Deposition of Peter S. Bowdoin, n.d.

The Commonwealth of Virginia

v.

Ben and others, Slaves, &c.

The deposition of Peter S. Bowdoin of Northampton County and State of Virginia, of lawful age, who being first duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that this deponent some time in the month of July, had his whale boat of the value of $100 stolen from his landing. That on the same night that he lost his said boat the slaves belonging to John Eyre Wm. L. Eyre John Segar and others ran away from this county and fled to New-York, as he has understood. That he has every reason to believe that the said slaves stole his (this deponent's) boat; and one reason for it is this belief is, that he has received a letter from New-York, informing him that his boat was there; and another is, that he has understood in some of that the arrival of the said slaves in a whale boat was advertised in some of the newspapers, and that the said boat is now in this deponent's agent in the City of New-York, and further this deponent saith not.

P. S. Bowdoin

Governor's Office, Letters Received, John Floyd, Record Group 3, Library of Virginia.