"MONROVIA, April 24th, 1826.
"Rev. and Dear Sir: I received your letter sent to me by the
order of the Board of Managers of the American Colonization
Society; and I expected until a few days ago that the return of
the Indian Chief, would have enabled me in all respects to have
realized their wishes. But on a more minute examination of the
subject, Mr. Ashmun and myself both were apprehensive that my
leaving the Colony at present, would endanger the lives of a
number of the inhabitants; Mr. Ashmun, however, has made a full
statement to the Board, which I have no doubt will be
satisfactory to them. I think that through the blessing of the
Almighty, I shall be able to get the last expedition through the
fever with very little loss; we have lost only three, the Rev.
Mr. Trueman, from Baltimore, and two children belonging to the
Paxton family. But the emigrants who came out in the Vine, have
suffered very much; we lost twelve of them. The action of the
disease was more powerful with them than is common--they
unfortunately arrived here in the most sickly month in the year,
February. I am strongly of the opinion, sir, that if the people
of New England leave there in the winter, that the transition is
so great, that you may count upon a loss of half at least. They
may, in my estimation, with safety, leave in the months from
April to November, and arrive here in good time; I think it to be
a matter of great importance; therefore I hope, that you will
regard it as such.
"I am respectfully yours,
"Lott Cary."
Gurley, _Life of Jehudi Ashmun_, appendix, p. 152.
In April, 1826, Lott Cary made arrangements to embark for the United
States. The following is extracted from a letter addressed by Mr.
Ashmun to the Managers of the Colonization Society:
"The Rev. Lott Cary, returning by the 'Indian Chief,' has, in my
opinion, some claims on the justice of the Society or Government
of the United States, or both, which merit consideration. These
claims arise out of a long and faithful course of medical
services rendered to this Colony, (the only such services
deserving much consideration, if we except those of Dr. Ayres and
Dr. Peaco, since the commencement of the settlement, in 1820).
"It is perhaps known to the Board, that Mr. Cary has declined
serving any civil office, incompatible with a faithful discharge
of his sacred functions: and it may be added, that although one
of the most diligent and active of men, he has never had the
command of leisure or strength to engage in any Missionary
duties, besides the weekly and occasional services of the
congregation. More than one-half of his time has been given up to
the care of our sick, from the day I landed in Africa, to the
very moment of stating the fact. He has personally aided in every
way, that fidelity and benevolence could dictate, in all the
attentions which all our sick have in so long a period received.
His want of science acquired by the regular study of Medicine, he
has gone a long way towards supplying by an unwearied diligence
which few regular physicians think it necessary--fewer
superficial practitioners, have the motives for exercising.
"Several times have these disinterested labors reduced him to the
verge of the grave. The presence of the other physicians has,
instead of affording relief, only redoubled the intensity of his
labors, by changing the ordinary routine of his attentions to the
sick with the exhibition of their own prescriptions.
"Mr. Cary has hitherto received no compensation, either from the
Society or the Government, for these services. I need not add,
that it has not been in his power to support himself and family
by any use he could make of the remnants of his time left him,
after discharging the amount of duty already described. The
Missionary Board of Richmond have fed, clothed and supplied the
other wants of himself and family, while devoting his strength
and time to your sick colonists, and Agents in this country.
Justice seems to demand that he should be placed in a situation
as an honest man, to refund the whole or part of the fund thus
engrossed, not to say _misapplied_, to the Missionary Board.
"I beg leave also to state, that on the 15th of February, 1826, I
came into an agreement with Mr. Cary, to allow him a reasonable
compensation for his medical services, devoted to the then
sickening company of Boston emigrants. His time has from the date
of that agreement, to the present hour, been incessantly occupied
in attending upon the sick."
Gurley, _Life of Jehudi Ashmun_, appendix, pp. 151f.
On the 25th of June Gary wrote to Ashmun:
"About three o'clock to-day, there appeared three vessels--two
brigs and a schooner. The schooner stood into the Roads, and one
of the brigs near in, but showed no colours until a shot was
fired by Captain Thompson; when she hoisted Spanish colours, and
the schooner the same. All their movements appeared so
suspicious, that we turned out all our forces to-night.--About
eight this evening it was reported that they were standing out of
our Roads; and at sunset, that the schooner had come to anchor
very near the 'All Chance,' from Boston; and that the brig which
had passed the Cape, had put about and was standing up, trying to
double the Cape; and that the third vessel (a brig) was standing
down for the Roads. The first mentioned brig showed nine ports a
side. From all these circumstances I thought best to have Fort
Norris Battery manned, which was immediately done by Captain
Johnson. I also ordered out the two volunteer companies to make
discoveries around the town, and the Artillery to support the
guns, and protect the beach; which orders were promptly executed,
and we stood in readiness during the night. At daylight the
schooner lay at anchor and appeared to be making no preparations
to communicate with us; I then ordered a shot to be fired at a
little distance from her, when she sent a boat ashore with her
Captain, Supercargo, and Interpreter. She reported herself the
Joseph, from Havana, had been three months on the coast trading,
but _not for slaves_, had one gun, and twenty-three men. Also,
that the brig was a patriotic brig in chase of her, and that
through fear she had taken shelter under our guns. The Captain
wished a supply of wood and water; but I told him I knew him to
be engaged in the slave trade, and that, though we did not
pretend to attempt suppressing this trade, we would not aid it,
and that I allowed him one hour, and one only, to get out of the
reach of our guns. He was very punctual, and I believe before his
hour."
Gurley, _Life of Jehudi Ashmun_, appendix, p. 157.
A letter to the American Colonization Society through her Secretary,
July 17th (1828):
Until we can raise crops sufficient to supply a considerable
number of new comers every year, such an arrangement (a vessel
large enough to run down to Cape Palmas and occasionally to
Sierra Leone) as will enable us to proceed farther to the leeward
than we have ever done, in order to procure supplies, will be
indispensably necessary; as there we can procure Indian Corn,
Palm Oil, and live stock. For these, neither the slave traders
nor others, give themselves much. Corn can be bought there for
from fifteen to twenty cents per bushel. Fifteen or twenty
bushels which I bought of Captain Woodbury, I have been using
instead of rice for the last two months. Besides, it can be
ground into meal, and would be better than any that can be sent.
Upon the supposed inquiry, will not the lands of the Colony
produce Corn? they will produce it in abundance; but with the
quantity of lands appropriated at present, and the means to
cultivate them, each landholder will, I think, be able to raise
but little more than may be required by his own family, and
consequently will have little to dispose of to new comers. (It
has been resolved by the Board of Managers to increase the
quantity of land alloted to each settler.)
Permit me to inform the Board, that proposals have been made by a
number of very respectable citizens in Monrovia, to commence a
settlement near the head of the Montserado River, which would be
a kind of farming establishment; which, should it be the pleasure
of the Board to approve, would be followed up with great spirit,
and found to contribute largely towards increasing our crops, for
the soil is very promising.
Gurley, _Life of Jehudi Ashmun_, appendix, p. 158.