Lot 414

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Description:

War of 1812 Warrant for Treasonous Acts

Single page manuscript document, 7.5" x 12.25". Dated on verso in the docket "June 24, 1814". Signed by "Lem Williams Jus Peace" Near fine.

The Warrant calls for the capture and arrest to hold two men for trial for treasonous acts regarding assisting the British. The bizarre event is documented at the Wareham Historical society which acknowledges that the entire thing was a misunderstanding and was not an act of treason:

"Whereas James Miller & Moses Bumpas both of Wareham in the County of Plymouth, Mariners, have this day been brought before us the subscribers …of the people of said county of Bristol by issue of a warrant issued against them upon the complaint …

… on the thirteenth day of June intent did feloniously .. Afford assistance to the Enemy of the United States by piloting the British Brig Nimrod to Wareham and assisting the said crew of said Brig Nimrod …"

During the War of 1812, the H.M.S. Nimrod, a 74-gun British ship, came into the harbor. Since the ship could not make it through the narrows to reach Wareham, 220 men disembarked and took six barges (the old term for a small sailing vessel) ashore. The British destroyed six boats and set fire to a factory, according to the next day’s publication of the Boston Daily Advertiser.

Two men taken hostage were actually accused of treason, with the town paper reporting, “We have no doubt of their guilt.” The men, James Miller and Moses Bumpas, members of Capt. Barrows’ crew, were the victims of a misunderstanding. The two men were working on a ship when the British took it over. The British made the men lead them into town and told Barrows he would have to pay a ransom to get his crew back, so Barrows left the ship to get ransom money, while the British kept Miller and Bumpas on board as hostages. Meanwhile, the townspeople saw Miller and Bumpas with the British and assumed the men had aided the British into Wareham. Miller and Bumpas maintained their innocence throughout their trial and were eventually acquitted.

A fascinating document from the War of 1812.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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