I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
BEN. STODDERT.
Letters which accompanied the above Message:
Extract of a letter from George C. Morton, acting Consul of the United States at the Havana, dated there the 18th November, 1798, to the Secretary of State.
"By the delegation of Daniel Hawley, Esq., I am at present acting as Consul of the United States in this district, with which he will most probably have acquainted you. It imposes upon me the mortifying task of informing you, sir, of the partial capture of an American fleet under the convoy of the Baltimore sloop-of-war, —— Phillips, Esq., commander, by a British squadron, off this harbor, accompanied with circumstances rather grating to the feelings of Americans, and by no means analogous to that good harmony which seems to subsist between the two Governments.
"The answer of Messrs. Trezevant and Timmons to my annexed note of the 17th instant, requesting an exact relation of the occurrence, will I presume be deemed as impartial a narration as can be given of the whole transaction, they having been passengers on board one of the captured vessels, and removed to the Baltimore.
"Mr. Morton adds, that Commodore Loring ordered the fifty-five men out of the Baltimore "on board of his ship, previous to any proposal of exchanging the natives of one nation for those of the other, and retained five of the hands as being British subjects, without giving an equal number of Americans, whom he acknowledged to have on board.""
Havana, November, 17, 1798.
Gentlemen: As acting American Consul for this city and district, and of course obliged to forward the most correct statement possible to the Government of the United States officially, I would beg the favor of you, gentlemen, to furnish me with an exact relation, under your signatures, of the unpleasant occurrence which took place off the Moro Castle on the 16th instant, by which you will much oblige,
Gentlemen, your most obedient servant,
GEO. C. MORTON.