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Lewis Tappan reports on getting the Africans off to Farmington. Tappan writes that yesterday, the three girls appeared in court, accompanied by Stanton Pendleton and his family. Tappan and Mr. Bacon were the only witnesses on "behalf of the complaint being opposed by Pendleton's family & all he could muster." General [Dennis] Kimberly was retained by Tappan at the request of Roger S. Baldwin and addressed the court, followed by Charles A. Ingersoll, stating that, "Ralph I. followed in a long harangue & was very abusive upon Judge Clark & myself." Tappan provides examples of the "violent perversion of facts [and] false charges" he produced and he also abused Sherman M. Booth and Benjamin Griswold, raising "loud laughs at their expense & at the expense of the friends of the Africans." They adjourned at nine o'clock in the evening and the decision will be given tomorrow. Tappan states that Marshal Norris Willcox has behaved very well, but that Pendleton has acted like a "wild beast." Arrangements had been made to have the Africans leave for Farmington this evening, but due to Pendleton's actions, they were moved immediately. Five carriages were to transport the Africans, but "as Cinque, Kinna, etc. were in court" the remaining Africans showed fear toward the hackmen until seeing an colored Hackman, George Phillips" whom they gravitated toward. Mr. Booth reports they arrived safely. In court yesterday, Cinque was allowed to communicate with the three girls and "explain to them what we intended for them." Kinna gave...

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Slavery and the U.S. Supreme Court: The Amistad Case

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Amistad Research Center