STATE OF NEW YORK, _Niagara County, ss_:
Gilman Appleby, of the city of Buffalo, being sworn, says that he left
the port of Buffalo on the morning of the 29th instant in the steamboat
_Caroline_, owned by William Wells, of Buffalo, and bound for Schlosser,
upon the east side of the Niagara River and within the United States;
that this deponent commanded the said _Caroline_, and that she was
cleared from Buffalo with a view to run between said Buffalo and
Schlosser, carrying passengers, freight, etc.; that this deponent caused
the said _Caroline_ to be landed at Black Rock on her way down, and that
while at Black Rock this deponent caused the American flag to be run up,
and that soon after leaving Black Rock Harbor a volley of musketry was
discharged at the _Caroline_ from the Canada shore, but without injury;
that the said _Caroline_ continued her course down the Niagara River
unmolested and landed outside of certain scows or boats attached to Navy
Island, where a number of passengers disembarked and, as this deponent
supposes, certain articles of freight were landed; that from this point
the _Caroline_ ran to Schlosser, arriving there at 3 o'clock in the
afternoon; that between this time and dark the _Caroline_ made two
trips to Navy Island, landing as before; that at about 6 o'clock in
the evening this deponent caused the said _Caroline_ to be landed at
Schlosser and made fast with chains to the dock at that place; that the
crew and officers of the _Caroline_ numbered ten, and that in the course
of the evening twenty-three individuals, all of whom were citizens of
the United States, came on board of the _Caroline_ and requested this
deponent and other officers of the boat to permit them to remain on
board during the night, as they were unable to get lodgings at the
tavern near by; these requests were acceded to, and the persons thus
coming on board retired to rest, as did also the crew and officers of
the _Caroline_, except such as were stationed to watch during the night;
that about midnight this deponent was informed by one of the watch that
several boats filled with men were making toward the _Caroline_ from the
river, and this deponent immediately gave the alarm, and before he was
able to reach the dock the _Caroline_ was boarded by some seventy or
eighty men, all of whom were armed; that they immediately commenced a
warfare with muskets, swords, and cutlasses upon the defenseless crew
and passengers of the _Caroline_ under a fierce cry of "G--d d--n them,
give them no quarters; kill every man.
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