COL. GEORGE WASHINGTON FLOWERS MEMORIAL COLLECTION DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DURHAM, N. C. PRESENTED BY W. W. FLOWERS BRIEF HISTORY OF THE IMPRISONMENT OF JAMES SAUNDERS, OF NORTH CAROLINA, SON OF THE HON. R. M. SAUNDERS, OUR MINISTER TO SPAIN, AT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE INSANE ASYLUM. WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. M Be comforted, good madam, the great rage, You see is cured in him. r ' BOSTON: D. H. ELA & CO. PRINTERS. 1846. I Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofimOOsaun TO THE PUBLIC. Although I fear that my name has already been too often intruded upon your notice, yet I do hope you will bear with me and listen to me for a few moments — not so much on my own account as that of a few warm noble- hearted friends, who have raised their voices in my behalf. I wish to justify the course they have had the independence to pursue in regard to my case. They have said I was a sane man, and one who had been un- justly deprived of his liberty, and for this they have been reproved and censured. No man or woman either, ever yet befriended James Saunders and had cause to repent it. They have nobly taken my part when I was in prison, made my cause theirs, and defended me like a brother. I am now again a free man, and by Heaven's blessing shall ever remain so, — and so long as I have breath to draw, a tongue to speak, or strength to wield a pen, they shall be at their service ; yes, so far as I can repay the debt of gratitude, next to my Maker, I am theirs, heart, soul and body. There is nothing I would not dare — no sacrifice I would not freely and cheerfully make in their behalf ; and after I have done all in my power, I should then acknowledge myself their debtor. I allude principally in the foregoing remarks to those editorial friends who have befriended me, viz : Messrs. 1 Norris of the " Olive Branch," Kent of the " Boston Sun," Henry Clapp of the " Lynn Pioneer," William Lloyd Garrison, Charles Low, editor of the " New Hampshire Courier and Gazette," and N. P. Rogers of Concord, N. H. Although there are a few other warm-hearted friends who, by their sympathy and every other act of kindness in their power have befriended me, — yet to the above gentlemen, I am indebted for bringing my case be- fore the public, and thereby making me many friends who would not otherwise have heard of me. 1 allude to this circumstance, not for the purpose of thanking them ; I have done so already several times — and from the bottom of my heart. I mention it simply to say, that every statement concerning my case made by them in their respective journals is substantially correct. They have told M the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." But as I anticipate being answered in this com- munication, by either the superintendent of the New Hampshire Insane Asylum, or some one of its trustees, I trust I shall be indulged in briefly repeating the story. I wish to deal freely and frankly with the public, and I do promise to say nothing that is not strictly true, and " to set down nought in malice." For although I feel I have been wronged, deeply wronged, yet I bear malice against no man — such a feeling never had a place in my bosom. I scorn it, from my heart I scorn it. And although I never forget an act of kindness, yet a wrong or an in- jury soon passes from my memory, unless often repeated and I am goaded to madness ; then like most of my coun- trymen, I feel a spirit which cannot be hushed or appeased, until I have had justice done me. I am a Southerner, and a native of North Carolina. Soon after graduating at the University of North Caro- lina, and obtained my license to practice law, like many of my companions in my youth, I was seized with a spirit of adventure ; I must needs go to the " West," — North Caro- lina was getting old, and the field of labor for any young man of a strong spirit or ambition too contracted. Be- 3 sides, lawyers were there as plenty as blackberries al- most. So I went to the " West." I first settled in Columbus, Miss. ; I here took the Texas fever. I thought I must go there and see that country — I went ; it was my determination to settle down for life if pleased. I trav- elled nearly over the then Republic, and was delighted and charmed with the country itself; its soil, climate and natural productions, but was made sick and disgusted with the morals of the people. I saw men there who I was told had been eminent lawyers and physicians in the "States," (as they were then called,) but who yielding to the tide of immorality and dissipation, were carried down into the lowest sink of infamy, drunkenness and debauchery. This was enough for me. I reflected that I was also but a man, and liable to yield to the same temptation and influences ; I there- fore determined to turn my back on Texas. I did so at once and for ever. But in returning to the United States, I came to the State of Louisiana. I there fell in with an uncle ; a man of some standing and influence. He partly induced me to settle, I did so, — but from that time never enjoyed any health. The climate never agreed with me, it was so hot. Indeed Louisiana has been called, and justly too, the graveyard of the Union. But I had made my location, and was resolved to stand it out, — but in the five years I lived there, I lived twenty years, — I mean my constitution was impaired, in the five years I resided in Louisiana more, far more than it would have been in twenty years at the North, — besides, I had my mis- fortunes. There were individuals in whom I reposed the most boundless confidence who basely deceived me. This upset my mind, and brought on a long and extra- ordinarily severe spell of sickness, so severe indeed, that for six long months I never lay down at night, with the least hope or expectation of ever seeing the light of another morning ; — nor did my friends, the few I had left, who had not taken any advantage of me. My case in 4 fine was indeed hopeless — I thought die I must. But I resolved I would not die in a land of strangers, I would go back to my father's house in the " Old North State," — I did so. Arriving here, my bodily health rapidly improved, but my mind grew worse if any thing. It was weighed down and well nigh crushed by a heavy depression of spirits. I saw no peace — I took to that miserable refuge of some unfortunate men like myself. I resorted to the wine-cup to drown my mental agony. Previous to this time my noble-hearted father had borne with me with unexampled patience and forbear- ance, for he was one of the most tender-hearted men that ever lived. I have reason to believe that he had been besieged day and night by my stepmother to send me off. She wanted to get rid of my nursing, and also wanted to get me out of the way of my father's property, as she had already done my other two own brothers. But no ! my noble father turned a deaf ear to all her entreaties. And he never would have consented to my leaving him, had I not taken to the wine-cup ; of this I am per- fectly satisfied. He, therefore, wrote to my brother, Lieut. Camillus Saunders, of the United States Navy, who then resided at Charlestown, near this city, to come and take me, by using deception, to some Asylum at the North. My father was right ; I blame him not. Both my body and mind were almost a wreck of what they were once ; I was a fit subject for an asylum. I have said not once only, but whenever I have spoken of my incarceration at the New Hampshire Insane Asylum, that I do not and never did complain of being carried there, although I was deceived, and knew not where I was going, or what was to be done with me, until the lock was turned upon me. But, I say, of this I complain not, — although my mind was wrecked by the weak state of my body, yet I never had but one real symptom of in- sanity, unless great depression of spirits might be so con- 5 sidered ; and perhaps, they may and ought to be so con- sidered. The symptom, however, to which I allude is this, viz : I imagined it would kill me to converse. In this insane notion, I was fixed, as I believed, immovably; it grew out of the long and severe spell of sickness to which I have already alluded. Well, for six or nine months, I was more or less under this mental delusion, seldom spoke, and never except when forced. I had a slate and pencil which I invariably used, and such was the weakness of my body, I sat almost immovably in one position. During that whole time, I don't think I ever more than two or three times moved unless forced. But about six or eight months since, a reaction took place, both as to my mind and body. I commenced walking out for exercise. The cool fresh air of the North appeared to act like a charm upon my system. It soon braced it up in a great measure. My mind also shook off its heavy depressions, and soon became as clear, strong and cheer- ful, as ever it was in all my life, and it is a remarkably cheerful one ; for I am what the phrenologists term, of a sanguine temperament, and always disposed to look on the bright side of the picture of life. I also, at the same time, was induced to try and talk; and as I found it did not kill me, I have been talking ever since, for I am naturally a great talker, being of a sociable, friendly disposition. I then, and have ever since, considered myself a per- fectly sane man, and as such, had no business in a mad- house. Besides, the close confinement to which I was subjected, was not only tiresome, but injurious to my health. It is true, that owing to the accident of my being a son of a member of Congress, I was allowed a good many lib- erties ; more so, than any patient in the Asylum. I was allowed at this time, to go in and out the Asylum, pretty much wherever I pleased, and I formed a good many agreeable acquaintances in the village, and made some few warm friends. But I was in bondage. I was not a 1* 6 freeman, and I felt I had a RIGHT TO BE FREE. I had committed no crime, and was 29 years of age. What right then, had any man to keep me in bondage ? In fine, as I was born a freeman, I resolved I would not die a slave. There was a little paper published about that time, and I believe at this time also, of which I was the principal editor. I had two assistants, but the one was too crazy, and the other too lazy to write ; and they never wrote a line. I wrote to my father, stating the improved state of my bodily health, and also sent him a few copies of this little paper, and frankly told him he must be satisfied from them, and my letters to him and my friends, of my men- tal restoration, and I thought it was hard, extremely hard, to keep me in bondage. He answered my letter. But though his answer was written by him, yet from its spirit, I am satisfied it was dictated by another, viz., my step-mother, who has great influence over him. Besides, he anticipated leaving home, and as my step-mother and myself never could agree, and as my health was not entire- ly restored, why I suppose that he thought it was best for me to remain where I was. But though he is the best of fathers, yet in this 1 must say he erred ; yes, that he wrong- ed me, deeply wronged rne, however kind may have been his motives. No plea of convenience will justify or excuse the depriving a free citizen of his liberty. This should be sacred. Thinking and feeling this, I took my liberty in my own hands, and took the cars and came off to Bos- ton. When I once got here, I thought I should be free; but alas, I was mistaken. Pursued by the assistant phy- sician of the Asylum, I was set upon by the high con- stable of Boston, with some half dozen deputies at his heels. I was run down, seized, and by brute force, after being lodged in jail one night like a common felon, I was dragged back to the N. H. Asylum, where I have been closely confined pretty much ever since. But a full ac- count of this most brutal transaction has been already giv- en to the public, by my independent, noble hearted friends, Messrs. Norris and Kent, in the Olive Branch and Sun. — 7 And I hereby endorse every syllable of the publications made by them, concerning that transaction. About two months ago, that noble son of New Hamp- shire, and friend of mankind, the Hon. J. P. Hale, United States Senator from that State, came to see me, and being satisfied of my sanity, caused a writ of habeas corpus to be served upon the superintendent of the Institution. Ac- cordingly the superintendent and myself appeared before the Hon. Joel R. Parker, chief justice of New Hampshire, in Keene, the town of his residence. Owing to the fact of my close and rigid confinement, and utter inability of ob- taining any testimony in my behalf, I was advised by Mr. H., who acted as my friend and lawyer, to have my case put off until the regular sitting of the court in June, in the town of Concord. I did so, and the judge readily granted my re- quest. But from his kind, manly, and impartial deportment in the trial, I became satisfied that 1 had taken the wrong step. Had I suffered the superintendent to have gone into his testimony, I should have been liberated at once. And why ? Because by the few remarks I made in the Court House, and by my whole deportment in the town of Keene, I plainly saw I had satisfied his mind that I was a sane man. But I had moved to have my case postponed, and I had to stick to it. The superintendent and myself returned to the hospital. At first he showed a disposition to be extremely kind, and to win me over by flattery. He removed me from a dark hole among crazy men, to the best apartment in the Asylum, where there were several who were sane. But he saw by the cut of my eye, that it would not do. Flattery and kind treatment to my- self, could not bribe me. He must first be just to others, before / could be his friend. There had been men there, and there were still men there, who ought not to be there. He knew it, and I knew it, and he feared me. He was afraid I would expose him, the foul rotten abuses of the Institution, and his fears was not groundless. It was my determination to do so. Hence he changed his tactics. — From courting me, he commenced trying to vex and mor- tify me ; at last he gave me a dose of physic which nearly 8 took my life. I became alarmed, and afraid of my life. — I determined to leave. I did so. The following letter to the Hon. Joel R. Parker, will explain my subsequent pro- ceedings. Woburn, Tuesday, July 10. Judge Parker : — My Dear Sir, — Before leaving the N. H. Insane Asy- lum, I wrote to you of my intention of so doing. I also stated my reasons for so doing, and gave you my pledge of returning and appearing at my trial to-day, in the town of Concord. I regret, deeply regret, it is wholly out of my power to do so. When I left Concord on last Friday, I had no idea I should have met with the murderous pur- suit I have. Last night was the first night I have ventured to sleep in a house. I have been literally dogged every step of my way, not only by two legged, but four legged dogs. A fellow by name of Henry Foster, of Manches- ter, actually pursued me with a pack of dogs. And if the superintendent sanctions this heartless act, may his name be covered with infamy through life. As to that fellow Foster, he is utterly beneath my notice. 1 have been compelled to travel all night, and get a little sleep during the day by the side of an old tree, or the swamp, far from the main road. I am, therefore, com- pletely wearied, exhausted, and broke down. I am scarce- ly able to hold my pen to write to you. I must, therefore, desist. Wednesday Morning, July 11. City of Boston. I now finish, my dear Judge, what I left off last night. I said I was unable to appear at my trial on yesterday. Had I done so, it would have been an act of suicide. I could not have stood it. Although my mind was clear, strong, and cheerful, yet my body 9 was too weak. It would have sunk under the effort. Although closely pursued by my enemies, yet I was prov- identially saved. Talk to me not of accident, dear Sir. The hand of my heavenly Father was too visibly plain. Five times did he interpose between me and my pursuers. Twice was I seen, pursued, and being run down, fell from exhaustion. The thought occurred to me that this was an act of providence, and I had better lay still. I did so, and my pursuers came twice within ten and once within twenty steps of me, and although I distinctly heard their voices, yet they did not see me, but turned off and left me. This interposition was repeated twice after- wards. I feel, therefore, I was justified in taking this step by providence, and perhaps it was all for the best, my dear Judge. I know you were determined to do justice, but there were difficulties in my case hard to be overcome. I was peculiarly situated — in the power of one man, and surrounded by those dependent upon him for their bread. You may remember that the Superin- tendent swore in Keene that he believed me to be an in- sane man. If, then, he could thus perjure himself, who had some pretensions to being a gentleman and a man of honor, what would not his dependents do ? And to be frank with you, my dear Judge, I would not, with two exceptions, believe them upon oath ; such is their low, sycophantic and heartless character. And yet I had no means of impeaching their testimony. I was shut up in a mad-house, and saw no one but them, and they would stick to each other like leeches ; every man, like the rogues in Paul Clifford, swearing his fellow was a gentleman. Besides, you would have to go ac- cording to the law and to the testimony. The testimony, therefore, would have been against me, so far as swearing was concerned. Besides, Judge, my main witness left the Asylum several months ago. Well, these fellows might swear, if so disposed, that I had since then been a raving maniac, or subject to fits or paroxysms of insan- ity, or something else. In fine, Judge, it is my honest 10 belief, from the interposition of providence in my behalf, in assisting me to leave the institution, that He saw the embarrassments in which you would be placed, and re- lieved you by aiding me to get away. With the highest respect and esteem, Your friend, James Saunders. In conclusion, I solemnly declare, that since I have been at the New Hampshire Insane Asylum, some 17 months, that one James Stewart Darling, a well educated, well bred man, was kept imprisoned there for nearly two years, and during the whole of that time was sound in both body and mind, and I hereby challenge contradic- tion. The Superintendent dare not report to the con- trary. The fact is notorious in Concord, for Darling was often seen and conversed with by the citizens. I also declare that one Washer has been kept there for upwards of two years, and is and has been perfectly sane ; that one Richard Rowel, of Salem, who was put there by a heartless brute of a son, merely because he would not make over all of his property to him, although he had amply provided for him — although perfectly sane, and for a man of his age, remarkably healthy, has been kept there upwards of six months, and is still there. His is a hard case. I have several times heard him beg, in the most feeling, pitiful manner, of the attendant to take a razor and cut his throat ; not like an insane man, but in despair. I also declare, that one Fellows, of Exeter, was kept there nearly two years after he got well. It was too much for him ; the poor fellow despaired, and has since become deranged. I also declare, that one Tutherlee and one Niles are, or were perfectly cured for weeks before I left the institution, and ought to be at home. And final- ly, I solemnly declare, that all power is virtually vested in the Superintendent ; that the Trustees are only so in name ; and that there is but one thing in which the Su- 11 perintendent is consistent or methodical, and that is — de- ception ; — that he seldom, if ever, keeps his promises to the patients, but almost invariably breaks them ; and that the duplicity there practised is enough to make a sane man insane ; and that he is wholly and totally incompe- tent to the duties of his office as Superintendent, either in mind or heart. And for the truth of these declarations, I confidently appeal unto John H. Warland, Esq., who has lately left the institution, as well as all others who have left the institution. In conclusion, I would say that I have no doubt the foregoing statements will be attempted to be answered, but I KNOW that I have told nothing but the TRUTH, and as that is ever powerful, it must and will prevail. I have said what I have, from a sense of duty, and confidently leave it with my heavenly Father, knowing that he will put his seal to the work, and it will be well done. JAMES SAUNDERS. 3 ■ i m. Date Due ■■ :-£> 1. 2 *5^ Form 335— 35M— 9-34— C. P. Co. fHIS VOLUME DOES NOT CIRCULATB OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY BUILDING