Remarks on board the Julia E. Arey, 1860

Contributed by Maine Historical Society

Remarks on board the Julia E. Arey, 1860

Purchase a reproduction of this item on VintageMaineImages.com.

Description

An 1858-1860 logbook of the 'Julia E. Arey' contains an account of the capture and flogging of Captain E.W. Ryder by Georgian slaveholders in November 1860. On November 6th, 7th, and 8th, 1860, an unknown sailor (possibly the first mate) recorded his account of the incident. Other accounts appeared in abolitionist publications after the start of the American Civil War.

At 7 PM on October 15, 1860, the brig 'Julia E. Arey' passed between St. Simon's Light and Cumberland Light to enter the mouth of the Satilla River. Captain E. W. Ryder sailed the brig from Thomaston, Maine to exchange cargo near Jeffersonton, Georgia, before sailing on to Trinidad.

On November 6th, the account describes a mob from Jeffersonton, Georgia, led by the local 'Captain of Patrols'. The mob boarded the ship in search of a slave who was known to have visited the vessel several times. The following night, the mob returned to search the ship. Finding nothing, they arrested Captain Ryder, put him on trial, and sentenced him to 25 lashes. The captain and the second mate (his son, Joseph Ryder), were jailed in Jeffersonton until the vessel left the Satilla River two weeks later. The incident became a propaganda tool for both abolitionist and pro-slavery factions.

The brig 'Julia E. Arey' was built in Frankfort, Maine in 1851. She was owned T.J. Stewart of Bangor at the time of the incident. In 1859, she was captained by G. A. Stone and sailed from Bangor to Cuba by way of New York. In 1860, she sailed out of Thomaston as a merchant vessel captained by E. W. Ryder.

In general, the logbook was used to record a vessel's course and cargo, as well as daily remarks. It covers the period of both Capt. Stone and Capt. Ryder.

View/Add Comments

Transcription

Item has a transcription view a full transcription


About This Item

  • Title: Remarks on board the Julia E. Arey, 1860
  • Creation Date: 1860-11-05
  • Subject Date: 1860-11-05
  • Locations:
    • Thomaston, Knox County, ME
    • Jeffersonton, Jefferson, Camden County, GA
  • Media: Ink on paper
  • Local Code: Coll. S-8097
  • Collection: Logbook for Brig Julia E. Arey
  • Object Type: Text

Cross Reference Searches

Standardized Subject Headings

People

Other Keywords


For more information about this item, contact:

Maine Historical Society
485 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
Website

Use of this Item is not restricted by copyright and/or related rights, but the holding organization is contractually obligated to limit use. For more information, please contact the contributing organization. However, watermarked Maine Memory Network images may be used for educational purposes.

How to cite content on this site


Please post your comment below to share with others. If you'd like to privately share a comment or correction with MMN staff, please send us a message with this link.