(AMISTAD) THOMAS R GEDNEY (1799-1857) American naval officer most remembered for commanding the U.S. brig Washington when it found the Spanish slave schooner Amistad lying at anchor near Montauk Point. The ship had a cargo of fifty slaves who had overwhelmed the white crew and murdered the captain and one crew member. The Africans were arrested taken to New Haven Connecticut and charged with piracy and murder. Defended by former President John Quincy Adams they were found not guilty and most decided to return to Africa as free men and women. Rare A.L.S. ""Thos. R. Gedney"" as commander of the USS Plymouth 2pp. 4to. [n.p. probably at Canton or Macao] Oct. 4 1849 to Commodore David Geisinger. Good content re: stealing from Chinese junks in part: ""…I am truly sorry to report to you that some of our men have been guilty of stealing from the Chinese Junks. Yesterday morning Ayouke reported to me that one man had lost $140 - that another had lost a string of cash and one two bags of rice and an anchor. I could not believe it - and should not have believed that any money had been stolen & lost had not Mr. Doty found stowed away under the head $93 and the cash in one of the mess chests. The man who took the cash confessed…If the owner of the stolen money comes on board as I expect today I will have the whole amount returned…"" Add postscript and signs again with initials.