre Fouche, forwarded by them to the War Department, all given in support of this same claim. THADS. MAYHEW. Done before us, Edwin Lorrain, John M'Donogh^ 3d. Appeared David B. Morgan, a wTtwess produced on tlie part of the claimant, who being sworn by an oath in due form, first administered by Edwin Lorrain, deposeth and saith, that during tb^ 14 [61j invasion of Louisiana by the British, he was brigadier general of the Louisiana militia, that on the morning of the Sth day of January, 1815, and sometime previous thereto, the saw mill, dwelling house, and out buildings, belonging to the claimant, situated about six miles below the city of New Orleans, on his plantation called the Belvidere, on the right bank of the Mississippi, and one mile or thereabouts be- low the main entrenchment of a division of the American army, com- manded by the deponent as brigadier general as aforesaid, acting un- der the orders of major general Jackson, and in the vicinity of seve- ral batteries erected and commanded by commodore Patterson, of the United States navy, was occupied by a detacement from the de- ponent's command and by his orders as a militarv post, as a deposit fbr military stores, and as barracks for the military forces of the United States, that huts were erected there by said detachment with the lumber belonging to the claimant and taken from said sawmill, which lumber, as well as other combustibles on the plantation, was freely used as fuel for the army; that the said saw mill belonging to the claimant, together with the wooden bridge which crossed the canal on which the saw mill stood, as also a large quantity of lumber, consisting of cypress boards, plank, timber, and slabs, were on the said 8th day of January, and during the retreat of the enemy, set on fire and thereby totally destroyed; that to the best of the deponent's knowledge and belief, the said property was so set on fire and des- troyed by the enemy; and inconsequence of the said saw mill having been occupied by the American army in the manner aforesaid; and to preveni the same from beingso again occupied, or the lumber from being made use of for platforms of batteries, fortifications, huts, or other military uses; that during the stay of the deponent's forces on the claimant's plantation, every thing was taken which the place could afford, and which was thought necessary for the sustenance or comfort of the American army; that he knows the claimant's loss to have been a very serious one, and from all the circumstances in his knowledge, supposes that it might have gone to the amount charged by the claimant. DAVID B. MORGAN. X. HOWE. The deponent being interrogated by the commissioners, says, that he once before gave a certificate to the claimant, similar in its purport to the present, and taken before the mayor of New Orleans, on the 5th day of November, 1816, and that he hath never given any other certificate on the subject. DAYID B. MORGAN Done before us, Edxvm Idorrain, John J\PDonogh, [61] 15 4thly. Appeared before us, commodore Daniel T. Patterson, of the United states' navy, a witness produced as well on the part of the claimant, as by a summons from these commissioners on the part ot the United States, who certifies in the manner and form following, to wit; I do hereby certify, that the dwelling house and out houses of Thadeus Mayhew, were occupied as set forth in the preceding depo- sition of gen. Morgan, as the advanced post of the United States' forces on the right bank of the Mississippi, during the invasion of Louisiana, by the British, in 1814 and 1815; that the saw mill men- tioned in general Morgan's deposition, and the bridge of the canal, and all the lumber and scantling on the place, were burnt on the 8th of January, 1815, as the British forces retreated; and as the enemy tore up and destroyed by fire the platforms of my batteries in that neighborhood, I have every reason to suppose that he also burned the said saw mill and lumber, for the reasons so as aforesaid stated by general Morgan. I declare further, that 1 have never granted any certificate on this subject, except a former one given on the 30th of November, 1816, similar in its purport and object to the present, and in support precisely, of this same claim, which said certificate, from the information of the claimant, has been transmitted to Sam- uel II. Harper, Esquire, for the purpose of presentation to the gov- ernment. DANL. T. PATTERSOX, Captain U. S. JS'*ovy, commanding JYVrt; Orleans station. Done ferfefore us, Edwin Lorrain, John M^ Lonogh. 5th. Appeared befure us, Luther Howe, who being sv/orn Itv* an oath in due form, first administered by Edwin Lorrain, deposeih and saith, that he hath no interest, directly or indirectly in the claim now before these commissioners; that during the invasion of Louisi- ana by the British in 1814ur pro- ceedings thereon, which we hereby certify under our hands, at New Orleans, this 23d day of May, in the year \o\7 EDWIN LORRAIN, JOHN M'DONOGII, Comtnissioners* It has been impossible for me to attend the examination of the ^witnesses in support of the above claim of Mr Mayhew, but from the ample testimony produced, I am satisfied no change would have re- sulted from cross examination; it appears to be very clear. J. LIN BANFF. Treasury Department ^ 3<^ Auditor's Office, ^ov, 20, 1817» SIE, I have received your letter of the 19th inst. requesting to be ipformed whether anv payment has been made through the Depart-* « [60 19 mcnt of War to Thadeua Mayhew, for the destruction of his proper- ty below New Orleans, on the 8th of January, 1815, by the enemy during the late war. In reply to which I have to state, that no pro- vision having been made by law in this case, no payment has been made at this Department. I am Sir, With great respect. Your most obedient servant, PETER HAGNER, Aud. Mtchard B. Lee. Esqr, Commissioner cf Cjlaims. \ ► ^ /