George H. Douglas
George Douglas, of Philadelphia, (although he is also shown as
being of Richmond, Virginia) was suspected of captaining a
slave ship, the Kentucky, and trading in slaves between Lorenzo
Marques and Brazil in about 1845.
As First Mate on the Kennebunk built barque Cactus, he
sailed to the Mediterraenean. When the crew
arrived at Trieste, Italy, they appealed for discharge. They
complained to the American Consul there that First Mate George
Douglass had tied one of the boys to a post and given him 37 lashes
for some minor offence.
Douglass was later required by a Philadelphia court to pay
damages to members of the discharged crew.
Another crew was hired for the return voyage, but "the
whole crew mutinied most of them seizing handspikes. During the
affray, the Second Mate Elvin Y. Mason was struck twice upon the
head with a handspike by one of the mutineers, Harding, and his
skull being horribly fractured he expired six hours afterward. The
First Mate George H. Douglass of Philadelphia was grappled with by
another of the mutineers, Williams, who attempted to throw him
overboard."
In papers related to the slave trade, George
Douglas was said to have a wife and children in Philadelphia.
Proceedings of the brig Kentucky from Rio de
Janeiro to the coast of Africa, G. H. Douglass, commander.
Commenced loading about the middle of March, such as filling water,
&c.; on the 25th, 2 pipes of irons, 100 pipes of rum and water, with
some other freight, for the purpose of arrying slaves.
We tried
to get news to the consul, but was not allowed. The 30th, being
loaded, and the Portuguese passengers on board, 20 in number, we
sailed, they being below until we was clear of the fort. These
passengers were the captain, mate, and crew, for the purpose of
bring the vessel back. The second day the despatches were opened,
and orders were to go to Lorenzo Marks, east coast of Africa. The
Portuguese crew was divided and set to work, the same as the rest of
us—such as making sails, fitting rigging, &c.
We arrived at Imaye,
twenty miles, or about that, below Lorenzo Marks, after a passage of
forty-eight days. Orders was given to report bound to Mozambique,
but put in for wood and water.
Another brig arrived the same day;
it was the Brazilian brig Seventeenth of March, a slaver.
At
Lorenzo Marks found the brig Porpoise waiting orders, the consignee
being agent for the three. We sailed for the port of Inhambane in
company with the Porpoise. In the river of Inhambane, some of the
freight was taken on board the Porpoise, such as beef, pork, bales
of cloth, boxes of guns, &c. then went up to town. The twelfth of
June, the brig was delivered up to the Portuguese, when all hands,
except the mate, went on board the Porpoise—the captain with his
papers, and we with our clothes leaving the Portuguese in charge. On
the 22d of June, Patterson, steward, and a seaman was taken on
shore. The steward was reported a slave, taken to the fort, flogged
with rattans, eighty-six lashes, then put in the fort and locked up
with the seaman; he asked for something for his back, which was
refused him.
On the 8th of July, a Portuguese gun brig came up,
and the captain went on board the Kentucky to protect her with his
papers and colors; he tried to hire us, but we refused to go. He
hoisted the American ensign while the brig lay in port; at that time
there was slaves on board. The captain tried to drive the seaman on
shore two or three times; he said there was no provisions on board
for him, until, at length, he went on board of the Kentucky, rather
than go on shore, as he did not like to be a soldier, William
Page by name.
The Kentucky sailed for Brazil, September 9, with
five hundred and thirty slaves.
his
WILLIAM X
PATTERSON,
mark.
HANS HANSEN, 2d Officer,
JOHN MULLER.
CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES,
Rio de Janeiro.
I, the undersigned, consul of the United States,
hereby certify
the foregoing to be a true copy of the original.
Given under my hand and seal of office this twenty-ninth
[L. S.]
day of January, 1845.
GEORGE WM. GORDON,
Consul U. S.
A.
See also:
The Slave Trade
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