I have now the honor to enclose herewith twelve affidavits made by passengers
on board the confederate steamer, and by residents of the island of
Eleuthera, in everything confirming the declarations made in the protest.
They have just been received from the commercial agent of the Confederate
States at Nassau, who informs me that copies of the same documents were
transmitted by the same opportunity (the mail-steamer La Plata, just
arrived) to the Duke of Newcastle, sent, as I am informed, by the
authorities at Nassau.
[Enclosure 1 in No. 8.]
Declaration of Theodore Cavillier.
Bahama Islands,
Eleuthera:
Be it remembered that on this 4th day of June, in the year of our Lord
1863, personally came and appeared before me, Ormond Drimmie Malcolm,
notary public, by lawful authority appointed, duly admitted and sworn,
residing and practicing in the city of Nassau, in the island of New
Providence, one of the said Bahama islands, Theodore Cavillier, of
James’s Point, in the island of Eleuthera, one of the said Bahama
islands, planter, who of his own free will and accord did solemnly
declare (such declaration being made in pursuance of the laws of the
Bahama islands made for substituting a declaration in lieu of an oath in
certain cases) in manner following, that is to say:
I live at a settlement called James’s Point, on the island of Eleuthera,
one of the Bahama islands. On Saturday, the 30th day of May last, I was
out in a boat fishing on the southern side of the settlement. The
settlement is bounded on the north and south by the sea, and the
distance across—that is, from the north to the south—is about two miles.
While I was fishing I heard the reports of several guns; I immediately
went on shore on the southern side of the settlement, proceeded to a
hill nearly over to the northern side, and climbed up a tree, in order
that I might see the vessel from which I supposed the guns were being
fired. On looking out to the sea I saw two steamers; one of them, having
paddle-boxes, was steering down outside of a reef, which is about three
or four hundred yards from the shore, and the other, without
paddle-boxes, also steaming down outside of the reef, about five or six
hundred yards from the first steamer. The steamer furthest out was
firing at the inner one; I could see the smoke come from her side, and
hear the report of the guns as they went off. She would fire first from
one side a broadside, and then turn and fire from the other side. I
could see the shot from these guns fall on the land about three hundred
yards from where I was up the tree. I was about half a mile from the
settlement. On seeing the shot fall so near, I jumped from the tree, ran
to the southern shore and got into my boat to come home. While I was
coming down
[Page 788]
to my house in the
boat, I heard a gun go off in the direction of the two steamers and a
cannon-ball passed over my head and fell in the sea about thirty yards
from the boat in which I was. I fell down in the boat from the shock. On
Saturday evening, after I came home, I went over to the northern side of
the settlement, on the beach. I saw a steamer on shore on the reef, and
one lying, to about five or six hundred yards from the one on the reef.
They were the same steamers that I had seen running down outside in the
morning, when I was up the tree. I did not stay long on the beach, but
soon returned home. One steamer that was lying-to had an American flag
flying. I do not know when she left.
THEODORE CAVILLIER, his + mark.
Declared to before me, this 4th day of June, A. D. 1863.
ORMOND D. MALCOLM, Notary
Public.
