ELIHU ROOT, United States Attorney to Augustus H. Garland, June 23, 1885

Mr. Root to Mr. Garland.

[Office of the United States attorney for the southern district of New York.]

Sir: Your letter of June 2, transmitting a copy of the note of the Colombian minister of May 27, 1885, to the Secretary of State, in regard to the brig Ambrose Light, directed me to take such measures as I might deem proper, to investigate the facts relative to the ownership, character, and capture of said vessel, with a view to the prevention of any breach of the neutrality laws in connection therewith.

I have the honor to report that I have made such investigation, and that I have been unable to obtain any testimony that substantiates the statement of the minister that the “Ambrose Light was purchased at Philadelphia for the Colombian rebels, by their agent, Benjamin Gaitan, who dispatched her with some munitions of war to the scene of the rebellion, where she was assigned to the transportation of troops.”

The Colombian consul when called upon for witnesses whose testimony would support the charge, named to me two persons who would, if requested, call at this office and make their declarations. They were the master of the Ambrose Light, Gaspar Rodriguez, and Benjamin Gaitan, who is referred to in the minister’s letter.

On my request, Mr. Gaitan called here this morning with Mr. Santiago Perez Triana, who acted as interpreter. Mr. Gaitan stated that he did not purchase and was not concerned in the purchase of the Ambrose Light; that she was not purchased at Philadelphia or any where in the United States, to his knowledge; that he did not dispatch her from the United States either with or without munitions of war to the scene of the rebellion; that he had nothing to do with her personally, and that the only information that he had about her was that she was sold at Barranquilla by her American owner to private persons there, whom he understood to be Ramon Collente and Adam Gaitan; and that these persons chartered her to the insurgents for the transport of troops to Cartagena.

The other person named by the consul, Gaspar Rodriguez, did not respond in person to my request that he would call here, but instead sent a lawyer, who stated that his client’s information was that the Ambrose Light was sold by her former American owner at Barranquilla to Ramon Collente.

The result is that the witnesses cited by the Colombian authorities, instead of supporting the charge made, speak directly against it.

Very respectfully, &c.,