Church, and Superintendent of the Missions of said Church in Hayti to I solemnly declare that I am a citizen of the United States of America, born 8th June, 1849, in Baltimore, Md. C. W. MOSSELL, September 30, 1883

Mr. Mossell to Mr. Terres.

Sir: The following is a statement and a matter of fact, which will inform you of what occurred on the afternoon of the 23d of September in and around my house facing La Rue Bonne Foi, Port-au-Prince, Hayti; it will also acquaint you of the acts of violence which were perpetrated on myself and family and those of my household.

On the forenoon of said date my house was fired upon, entered and pillaged and burned. This was dona by armed men acting under and obeying the orders of the officers of the Government of Hayti; it was done without the slightest provocation on my part or the part of my household; it was not done ignorantly nor through mistake; it was not an accident. It was done with intent and purpose, arranged and determined beforehand.

It was done with the most perfect knowledge; for example, the officers of the Government and the authorities in general knew that I occupied the house in which I’ was found when the attack was made on my house and property, my family, and my person.

They passed by my house the day before and the morning of the 23d, and declared’ to me on their honor that if we remained in the house we would not be injured.

Not only did we not provoke the attack, but we did, on the other hand, take all the precaution possible to prevent it. We swung from the balcony the American flag, which still waves from the wall and over the ruins of the house in which we lived, bearing silent testimony to the fact that Americans occupied it.

We have already said that our house was entered, we repeat, by soldiers armed, with machetes, guns, revolvers, knives, clubs, and swords; more than one hundred thus armed entered my house; they drew their swords on me; they cocked and pointed their guns at me; they avowed with uplifted hands and dreadful oaths their intentions to kill me; but, thanks be to God, through the intervention of Providence and a man who was well disposed, we made our escape into the street.

Three persons, however, before we left the house, were shot in it, viz: Mrs. Pizo, a lady engaged to remain with my wife until after her confinement, and her son, both Spanish subjects; also another little boy about six or eight years old, a British subject, who formerly attended our day school, was shot. He died from the effects the next day. We lost everything, house furniture, school furniture, clothes, provisions, piano, books, jewelry, records, and money.

What they did not carry off they destroyed and burned. As we were leaving the house, in the greatest distress, they pulled out of our hands small packages containing valuables. They set the house on fire before it was possible to get out of it, and when we did get out it was with the greatest difficulty we reached the American legation.

Myself and my wife, who was expecting every day to be confined, and was confined four days later, were abused and assaulted in the streets; our clothes were torn by the hands of soldiers.

The few friendly persons who were doing all they could to protect us gave up in despair and pushed us into a house, where the door was open, saying we can protect you no longer. A few moments after we entered the house the soldiers outside began to fire on it.

Seeing and believing that our persons and lives were entirely insecure we resolved; to leave the house into which we had been thrust for protection and try, if possible, to reach the American legation.

On our way we were surrounded and followed by soldiers crying for our blood and declaring their intention to kill us. They pushed their revolvers in our faces and drew their machetes ever our persons. Two different times I snatched from my breast the muzzle of the gun violently thrust there by the strong arms of the soldiers of the Government.

My wife was dragged and hauled in the streets until her strength failed her, and; on reaching the legation she fell from sheer exhaustion.

It is impossible to say at the present moment to what extent both my wife and infant baby have been injured by the terrible deeds perpetrated in my house, and; the ill treatment she received in the streets of Port-au-Prince, the details of which are herein recorded.

Respectfully yours,