THE OLD MERCHANTS OF NEW YORK CITY
        Second  Series

By  Walter Barrett, Clerk
     1863

     MERCHANT  DESCRIPTIONS

       CHAPTER  20


SAMUEL  G.  OGDEN

      There are many honored mercantile names among the citizens of
different periods, but none stand higher than that of "Ogden." I have in one
chapter given a sketch of James De Peyster Ogden, once an extensive
merchant, and ever a most useful citizen. I will now give another merchant
of the name of Samuel G. Ogden.

      He was one of the New Jersey Ogdens. His father was a clergyman at
Newark. Samuel G. Ogden was one of several sons; one went to China. Samuel
served the usual apprenticeship, or rather clerkship, in order to
thoroughly learn mercantile business, with the then (1795) great commercial
firm of Gouverneur & Kemble, No. 94 Front street. Joseph and Isaac
Gouverneur were both partners at that time; although Joseph was absent in
Europe, and he died shortly after his return, about 1798. Isaac lived a few
doors from the store, at No. 98 Front street.

      The house did an enormous trade, and young Ogden was in a good school
to learn business. As one item of the business they did a commission
business. The ship "Cleopatra" came consigned to them from the Isle of
France; she was commanded by Captain Beare. G. & K. sold one invoice of
sundry goods, and the net proceeds were L54,195___or $135,488.  G. & K.'s
commission, and they only charged 2 1/2 per cent, in those days, was
$3,387.20.

      That was seventy-six years ago, when New York was small; but, even
now, there are not many commission merchants who carry $3,387 20 to the
credit of the "commission account" in one line on one day. Besides Samuel G.
Ogden, Gouverneur & Kemble had other clerks. There were John Wilkes, Nic
Ogden, and A. Carroll. Five years later, in 1800, Samuel G. Ogden went into
business under his own name at No. 119 Pearl street. For some years he did
an extensive shipping business, and owned several vessels. Their names were
the "Empire," the "Indostan," the "Diana," and the "Leander."

      About that time he married Miss Lewis, a daughter of Francis Lewis,
and grand-daughter of the celebrated Francis Lewis, the worthy old merchant
who signed the Declaration of Independence.

      Most of the vessels belonging to Samuel G. Ogden were armed, as the
custom was in those days. When the oldest son of Mr. Ogden was born, Samuel
G. Jr., he was saluted with sixty guns, fired from the ships owned by his
father.

      In 1806, Mr. Ogden was so unfortunate as to make the acquaintance of
the celebrated General Miranda. At that time the Surveyor of this port was a
high-spirited gentleman, known as Colonel William Steuben Smith. He had
received his appointment from President Washington. He was a son-in-law of
one of the presidents of the United States. I think he owned a cottage, that
he built the year Washington died, 1799; it is located at Sixty-first
street, East river. Col. Smith became acquainted with General Miranda. The
latter was born in Caraccas, South America, and was for many years in the
service of old Spain. He left in 1785, and then entered his brain an idea of
freeing that section of South America from  Spain. He came to the United
States for this purpose. He went to Europe on the same business, and pursued
his project for many years, applying successively to France, Great Britain
and the United States for aid. In 1805 he came to New York, and commenced
getting up a military expedition against the province of Caraccas. He knew
the surveyor of the port, Col. Smith, and he explained to him all his views.

      Colonel Smith promised to aid him, and pointed out to him one
excellent vessel that could be obtained for the expedition. It was the ship
"Leander," belonging to Samuel G. Ogden, whose place of business, as well as
residence at that time, was at 102 Greenwich street. The surveyor was a
shrewd man. He met Mr. Ogden in the street.

      "Sam, have you heard of Miranda?'
      "Yes, I have."

      "Well, how would you like to make his acquaintance? He has been a very
great traveller___he is a man of science___has extended views of matters and
things in general, and I dare say he might open up new commercial fields to
you."

      "I should like very much to make his acquaintance," was the reply of
the merchant.
      That same evening General Miranda spent at the residence of Samuel G.
Ogden, and,. with the aid of a few bottles of old Madeira, such as could be
procured only by old New York merchants in those days, the two talked upon
various subjects.

      They spent a pleasant evening, and agreed to meet the next morning
upon the battery. This was not an uncommon thing for the first people in New
York, to make appointments and walk upon the battery in winter as well as
summer mornings. At this interview General Miranda explained to Mr. Ogden
that he had recently returned from Washington, where he had met President
Jefferson, and had talked freely with Mr. Madison, the Secretary of State,
who thought the freedom of South America generally a very desirable and
praiseworthy object; and proposed to Mr. Ogden to go into it, and aid him
with vessels and means to fit out an expedition to free the province of
Caraccas.

      I may as well add, that at this time, no one dreamed that President
Jefferson would be openly hostile to such an expedition. General Francis
Miranda, when at Washington, was received in the most cordial manner by all
the high officials of the Federal Government. This introduction by Surveyor
Smith of General Miranda to Mr. Ogden, cost Colonel Smith his Surveyorship.
He was removed a few days later. He so confident of the success of the
"Miranda" expedition, that he allowed his own son, William S. Smith, to go
out as supercargo of the ship "Leander" belonging to Mr. Ogden.

      The result of several interviews between General Miranda and Samuel G.
Ogden, in December, 1805, was that in January, 1806, the latter went to work
heart and soul to fit out his ship, and load her for the rebel service. He
bought cargo, shipped 150 men, cannons, gunpowder, muskets, stores, etc., to
a very large amount. The captain of the ship "Leander" was named Thomas
Lewis. While the expedition was fitting out, General Miranda boarded at the
Widow Avery's, No. 7 State street, until the ship "Leander," was ready to
sail, and then he went on board of her. She had on board all told, eighty
persons, and mounted seventeen cannons, as the complement of the ship.

      The cargo fit out by Mr. Ogden was a very valuable one. William
Armstrong was the principal agent of Mr. Ogden in shipping the men and
cannon. When the "Leander" cleared at the Custom House, it was for Jaquemel,
in the West Indies. Mr. Ogden was, however, too shrewd a merchant to fit out
such an expedition upon the mere word or promises of General Miranda. The
latter had a much more substantial basis. When he reached here he brought a
letter of credit for L700 sterling on Daniel Ludlow & Co., merchants at No.
19 South street. Daniel Ludlow lived at that time at No. 56 Broadway. This
sum Ludlow & Co. paid over to Samuel G. Ogden for General Miranda. Miranda
gave Mr. Ogden his bill on Nicholas Van Sittart, London, for L2,000; others
for L5,000 on Joseph Lambert and Wm. Brown, of Trinidad. I do not know
whether the last was ever paid. The "Leander" was to clear for Jaquemel, but
on her way, near the Province of Caraccas, she was to land what she had on
board, and then and there Mr. Ogden's captain or agent was to receive, in
cash, the cost of cargo___which was $40,000___the amount of outfit, and 200
per cent. advance on the amount of the cargo and outfits. (Outfits included,
of course, money advanced to the soldiers of the expedition.) The whole sum,
adding 200 per cent., estimated to be paid for by General Miranda, was
$217,000. In conversation, Miranda stated that the "Leander" would land her
cargo near the town of Caraccas, probably at La Guayra. He did not believe
that La Guayra had a force of but few men.

      I think there was some lack of knowledge in reference to landing a
cargo near Caraccas. I have myself been from La Guayra to Caraccas, but it
is over a mountain several thousand feet high, and which only mules can
travel. Caraccas is up in the mountain. It was nearly destroyed by an
earthquake in 1812, a few years after the celebrated Miranda expedition.

      Mr. Ogden bought the cargo partly for cash, but the greater part was
on time. The ship sailed in January, and her owners expected that she would
be back in the month of March. After landing General Miranda, his men and
ammunition, the "Leander" was to proceed  to Jaquemel, and there load with a
return cargo of coffee, to be bought with a part of the money received from
General Miranda, according to agreement. All the leading men of New York
city at the time, and among them was Rufus King, were perfectly familiar
with the expedition and its object. Mr. Ogden took a great risk, and if it
succeeded he meant to get a proportionably large share of profit.

      Some of the sons and relatives of many of the first people of the
State were in the expedition. The "Leander" sailed about the 1st of
February, 1806. On Board were Thomas Lewis; William Steuben Smith, alluded
to, who ranked as aid of General Miranda; there were Henry Sands, Barent
Roorbach, William Hosack, Edward Gates, Elisha King, James B. Gardner,
Alexander Buchanan, John Moor, David Burnett, Dr. Samuel Scofield (surgeon
to the army,) Henry Perry, John T. O'Sullivan, and such like names. That
Henry Perry was an uncle of mine. Here is one of the commissions of Miranda:

                        "Don Francisco De Miranda,
             Commander-in-Chief of the Columbian Army

      By virtue of power and authority invested in me, I hereby constitute
and appoint William Hosack a first Lieutenant of Artillery in the army of
Columbia, under my command; and all officers, his superiors and inferiors,
non-commissioned officers and others, are hereby required to respect and
obey him as such, agreeable to the articles of War.
                             Signed,                FRAN. DE  MIRANDA
        Thomas Molini,   Sec'y Reg't_____."

      The "Leander" went straight to Jaquemel, reaching that harbor on the
19th of February.

      There they expected to be joined by the "Emperor," another ship
belonging to Mr. Ogden. She did not come, and the schooner "Bacchus" was
hired to accompany the "Leander." She did not leave Jaquemel until the 28th
of March. The "Leander" was accompanied by the schooners "Bee" and
"Bacchus."  All the men to conquer Caraccas did not exceed 200 on board the
three vessels. These were to drive the King of Spain out of South America.
After being twelve days at sea, they landed at Aruba, seventy miles to the
leeward of where the expedition really wished to go. The troops went ashore,
and stayed until the 16th of April, when they embarked again. For several
days more they were cruising about, and came near the Dutch Island of
Curacoa. They fought on board; all was confusion from day to day.  Captain
Lewis, who had been appointed a colonel in Miranda's service, now said he
would have no more to do with Miranda or his enterprise, except as captain
of the "Leander," to secure the interest of Mr. Ogden. I believe he was his
brother-in-law. April 24th the vessel reached Curacoa. Two days after they
reached the Spanish main, and were ready to land, when they were attacked by
the Spaniards, and nearly all captured. Two Spanish Guarda Costas first
attacked and captured the two schooners, with sixty men and officers. This
was off Puerto Cabello. The "Leander" stood off for sea. The cause of the
capture of the schooners was the captains of those vessels not obeying
orders and keeping near the "Leander."

      The battle was fought April 20th, 1806. May 6th the "Leander" was at
sea with but six gallons of water on board.  She went to Bonair. She put to
sea again after getting water, and wandered about, Miranda quarrelling with
his men, until May 28th, when the ship reached the Island of Granada. From
that island she went Barbadoes, where the celebrated Lord Cochran had a
British fleet. She continued there until June 28th, when Capt. Lewis had a
serious quarrel with Miranda, and left for New York. She was now the reputed
property of General Miranda. July 14th the "Leander" reached Port of Spain,
Trinidad. August 1st, the "Leander" got to sea again, and on the 3d troops
were landed on the Spanish main, and the Columbia flag hoisted in place of
the royal standard of Spain. General Miranda fooled about the interior for a
short time, but finally went on board ship. He left the "Leander" on the
27th of September. A Capt. Atkins now took command of the "Leander," but
having no ability he was succeeded by a lieutenant of the British navy. Nov.
26th the "Leander" was lying in Trinidad, the agent trying to get a
settlement with Miranda, who was lying at the Government House. I will now
give the final of the ship "Leander." She lay in the harbor of trinidad
until Feb. 24th, 1807, when the sailors belonging to her went in a body to
the Governor and told him that they were hungry and naked, that the ship had
no stores, and they wanted their wages. He tried to get their wages from
Miranda, and failing in that, tried the ship's agent. Finally 33 out of 266
shipped from America, addressed the governor a petition. He promised pay,
and they waited. Day  by day the little band became less. They were pressed
on board of British ships of war. At last the ship "Leander" was sold in
Setember, 1807. Some of the money was paid to the few sailors who adhered to
the ship. Mr. Ogden, her owner, never received a dollar. Most of the young
men who joined Miranda in New York, were liberally educated. Such as Hosack,
Sands, Scofield, Loudon, Burnett and others.

      Of the prisoners taken from this expedition by the Spaniards, near
Puerto Cabello, ten were hanged on the 24th of July, 1806; ten were
sentenced to labor at Omoa; fourteen were sent to Porto Rico to labor ten
years; nineteen were sentenced to labor at Bocca Chica, near Carthagena, for
eight years. Among them was Henry Perry. He was never heard of again from
that day to this.

      All that Mr. Ogden ever got out of the concern was the L800 sterling I
have alluded to, and one of the drafts for L2,000 was paid. He never
received a penney from the proceeds of the "Leander." All the property of
his that Miranda took out of New York was spent, dissipated or lost. General
Miranda was at last captured by the Spaniards, and died in a Spanish prison.
His son came to this city some years ago. When Columbia became free, in
later years, President Bolivar always expressed a deep sympathy for that
expedition, and if ever Samuel G. Ogden had gone to Caraccas before Bolivar
died (about 1828) a portion of his losses would have been refunded to him.



Source:  The Old Merchants of New York City
Author:  Walter Barrett, Clerk           Second series
Publisher:  Carleton, Publisher, 413 Broadway
Entered according to the Act of Congress 1863
             _____________________________________

    Researched, Prepared and Contributed by Miriam Medina
                  For the Brooklyn Information Page


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