REPORT In the case of Capt. Louis Joseph Beaulieu, accompanied with a bill for his relief DECEMBER 14, 1819. Read, and, with the Bill, committed to a committee of the whole House to-morrow. The Committee on the subject of Revolutionary Pensions, in the case of Louis Joseph de Beaulieu, REPORT: That,, by authentic documents, it appears the said Beaulieu was a Lieutenant in Count Pulaski's legion, raised by order of Congress, and served therein with great reputation, until the reduction of the said corps; that, on the 14th May, 1780, in an action near Charleston, he received four wounds, two, by a broad sword, were very severe; one on his forehead, near his left eye, penetrated through one table of the scull, and shattered the bone greatly; the other on the left arm, injured the tendons of three of his fingers. The petitioner states, that he received fourteen wounds in the battles at Little Egg Harbor, and Monk's Corner, and in the sieges of Charleston and Savannah; that his health is materially injured, having lost one eye, and one arm lamed. That, in consideration of the wounds he had received in the continental service, and the recommendation of General Washington, Congress honored him with the brevet rank of captain, and also voted him a pension of $ 100 per annum; that he has lived on that small pension, and by teaching the French language; but his sight being now impaired, his infirmities increasing with his age, (being in his 68th year) he will be deprived of this means of supporting himself, his wife and child; and, therefore, captain Beaulieu prays his melancholy case may be taken into consideration, and his pension augmented. It appears by evidence before the committee that, without increase of pension, captain Beaulieu, at an advanced age, must be reduced to the condition of the most deplorable poverty and want. The committee report a bill to give captain Beaulieu the benefit of the act of 18th March, 1818. REPORT Of the Committee of Claims, on the case of Samuel Hughes. DECEMBER 15, 1819. Read, and committed to a Committee of the whole House to-morrow. The Committee of Claims, to whom was referred the report of the Commissioner of Claims, in the case of Samuel Hughes, of the state of Maryland, praying the payment of $25,000, as compensation for the destruction of his cannon foundry and other buildings appurtenant thereto, by the enemy, during the late war, have had the same under consideration, and offer to the House the following REPORT: That they have examined the evidence adduced in support of this claim before the commissioner, and to which they beg leave to invite the particular attention of the House. From the evidence, the committee think it will be clearly seen, that the claim of the petitioner does not come within the provisions of the act passed on the 9th of April, 1816, The foundry, and buildings appurtenant to it, cannot, in the judgment of the committee, be considered either as barracks or as a place of deposite for military stores. For such, only, did government intend to provide payment, by the act of 1816, and for such, only, ought payment, in the opinion of the committee, to be provided. They, therefore, recommend to the House the following resolution: Resolved, That the claim of Samuel Hughes, of the state of Maryland, ought not to be allowed. Case of Samuel Hughes, of the state of Maryland. Samuel Hughes claims payment for the value of his cannon foundry, and other buildings appurtenant thereto, destroyed by the enemy, during the late war, in consequence of the same having been used as a military deposite, and as barracks, for the military forces of the United States; the amount of damage, estimated by himself, being $ 25,000. In this case two commissions have been issued; the first, on the sd October, 1816, to Elijah Davis and Levin Gale, and the second, on the 21st October, 1816, to William Lorman and Samuel Sterett, which have been duly acted on, and reports made to this office. Under the first commission were taken the depositions of John Conway, William S. Coale, James Campbell, Howes Goldsborough, Samuel Coale, Abraham Jarrett, and the affidavit of the claimant, that he had not received any compensation for his loss from the government; and, under the second commission, the deposition of John S. Skinner, who was the agent of the government of the United States, during the late war, to communicate with the British ships of war then in the Chesapeake; the substance of which depositions is as follows: 1st. The first deposition is that of John Conway, sole clerk at the furnace when it was destroyed, stating, that he had been sole clerk there for nearly eight years previous; that the guns and shot belonging to the United States were left there in deposite; that a company of men was quartered at the said works, for the protection thereof, and the property of the United States, by a major Simson, now dead; that the British spiked and rammed the cannon with various materials, &c. &c. 2d. The second deposition is that of William S. Coale, stating, that, on the British landing near Mr. Hughes' furnace, he inquired for their commander, and was shown admiral Cockburn, whom he asked as to the fate of his property, &c. and was told that he should suffer no injury from them; that their object was to burn and destroy that foundry, and said it was his instructions from his government to destroy all public property he could come at. He inquired how many soldiers were at the foundry; that a company of troops was stationed at the foundry, and quartered in the houses there, for some days before the British came. Sd. The third deposition is that of Capt. James Campbell; stating, that admiral Cockburn told him that his principal object in coming to the foundry, was, to destroy public property; and asked him where the shot were, and if he knew any thing about them. 4th. The fourth deposition is that of Howes Goldsborough; stating, that he was asked by admiral Cockburn, at Havre de Grace, if there was not a cannon foundry somewhere in the neighborhood? and, he answering in the affirmative, admiral Cockburn said he knew as well as deponent where it was, and he intended to pay it a visit. 5th. The fifth deposition is that of Samuel Coale, who states, that he was sole manager of the foundry when destroyed; that admiral Cockburn told him that they had particular instructions from England to destroy this foundry, and that he was determined on this measure from the time of entering the Chesapeake bay; that, from the tenor of his conversation, this deponent understood the admiral, that this foundry was considered to be public property; that, at the time the British came, and for four years before, there were thirteen long 24 pounders, and twenty-two long 32-pounders, with a considerable quantity of shot, belonging to the United States, left in deposite there by the United States, and at their risk, as can be fully proved by reference to the Navy Department; that, for the protection of the above property, a major Simson, who is now dead, sent a company of militia to said foundry, about one or two weeks before the British came, which company, with their arms, was quartered in the house at said foundry, and the greatest part remained there till the British came in sight, when they retreated; that, when the troops first came there, they placed the shot belonging to the United States under ground, which saved them, but the enemy spiked up and rammed the cannon with various materials. 6th. The sixth deposition is that of Abraham Jarrett, stating that he conversed with admiral Cockburn, on board the Maidstone frigate, respecting the destruction of colonel Hughes' foundry and grist mill, when admiral Cockburn said the mill was burned without his knowledge, or it should not have been done, but the furnace, or foundry, the deponent believes he called it, was a proper mark for destruction, and every thing combined with it for the making of cannon; that it was a principle with them in war, to destroy every thing of that sort, and that he found this foundry one on a pretty large scale, making cannon for the government to support the war, and that he had found a number of cannon at the foundry already finished, which he had, as far as practicable, also destroyed. 7th. The seventh deposition is that of colonel Hughes himself, stating that he has never received any compensation from any person whatever, for the loss of his cannon foundry. Four repectable persons were appointed by Mr. Davis, the com-missioner for taking testimony, to estimate the amount of colonel Hughes' loss, who were sworn to estimate it fairly, and that they were not, directly nor indirectly, interested in the claim; who estimated the value of the property destroyed, at -$29,795 The value of the materials remaining, at 3,700 $26,095 The deposition of John S. Skinner, Postmaster at Baltimore, states, that he has no interest in the claim, directly nor indirectly; that, on the Friday preceding the 3d of May, 1813, he was on board the Statira frigate, off Annapolis, when captain Stackpole informed |