advanced at that period from fifty and sixty cents a gallon, up to a dollar and a dollar and ten cents.

Fourth interrogatory. Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in the above entitled action.

HENRY JAMES ANDERSON, administrator &c., of ELBERT ANDERSON, deceased, against THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Deposition of Hugh McGinnis, a witness produced on the part of the above named claimant, in the above entitled action, this twentyninth day of October, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, at the city of New York.

First interrogatory. What is your name, occupation, age and place of residence for the past year? have you any interest direct or indirect in the claim which is the subject of inquiry in this action? are you related to the claimant? and if yea, in what degree?

Answer. My name is Hugh McGinnis; I am a cooper, and was so previous to the war of 1812, and through that war; am seventy years of age, and have resided in the city of Brooklyn for the past year: I have not any interest direct or indirect in the claim which is the subject of inquiry in this action, and am not in any way related to the claimant or the intestate whom he represents.

Second interrogatory. Were you familiar with the prices at which meat barrels, whiskey casks, vinegar casks, flour barrels, and candle or soap boxes were bought and sold during the years 1813, 1814 and 1815? and if yea, what were such prices respectively?

Answer. I was familiar with the prices of such barrels and casks during those years, but not with the boxes: the price of white oak hogsheads, wooden bound, which were whiskey casks, varied from two dollars and a half to three dollars; these held one hundred and twenty gallons; meat barrels averaged from ten shillings to twelve shillings; vinegar casks about the same price as whiskey casks; flour barrels fifty cents. Third interrogatory. Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in the above entitled action.

Answer. No, sir.

HUGH MCGINNIS.

Subscribed in my presence, October, 29, 1856.

G. R. J. BOWDOIN,
Commissioner.

On cross-examination the said Hugh McGinnis, testified as follows:

First cross-interrogatory. Do you know anything of the casks in which the provisions were furnished to the troops during the war by

Anderson? if so, state what they were worth at the several places and at the several times at which they were emptied.

Answer. I do not know anything about those casks.

Second cross-interrogatory. Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question? if yea, state it.

Answer. Not that I recollect.

The direct examination being resumed, the witness testified as follows:

Fourth direct-interrogatory. Did the market value of the casks and barrels referred to by you in your examination in chief vary throughout the State of New York? and if so, how much?

Answer. If they varied at all, the variation was very trifling. Fifth direct-interrogatory. Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question? if so, state it.

Answer. I do not.

Subscribed in my presence January 13, 1857.

HUGH MCGINNIS.

G. R. J. BOWDOIN,
Commissioner.

IN THE COURT OF CLAIMS.

HENRY JAMES ANDERSON, administrator &c., of ELBERT ANDERSON, deceased, against THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA.

Deposition of Francis Denham, a witness produced on the part of the above named claimant, in the above entitled cause, this 13th day of January, 1857, at the city of New York.

First interrogatory. What is your name, occupation, age, and place of residence, and what has it been for the past year? have you any interest direct or indirect in the claim which is the subject of inquiry in this cause? are you related to the claimant, and if yea, in what degree?

Answer. My name is Francis Denham; I am a cooper; I am about fifty-four years of age; I reside in State street, city of Brooklyn, and have resided there for the last eleven years. I have no interest whatever in the claim which is the subject of this action; I am not in any way related to the claimant or the intestate whom he represents.

Second interrogatory. Do you know what were the prices at which meat barrels, whiskey casks, vinegar casks, flour barrels, and candle or soap boxes, were bought and sold during the years 1813, 1814, and 1815 and if yea, what were such prices, respectively; state the grounds of your knowledge.

Answer. I have no knowledge except from the books of my father, who was a cooper, and whose books I kept. By those books it appears that during the years referred to meat barrels were worth about one dollar and a quarter, whiskey casks of thirty-two gallons, were worth about the same; those of about one hundred and twenty gallons, were worth from three to three and a half dollars. I don't think we had

any vinegar casks, they must have been worth the same as whiskey casks according to their size; flour barrels were worth three shillings, perhaps a little more. I don't know anything about the value of candle or soap boxes.

Third interrogatory. Are those the prices which were charged on your father's books for the articles above referred to, and what has become of those books?

Answer. Those are the prices which were charged for those articles on my father's books; those books were destroyed by fire several years since.

Fourth interrogatory. Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question? if yea, state it.

Answer. Not that I recollect at present.

On cross-examination, witness testified as follows:

First cross-interrogatory. Do you know anything of the casks in which the provisions were furnished to the troops, during the war by Anderson? if so, state what they were worth at the several places, and at the several times at which they were emptied.

Answer. I do not know anything about those casks.

Second cross-interrogatory. Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question? if yea, state it.

Answer. I do not.

Subscribed in my presence January 13, 1857.

FRANCIS DENHAM.

G. R. J. BOWDOIN.
Commissioner.

IN THE COURT OF CLAIMS.

HENRY JAMES ANDERSON, administrator of ELBERT ANDERSON, &c., deceased, vs. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Deposition of James W. Bleecker, a witness produced on the part of the above named claimants, respectively, in the above entitled actions, this thirteenteth day of October, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, at the city of New York.

First interrogatory. What is your name, occupation, age, and place of residence for the past year? Have you any interest, direct or indirect, in the claims which are the subjects of inquiry in these actions? Are you related to the claimants, or either of them, and if yea, in what degree?

Answer. My name is James W. Bleecker; am a stock broker; am sixty-nine years of age; have resided during the past year in the city of New York, and have always resided in that city; I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the several claims which are respectively the subjects of inquiry in the two above entitled actions, and am not in any way related to either of the above named claimants, or to said Elbert Anderson.

Second interrogatory. Were you acquainted with the individual Rep. C. C. 203-3

members of the following firms, namely: Prime, Ward & Sands, Nevins & Townsend, and Butler & Nevins?

Answer. Yes.

Third interrogatory. What business were those firms engaged in in the years 1814, 1815 and 1816?

Answer. The firms of Prime, Ward & Sands, and Butler & Nevins, were, during those years, engaged in the stock and exchange business; the firm of Nevins & Townsend was not formed until afterwards, as he believes.

Fourth interrogatory. Are either of the members of said firms now living?

Answer. No.

Fifth interrogatory. What was the reputation and standing of the said firm of Butler & Nevins?

Answer. The firm was not wealthy, but they were considered highly honorable and respectable men.

The further examination of this witness was adjourned to October 31, at half-past 1 o'clock, P. M.

October 31, 1856, the examination of this witness was resumed.

Sixth interrogatory. Have you examined the quotations of stocks, treasury notes, specie, and other securities contained in the letter books of the said firm of Butler & Nevins, marked No. 1, D. H. N., under the dates of August 31st, September 2d, 11th, 19th, 20th, and 22d, October 11th, November 10th, and 12th, and December 12th, all in the year 1814; also, under the dates of August 31st, September 9th, 13th, 15th, and 21st, all in the year 1815; also, those contained in the letter book of said firm, marked No. 2, D. H. N., under the dates of January 2d, 4th, 6th, 9th, 16th, 23d, and 24th, all in the year 1816?

Answer. I have.

Seventh interrogatory. Do you consider those quotations as correct?

Answer. According to the best of my belief they are correct; I was engaged in the same kind of business as the said firm during those years. The banks of New York suspended specie payments, according to the best of my recollection, on the thirty-first day of August, 1814.

Eighth interrogatory. Do you know of any other matter relative to the claims in the above entitled actions respectively?

Answer. No.

JAMES W. BLEECKER.

Subscribed in my presence, November 1st, 1856.

G. R. J. BOWDOIN,

Commissioner,

IN THE COURT OF CLAIMS.

HENRY JAMES ANDERSON, administrator, &c., of ELBERT ANDERSON, deceased, vs. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Deposition of Reuben W. Folger, a witness produced on the part of the above named claimants, respectively, in the above entitled actions, this seventh day of November, one thousand eight hundred and fiftysix, in the city of New York.

First interrogatory. What is your name, occupation, age, and place of residence for the past year? Have you any interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry in this action? Are you related to the claimant, and, if yea, in what degree?

Answer. My name is Reuben W. Folger; am a merchant; upwards of sixty years of age, and have resided in the city of New York for the past year; I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the claim. which is the subject of inquiry in the above entitled actions, and am not related to the claimant or to said Elbert Anderson.

Second interrogatory. What was your occupation in the years 1812, 1813, and 1814?

Answer. I was a distiller of domestic liquors, including whiskey and other liquors; I then resided at Athens, Greene County, State of New York.

Third interrogatory. Do you remember any variation occurring in the market prices of domestic liquors, including whiskey, at or about the time of the passage of a law by Congress imposing a duty per gallon on the capacity of stills, which law was passed in July, 1813? Answer. I recollect that there was a rise generally in the price of domestic liquors, including whiskey, shortly after the passage of that law; I recollect selling sixteen hogsheads of whiskey, after the passage of the law, at a dollar and six cents a gallon, and I had paid for it, previous to the passage of the law, about fifty cents a gallon.

Fourth interrogatory. Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in the above entitled action?

Answer. No.

R. W. FOLGER.

Subscribed in my presence, November 7th, 1856.

G. R. J. BOWDOIN,

Commissioner.

IN THE COURT OF CLAIMS.

HENRY JAMES ANDARSON, administrator of the estate of ELBERT ANDERSON, deceased, against THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Deposition of Henry James Anderson, the above named claimant, produced and sworn as a witness to prove the loss of two certain drafts referred to on page 288 of exhibit No. 5, in the above entitled action, and also of the notice of protest of the draft secondly mentioned on said page, and also in relation to the loss of all other papers connected with such drafts and protests, this 27th day of November, 1856: